Nct newark spring 2015 web

NCT Newark and Southwell 1

Newark & Southwell

Winter 2014

www.nct.org.uk/branches/newark-southwell www.facebook.com/NctNewarkSouthwell

www.twitter.com/NCTNewark

©NCT, Alexandra House, Oldham Terrace London W3 6NH, Registered charity no. 801395

Please don’t throw me away, pass me on to a friend today

In this issue: Birth Story

NEW series: Baby Led Weaning

50 Best things about being a parent

Bag a bargain - Make some money

Local NCT events

Spring and Easter crafts

Changing Times

Newark & Southwell

Spring 2015

being pregnant, having babies and life with toddlers

©NCT, Alexandra House, Oldham Terrace London W3 6NH, Registered charity no. 801395

Please don’t throw me away, pass me on to a friend today www.nct.org.uk/branches/newark-southwell www.facebook.com/NctNewarkSouthwell


Next Nearly New Sale 14th March 2015

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About this issue and branch news Welcome - Ta da!

Anyone seen my magic wand? It is very similar to this one I've looked and looked and looked again and cannot find it, so was just wondering if any of you had seen it? Maybe I can work some magic with you? We really do need volunteers and this time we are spreading our star dust far and wide – young mums who have done NCT training, experienced mums, grandparents. All our roles are full of magic! Come to our information coffee morning and see how you can help, you can work wonders as a volunteer. So, if you have a few minutes to spare can you go in your spare room, children's toy cupboard and the garage and see if you can help me find my magic wand? Failing, come and help me find it at our wizard gathering...

NCT Newark & Southwell info & coffee morning.

Wednesday, 4th March 2015 12:30pm

at 50 The Banks, Bingham

Fancy magic dress optional :)

www.facebook.com/NCTNewarkSouthwell


National Childbirth Trust

This publication costs £1.50 to produce and is sent for free to our members. Donations to support our work are welcome.

The information in this newsletter is for the benefit of NCT (National Childbirth Trust) members and beneficiaries. It may be used only in connection with NCT activities and may not be used for any commercial purposes. The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of NCT. The information contained in this news-letter should not be reproduced without the editor's consent in writing. The appearance of an advertisement in this newsletter does not imply endorsement of the company or its products by NCT, nor does it constitute a recommendation. However, it is always worth mentioning when replying to an advertise-ment that you saw it in an NCT newsletter. NCT cannot be held liable for loss, damage or injury arising out of goods sold through any advertisements in this newsletter. Any discount offered to NCT members by any advertisement is done so entirely at the discretion of the advertiser. Our branch is run by volunteers. We are mostly parents with young children working from home which means we are not always available. Please be considerate of meal/bed times if you telephone us, and allow a few days for us to respond to emails. This includes our agents such as bra fitters, valley cushion and pump agents, and also our breastfeeding counsellors and peer supporters.

Our next Nearly New Sales is on

14th March 2015

More info p. 16

Issue Publication date (approx.)

Spring 1st February 2015

Summer 1st May 2015

Autumn 15th September 2015

Advertising with the NCT Newark and Southwell

Why not advertise in our next newsletter? Advertising rates start at £35 for a year and we reach many parents across our area. To advertise or for more information please email Tina: [email protected]


Easter Chick Card You will need: Yellow and orange card, glue, two small wiggly eyes, two paper fas-teners, a pencil, scissors, a child’s hands. Trace your child's hands on the yellow paper; these will serve as the chicks wings. Cut an oval or egg shape out of the yellow paper. The size should be about 1/3 larger than your child's hands to be in scale with the wings. Fasten the wings onto the oval body with the paper fasteners. Use the orange paper to make the beak and legs. The beak should be shaped as a diamond, bend it in the middle and only glue the bottom half to the oval portion of the chick. Glue on the eyes. For the feet, make long thin legs with three pointy toes. Finally, glue the legs to the chick.

