2020-04-01_Mother_&_Baby

SallySaunders,Editor

EXPERT

ADVICE

Thehelpstarts

righthereÉ

Beprepared

‘Longorlightning-fast,

labourlengthvariesfrom

womanto woman.Buthow

safeandlovedyoufeelcan

have a bigimpactonhow

smoothlyyourbirthstory

unfolds,’saysbirthexpert

MilliHill onpage27.

‘Bigones,littleones...our

ears are unique– and

lookingafter yourbaby’s

beginsjust fewhours

afterhe’s born.But caring

for them needn’t be

complicated,’ says

consultant paediatrician

Dr Hesham Abdulla

on page 58.

Allears!

‘Create a relaxing

pre-sleep ritual that

you will both enjoy’, says

sleep expert Marta

Neto on page 78.

Sleep sorted

As Mother’s Day spins round, I can’t help

thinking about this amazing journey we’reall

on. Whether this is the first one you’ll be

celebrating as mama to a little bean still

tucked up safe in your tum, or you’ve done

this a dozen times or more, I think we all

deserve to mark our achievements. So,takea

look at that little person you’ve made – gaze

into their eyes or smile at their scan pic,and

give yourself a pat on the back. Because

while you might doubt yourself, you’re doing

a truly amazing job. If you need a little more

encouragement, turn to page 84 to findout

why you really do know best.

I’m not saying it’s an easy job – babiescan

throw up lots of challenges – and in theearly

days, helping them to spend enough timeon

their tummy can be tough, so we’ve created

a special guide (page 41) packed full of fun

ideas to make tummy time something you’ll

both enjoy. Plus, we’ve got ways you andyour

bub can harness mindfulness to make your

days happier (page 36), thoughts on longand

short labours (page 27), and some cleverways

Welcome

84 68

Trust your

instinct

Gentle

bedtime

to help you understand

your tot better on page 52.

And if your little one still struggles to sleep,

discover how they can soothe themselves and

doze off peacefully on page 68. We all know that

sleep is crucial in these early days, which is why

we’re launching the Mother & Baby Gold

Collection of mattresses. Designed to help your

baby slumber in the cleanest, safest environment,

it’ll mean you can both enjoy sweet dreams. I’ve

used one for my little boy, Matthew, and seen

great results – find out more on page 66. Plus

we’ve got perfect recipes for picky palates, ideas

on how to beat pregnancy perfectionism, and so

much more! Happy Mother’s Day!

Payjust£17.70every

months, six

andgetawelcome

giftofDrBrown’s

Ant Options+

i-ColicStarterK

wort it,

h£23.99.

Seepage 80

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motherandbaby.co.uk | April 2020 | 3