Tag Archives: best pregnancy book

Top 5 Money Saving Pregnancy Tricks

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By Layla Anna-Lee, English TV Presenter and soon to be mum.

pregnancysavingtips

Don’t buy a baby changing unit! A baby changing unit is literally a chest of drawers with a baby changing section on top and an extra zero added to the price. Proper padded anti-roll baby changing mats add the same amount of height to the sides of a mat that any changing unit would have. You must never leave your child alone on a changing unit or mat regardless. So don’t feel obliged to purchase overpriced units when your current chest of draws with a safety mat could be just fine! (Just make sure the chest of drawers is the right width for the mat and is strong enough to take the weight of a baby.) I bought mine from www.safetots.co.uk

 

Eco nappies.  In two years of a child’s life the average spend on disposable nappies is £1,800. The same stretch of time in reusable nappies is around £350 and if you are planning on having another child you can use them again saving yourself much, much more. Modern day Eco nappies are incredibly well designed, there’s no need for old fashioned soaking and can be washed at 30 degrees. Of course washing adds some expenditure but even then it’s less than all the bin liners and nappy sacs you’ll be needing for those disposables. Not to mention the cost on your conscience that disposable nappies are the largest single household contributor to landfill sites. I bought mine from www.totsbots.com

 

The Baby Show! Get your ticket, get there early and don’t leave! This was my favourite shopping spot of all. So easy to compare a huge range of baby products all under one roof and so many incredible discounts. I had purchased my buggy before attending the show then saw the exact same one at the show with over £200 off – That’s a pretty impressive discount and at The Baby Show discounts like that are everywhere. There are a variety of invaluable talks to attend, such as first aid and breast feeding talks are included in the ticket price. If you’re a savvy haggler stay right until the end and you might get even more taken off the price tag as exhibitors don’t want to pack up all the stock to travel home. The next show is taking place at Kensington, Olympia from the 23rd-25th October: www.thebabyshow.co.uk

 

You don’t need a cot straight away. When looking to save money sometimes timing is the answer and when choosing your cot you have time to get it right. A baby can sleep in a Moses basket up until around 3 months or until the baby can sit up or roll. This means  there’s no rush, you can wait for a sale, a hand me down from a close friend or indeed simply take your time to make sure you’re making an educated purchase. Mine is from www.mobauk.com

 

Don’t be afraid to ask for things you actually need. Everyone loves buying presents for a new baby. Whether it be an excited mother in law or if you’re throwing a baby shower. It’s important to be honest because your friends really do want to get you something you will actually use. If you don’t need 45 hats and another plush bunny rabbit then just say so! Make a little list of what you need and let your loved ones help you, it truly makes the world of difference.

 

 

 

Expecting Better: Why The Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong Book Review

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Expecting Better: Why The Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong Book Review, pregnancy, advice, eating, drinking, Expecting Better: Why The Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong created a huge amount of buzz when it was released, and rightly so. Women’s bodies are always political minefields. Everything from our breasts to our rights to abortion are subject to scrutiny and sexism. No more so is this true than when a woman is pregnant. Everyone has an opinion on what you should eat, on what you should do. The amount of unsolicited advice is irritating and the amount of judgement from the conception all the way to how you give birth can be overwhelming. God forbid that people live and let live.

Which is why I love this book. Emily Oster is an associate producer of economics at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She has done her research and has the facts. That is the thing with facts: you can’t argue with them. I mean, people will try but the truth is the truth. Let’s start with caffeine and alcohol. Women are told to limit caffeine and not drink during pregnancy. Coffee allegedly causes a rise in miscarriage. But as Oster says:

“Women who drink coffee tend to be older so is it the coffee or is it the maternal age?”

On alcohol she says: “In continental Europe women drink wine when pregnant and there is no evidence at all that there children are not as smart as American children or have any other health problems. In fact there is no evidence of more foetal alcohol syndrome in continental Europe; if anything, rates are higher in the United States. This is interesting as any drinking is frowned upon in the US whilst in continental Europe before are less judgemental.

Ultimately I concluded that these recommendations were not just very cautious, they were too cautious. In moderation, pregnant women should feel comfortable with both alcohol and caffeine.

For alcohol, this means up to one drink a day in the second and third trimester, and a couple of drinks a week in the first. In fact, for the most part studies fail to show negative effects on babies even at levels higher than this. By a drink here I mean a standard drink – 120 millilitres of wine, 30 millilitres of hard spirits, 350 millilitres of beer.”

Considering that a recent legal test case brought by a council tried to pass a law in the UK to make it illegal for women to drink in pregnancy at all, that speaks volume. Women are not trusted with their own bodies and decisions. As Oster puts it “This feels like pregnant women are not given any more credit than children would be in making important decisions.” Quite.

My review of Osters book could go on for thousands more words. Instead I will say: buy it. If you are pregnant, buy it. If you have a pregnant friend, buy if for them. It is the essential pregnancy book. Emily Oster should be applauded for her excellent work and research. This book is groundbreaking, fascinating and practical. I loved it and I could not recommend it more. Steven D. Levitt, the co-author of the brilliant Freakonomics, said this book ‘may be the most important book about pregnancy you read.’ There is no ‘may’ about it. Read it.

Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom is Wrong and What You Really Need to Know is available here.