Spring / Easter Daffodils Cut out a daffodil shape out of thin cardboard (e.g. paper plate). Glue a cup from an egg box into the middle of your daffodil shape. Use some sticky tape to attach a drinking straw to the back of the flower. Colour in the daffodil using yellow and orange paint. Pet Rocks Find a suitable, larger the better, rock or stone on a journey or in the garden. Give it a good wash. Paint the rock in either acrylic paint or a half and half mixture of poster paint and PVA glue. Decorate with stickers, googly eyes, feathers, etc. to make your pet rock. Spring and

Easter Crafts

Welcome - Ta da! .............................. 2 Spring and Easter Crafts ................... 3 Birth Story ......................................... 5 Bag a bargain - make some money .... 6 Diary Dates - local NCT events .......... 8 Baby Led Weaning ............................. 10 50 best things about being a parent .... 12 Branch contacts ................................ 14 Nearly New Sale ............................... 16

In this issue


I’d been niggling with irregular but uncomfortable Braxton hicks for the last 4 weeks or so of the pregnancy. I was booked in for a home birth, and had my doula on call. My previous 3 children had all arrived early (37, 34 and 38 weeks) and had all followed the same pattern of weeks of niggling, ending with my waters breaking but not going into labour and needing to be induced. I knew that an induction would rule out a homebirth, but my doula was fantastic with information about how the body labours. I knew that to stand the best chance I needed to relax both mind and body and trust my body to do it’s thing when it was ready to do it. With that in mind, the evening before my due date I ran myself a deep bubbly bath and headed off to relax, finishing off with an evening watching comedy DVDs. Saturday, my due date, arrived and the niggling intensified. Irregular, painless, I just couldn’t get comfy. My doula visited, and later told me that she knew I would be labouring soon. I couldn’t eat my dinner. I’d lost my appetite and the thought made me feel ill. Around midnight, lying in bed I felt my waters pop, and the increasing damp patch confirmed it. But no contractions. I knew I needed to relax and trust my body would do it’s thing in it’s own time, but there was a nagging thought in my mind “you need to check the waters are clear” The waters were not clear. There was blood, and a lot of it. All thoughts of my homebirth and avoidance of medical intervention went out the window in an instant. I phoned the labour ward and told them I was coming in, and while my husband called a neighbour to babysit, I called the doula (it was pre arranged that she would look after the older children should I need to go to hospital) It didn’t take long to reach the hospital, but I didn’t relax until I’d heard my baby’s heart. The doctors wanted me to stay in now, telling me it might be placental abruption, but they

couldn’t tell at the moment. Baby’s head had dropped and now nothing was leaking out, so we couldn’t tell if I was still bleeding or not. My husband was able to stay the night on labour ward with me (they even have a double bed!) I didn’t sleep a wink, just waiting. And telling myself to relax. About 7.30am I started getting a few irregular and very mild tightenings. Different from the achey Braxton hicks, these were sharper. Very slowly over the course of the morning they intensified, but remained irregular. Hypnobirthing was working well, and a warm wheat bag on my back as I leant over a chair helped enormously too. Gradually the pains intensified to the point I could no longer stand, so I knelt on a padded mat over a birthing ball. I had the option of a waterbirth, but with the contractions still very irregular in both frequency and duration, it was too early for me to get in. By 12.30 the pain had reached a point where I needed something more. I opted for gas and air, so, despite the irregular contractions, labour notes were started. I was now officially in labour, and not an induction in sight! The contractions continued to be irregular, at one point there was nothing for nearly 20 minutes...and then it was constant. I’d hit transition. Avalon-Aurora was born at 1.43pm with enough water surrounding her to flood the delivery room (the padded mat was floating!) I wanted a partial lotus birth, delivering the placenta before the cord was cut, and the hospital was happy for us to do this. We tried so many different positions, my new daughter fed hungrily, and yet after 3 hours there was still no placenta. I was exhausted, so asked for a shot of syntocin. The cord was cut, the jab given, and the placenta delivered almost simultaneously. We knew Avalon-Aurora was a big baby, just

by looking at her, but even the midwife was

surprised when the scales revealed her to be

a whopping 9lb 11.5oz!

Birth Story - my 4th baby :) By Emily Ryan

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If you are looking for or wanting to sell maternity clothes, equipment, clothes or toys for babies and toddlers, then our NCT Nearly New Sale (NNS) is the place for you.

Buying at the Nearly New Sale Everyone loves a bargain and the NNS is the place to grab not just one but many. Our NNS is very popular so it’s a good idea to queue up early. NCT members get their own queue and are let in 15 minutes early. For the best bargains though it’s worth considering giving up a few hours to help out at the sale. Volunteers get a preview sale before the official start. There is a small fee £1 to enter the hall. This fee is in aid of NCT charity. All items are priced and sorted in sections by type, size, gender etc. Clear out the attic. If you have too much maternity, baby or

toddler stuff then being a seller might appeal

to you. You can only sell items that are in

good condition. It is after all a nearly new

sale. To sell you need a seller’s pack. These

are popular so make sure to contact the

organiser in plenty of time. You will receive

70% of the profits and 30% goes to the NCT

charity.

Helping out - a great deal

Fantastic as the Nearly New Sales are they

wouldn’t be here without the volunteers. Apart

from the volunteers who organise the sale we

also need plenty of helpers to set up the sale

on the day and pack away. To man (or

woman) the tills or just generally help out

where needed. It might sound like hard work

but it’s really good fun and of course there is a

very nice perk. The volunteers get to preview

the sale and shop before the official opening

and we’re raising funds for a good course.

Our next NNS is on the 14th March 2015

(p.16).

Bag a bargain - Make some money By Tina Gibbs

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Coffee and Play Usually twice a week we get together for a couple of hours. All parents, grand-parents and carers whether you are members or not are welcome. A list of ven-ues is on the next page. If you’d like to come along, please contact the host on the day to check it is still running and to give them an idea of numbers. Please don’t assume that it is cancelled if you don’t get an instant reply; it may be that they are doing the school or nursery run! On the second Monday of each month we meet at the Hawtonville Children’s Centre on Bowbridge Road in Newark. On the last Monday of each month we meet in Bingham at Tina’s house. If you’d like to host a group or have any queries please contact us: [email protected] or 01949 876203

Nearly New Sales Our next NNSs are on the

14th March 2015, 13th June 2015 and 10th October 2015.

Baby First Aid Courses Our next Baby First Aid Course is on the

27th April 2015 from 7pm - 9:30pm in Bingham To book your place, please visit: http://bit.ly/nctnewarkfirstaid

Nights out Every 2nd Monday of the month, 8pm at different places in

Newark, Southwell & Bingham. If you fancy coming along to one of our nights out (and do feel free to bring a friend) and want to know more or arrange to share a lift or walk with someone, please get in touch with Tina on [email protected]; 01949 876203

Please see facebook page or website for details.

NCT Newark & Southwell info & coffee morning.

Wednesday, 4th March 2015 12:30pm at 50 The Banks, Bingham

Fancy magic dress optional :)

Branch Social Diary Spring 2015


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February

Monday 2nd Melinda Dixon 12.45 - 14.45 Balderton

Monday 9th Children’s Centre 13.00 - 15.00 Newark

Thursday 12th Debbie Mann 9.30 - 11.30 Newark

Monday 16th Anne-Marie Harbottle 13.00 - 15.00 Newark

Thursday 19th Kirsten Crutchley 9.30 - 11.30 Long Bennington

Monday 23rd Tina Gibbs 12.30 - 14.30 Bingham

Thursday 26th Melinda Dixon 9.30 - 11.30 Balderton

March

Monday 2nd Marion Fox Goddard 12.30 - 14.30 Newark

Thursday 5th Alex Jones 9.30 - 11.30 Newark


Thursday 12th Debbie Mann 9.30 - 11.30 Newark

Wednesday 18th Rebecca Lax 13.00 - 15.00 Bleasby

Monday 23rd Ruth Tall 13.00 - 15.00 Newark


Monday 30th Tina Gibbs 12.30 - 14.30 Bingham

April

Thursday 2nd Debbie Mann 9.30 - 11.30 Newark

Monday 6th Bank holiday


Thursday 16th Kirsten Crutchley 9.30 - 11.30 Long Bennington

Monday 20th Ruth Tall 13.00 - 15.00 Newark

Wednesday 22nd Rebecca Lax 13.00 - 15.00 Bleasby

Monday 27th Tina Gibbs 12.30 - 14.30 Bingham


May

Monday 4th Bank holiday

Thursday 7th Debbie Mann 9.30-11.30 Newark

Members and non-members welcome

If you’d like to come along, please contact us on [email protected] for a list of phone numbers so you can call the host directly :) Thanks!

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Baby Led Weaning Introducing solids

(series of 4 articles)

Over the next 4 issues Alice and Shannon are going to share our experiences as we introduce our babies to solid food, the baby-led weaning way (BLW). By the time our babies are 18 months old, we will see if BLW delivers on the promise of toddlers enjoying family meals, as happy and confident eaters, with good eating habits established for life.

Lochan’s Introduction to Pears

It started with a pear! We waited until Lochan's sixth month birthday to give him his first taste of real food. I love cooking so had been looking forward to helping him discover new tastes and sensations. But as the day approached I was surprised to find that I was truly sad when I thought about cutting that first avocado into strips for him. This would mark the end of a stage when he was truly depend- ant on me, and be the first of the many little steps towards independence that my little boy will take, until he eventually heads out into the World as a man (OK this might be a long way away but those new mum hormones make it seem devastatingly soon). When his first meal arrived, Lochan looked surprised to find that these toys had flavours and after pursing his lips at the avocado, licked it for a few minutes before losing interest, and looking round for a milk feed. Not the most promising of starts, although I was secretly relieved that he wasn't off to feed himself just yet. It was a few days later that I think BLW really started. Holding Lochan in one arm I was eating a pear with my free hand, when he reached out and grabbed it from me before happily devouring it, using both hands to keep it steady. Seeing this was a light bulb moment

"Aha so this is baby led weaning! Lochan doesn’t want my neatly prepared strips of pear, he wants a big chunk he can literally get his hands round." From this moment I realised that I really needed to stop trying to control the process and trust Lochan to lead the way! The very next day we put this to the test, after chewing on some broccoli fronds Lochan looked over at the garlic bread we were eating and reached out to try some. Being homemade, the garlic was nearly raw and very strong, but having read somewhere that garlic is a flavour that transferred strongly to breast milk, I thought he might like it. This turned out to be more than true and the broccoli was quickly discarded in favour of gnawing out the garlickiest sections of the bread! The one thing that is very true about baby led weaning is the mess! As Lochan is only just getting the hang of hand and eye co- ordination, a loaded spoon is flung around and turned upside down before it eventually makes it into his mouth - only for him to look disappointed that it is now empty. More than the mess however it is just a lot of fun; watching him purse his lips, almost in disgust, as he experiences a new taste before eagerly tucking in for seconds, and the look of surprise as a piece of plum comes away in his mouth. I experienced a precious moment of pure joy in watching Lochan's delight as he successfully aimed a spoonful of Greek yoghurt straight into his mouth and was rewarded by a mouthful of creamy flavour and a yoghurt moustache - undoubtedly helped by the fact that Greek yoghurt is very thick and stayed on the spoon despite the acrobatics he had put the spoon through.


Only two weeks in, it is amazing how quickly he has got the hang of using a spoon, and taking food straight to his mouth, chewing and swallowing. Already I doubt that he would even let me feed him rather than handing him the spoon, and he is quite forceful in banging the table when he wants more of a particular taste. At times I have literally had to sit on my hands not to just 'help' him aim the green bean away from his eye, or pull a large piece of plum out of his mouth as he tries to spit it out, but in the spirit of letting him learn I have resisted. BLW also has benefits for the whole family. Since Lochan eats the same food as us, we have to eat healthily too, plus I'm eating a lot more fruit as I finish off the half-eaten bits of plum and banana that he drops on the floor! That being said I'm off to make some virtuous carrot and apple muffins, for Lochan to eat so that I can continue to eat cake - hopefully he won't realise these are not the same for some time to come. Florence’s adventures with food

I first heard about Baby Led Weaning from two of my oldest friends whose babies are now toddlers. Thanks to them I was able to see babies happily exploring food for themselves, and to learn a bit about how BLW works, so that by the time Florence came along BLW seemed the natural way to introduce her to solid food. It seemed such a relaxed, natural approach and my husband Tom and I both loved the idea of eating together as a family when the time came. Florence is our first baby and we were lucky enough to have no problems with breastfeeding. In fact I was dreading introducing solids as I love breastfeeding so much! However BLW makes a lot of sense as a natural extension of breastfeeding on demand: breast fed babies

are effectively feeding themselves and always know when they’ve had enough! So, as Florence had been regulating her own intake since birth, we liked the idea of continuing this with solid food. She has also always had a very independent spirit and has been curious about the world ever since her eyes were first open, so feeding herself just seemed perfect for her. Like most babies, as soon as she was able to reach and grab Florence was quite focused on exploring objects. By 5 months she was sitting independently and was able to put toys, wooden spoons and anything else within reach into her mouth fairly accurately. It seemed completely natural that she should do the same with food, although we were planning to wait until 6 months, as is recommended, before her first go at it. However, she took matters into her own hands at 5 and a half months by grabbing some lettuce from my plate and putting it into her mouth! That got hastily fished out again, so her first real food was roasted sweet potato during Sunday lunch a few days later. We couldn’t believe our eyes when our little girl picked it up and began gnawing away, and it was an absolutely lovely feeling to all be tucking in together. For the next couple of weeks, Florence enjoyed picking up, gnawing, sucking and throwing away lots of fruit and veg. Some favourites were chip-sized wedges of roasted pumpkin, steamed broccoli (broccoli is ideal for BLW as it has its own “handle”!), pieces of avocado and peeled pieces of ripe pear. Pieces big enough to stick up above her little fist worked best. On her six month birthday we all had chicken casserole with Greek yoghurt for pudding, and since then she has enjoyed all sorts of things, including soup, mini meat balls, pasta and homemade hummus. We just make sure that her hands and the table are clean, she sits in her high chair and we put a choice of three or four things in front of her. For runny food, she takes a loaded spoon from one of us and puts it into her mouth (or smears it over her face!). Dipping fingers of bread into soup and leaving them in front of her to pick up has also been a success.

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Kids driving you mad? If you ever look skyward and wonder why you do it, then read on as this may just restore your faith… 1. Having someone who loves you unconditionally 2. When they run towards you with open arms 3. Having a little helper for whatever you are doing 4. A sense of belonging and being part of a family 5. Having someone who is always enthusiastic about new things 6. Being allowed to board flights first before all the other childless passengers 7. Having someone who reminds you how wonderful even the most simple things in life are 8. An excuse to re-discover your favourites old TV programmes, like Bagpuss and the Clangers 9. Dancing around the living room to music just because your little one finds it funny and not caring what you look like. 10. Being woken up by a toddler saying "Peepo" in the morning is so much nicer than an alarm clock. 11. Watching Disney films with princesses in them and seeing them again through a four year old eyes and agreeing that “Yes daddy is your prince and you will live happily ever after.” 12. The first time they tell you they love you without you saying it first 13. The great range of people you get to meet now that you would never have met before and the new friends you make

14. Watching them asleep - they always look angelic no matter how tough a day you've had with them 15. Helping them reach their goals 16. Seeing the pride in their eyes when you tell them how well they’ve done 17. Watching them play sport better than you ever could 18. When a complete stranger complements you on how well behaved your child is in the supermarket. 19. The tax breaks you get when you have kids 20. Those days when no one else but Mummy is good enough to cuddle and you feel like the most important person in the world. 21. Having a legitimate excuse to shop for shoes and clothes regularly and coo over tiny socks and shoes with flashing lights on the back. 22. Being able to run down the street jumping in puddles, kicking leaves and screaming at the top of your voice and not be certified insane! 23. Being able to play with Lego, Scaletrix, dolls and all those other toys you’ve missed. 24. Having an excuse to go to a fun-fair, safari park, seaside etc 25. Building dams across the streams in the wood and feeding the ducks 26. All the extra money relatives now give you at Christmas 27. Hearing their quirky looks on life 28. Feeling like you have earned the right to slob out when they are in bed 29. Blowing raspberries on their tummies

50 best things about being a parent By Clare

Mealtimes have become brilliantly fun occasions, both for us and for Florence as she explores the never-ending variety of textures, shapes and sizes that food provides. Some relatives have been concerned about “getting enough in”, but current thinking is that milk provides the ideal nutrition for babies, and solid food is just for learning and

exploration to begin with. I love the fact that it really doesn’t matter how much she eats, and that there is no coaxing or trickery involved: she chooses what to do with the food in front of her, and meanwhile her Dad and I get to eat our food too. She did gag quite a bit early on, but hasn’t shown any sign of choking: she seems completely in control – probably because she is.


30. Baking all sorts of cakes with them 31. Sharing their excitement about Father Christmas 32. The first time they call you Mummy or Daddy 33. When you get them out the bath and they're all snuggly in their towels and smell lovely 34. The fascination of seeing either yourself or your partner in your child. 35. Those treasured moments when they make you squirm or glow with pride! (i.e., Grandma take your elbows off the table!) 36. When your toddler strokes your face in genuine affection. 37. When they break your best China and come out with a Teletubbies 'Oh Oh' 38. Writing down the fantastic / amazing / amusing things they say and do in a 5 year diary and going back through reading it 39. Watching them play when they don't know you're watching 40. When you toddler shows what a 'good mum' she will be by carefully picking up her baby brother who has just fallen over and

giving him a hug 41. The pride of seeing them in a school play or first nativity - even if they suffer stage fright 42. Realising that children are actually good companions from a surprisingly early age 43. Discovering a new kind of love. 44. Their thirst for knowledge. Watching and helping them discover things about the world - the fascination on their faces is wonderful. 45. Listening to them chatting to themselves, and the little songs they sing 46. The way people now say good morning as you pass them in the street 47. Sitting down and re-reading all those books and stories from your childhood and realising that your children like them as much as you did. 48. When they kiss you goodnight 49. The way they make you laugh 50. Realising just what's important in life and realising that the things that used to bother you just aren't important now. Thanks to all the Mums and Dads who gave us their suggestions!

Southwell & Farnsfield Emily [email protected] 07899 966 926 Newark Helen [email protected] 07885416410 Bingham & Gedling Emma [email protected] 07906157704

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What do breastfeeding counsellors do? Breastfeeding counsellors are trained to help a mother have a rewarding experience of breastfeeding. We

understand how difficult and distressing breastfeeding can be when it doesn’t go well/ We also understand the feelings a mother may experience when she decides she wants to change to formula feeding, and we can ease the transition to formula if this is what a mither decides she wants to do. Sometimes, a mother

wants to use formula alongside maintaining some breastfeeding. A breastfeeding counsellor would share information with her, explain what the impact on breastfeeding might be and also explain ways of using formula which had the least impact on her choice to breastfeed.

Branch Contacts

Branch Coordinator / Chair Tina [email protected]

Treasurer Louise [email protected]

Membership Coordinator Melinda [email protected]

Parent Support Coordinator Helen [email protected]

Secretary Anne-Marie [email protected]

Publicity Officer Eleanor [email protected]

NNS Coordinator Debbie [email protected]

Coffee Coordinator Melinda 01636 651870 [email protected]

Branch Newsletter Team

Editor Tina [email protected]

Advertising Tina [email protected]

NCT courses booking and information

Booking & Information Alison (local admin) 0208 752 9129 [email protected]

Antenatal Teacher Jeanette Dennison [email protected]

Antenatal Teacher Tina Gibbs [email protected]; 07807098059

Breastfeeding

National breastfeeding helpline 0300 330 0700

Breast-pump hire agent Tina Gibbs 01949 876203

Homebirth Support

Tina & Nick Gibbs 01949 876203

Get in touch and get involved The NCT Newark & Southwell branch is run by volunteers who give up a few hours of

their time every now and again. We’re always looking for new volunteers. If you’d like to get involved simply contact us on [email protected].

Our branch is run by volunteers. We are mostly parents with young children, some of us work full or part-time. We are volunteering from home which means we are not always available. Please allow a few days for us to respond to emails. This includes our agents pump agents.

https://babble.nct.org.uk/profile/5119

Nct newark spring 2015 web

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