Month / February 2012

by jo

Potty Training – We’re Still Going

Okay, so I was being optimistic having just January and February as my theme – this one is going to go on for a few months, I’d imagine. Nothing bad, but there’s so much out there right now which deserves a mention – you may have a toilet trained child, but there’s always the scope for accidents.

I’ll post up reviews when we’ve had more chance to use them, but some solutions (as suggested by some lovely ladies on the Mum Friendly Facebook Group) for those random occurrences you don’t think about initially follow…

Piddle PadWe’re facing a long drive this coming weekend – which is fine – but I don’t want to go back to using pull ups for the journey – I feel like it’d be a backward step, and generally H is pretty good (apart from nights). I was looking for a washable pad which could be placed on the car seat, in case of accidents when you can’t just pull over and deal with it – and the wonderfully named Piddle Pad does just that. Waterproof on one side and lined on the other, washable – so you don’t end up having to wash your whole car seat cover – it’s a great idea, and hopefully we’ll be reporting back good things.

My Carry Potty

H chooses Her Carry Potty

Last weekend was The Baby Show, and I finally bought a My Carry Potty – there’s a few portable options out there – I didn’t fancy the toilet seat which packs down flat as the bags seem expensive, and I wasn’t sure about the other option which is like a snake, but which packs down really small (as H is quite particular!). Fortunately she loves going on the potty (as well as the toilet), and as we hit Croydon on the way home she announced she needed to do a wee, and wanted to go on the potty – so the potty was christened, and she held on for a few minutes while I found somewhere to park (something she couldn’t do back in December/January time) – and best of all the potty seals so you can dispose of when you get home. This may come in handy when we’re between service stations this weekend… can you pull over to the hard shoulder and have your little one do a wee? H loves carrying it too…

Finally I can’t even remember if I’ve mentioned the Baba & Boo Potty Training pants. They’re SO good. We’ve been using them since before Christmas – we bought the ladybird and the bee ones, and both are so cute! The bee especially – and worthy of a proper review as we’ve used them for so long. H’s nursery want her in pull ups for naps (hmmm), and once they run out she’ll be sent in with a pair of these instead.

by jo

Justin Fletcher – Hands Up – The Album – a Review

Justin Fletcher Hands UpJustin Fletcher rules Cbeebies – he’s involved in so many programmes on the channel that I didn’t even realise he actually was for half of them. H is a huge fan of Something Special and Gigglebiz (but not so keen on Justin’s House), so when we got the opportunity to review Justin’s new album ‘Hands Up’ we jumped at it.

We received a copy before Christmas – so we’ve had a few months to get used to it – I say ‘get used’ – the majority of songs are nursery rhymes, with a terribly catchy beat… it’s the kind of thing I wish had been released last September when H had her birthday party – this is the kind of album that you’d want at a party – and it would go down extremely well.

The single ‘Hands Up’ was released last year, and got a lot of support from us mums – check the video…

So here we are, and here’s ‘Hands Up’. A lot has changed in our house since before Christmas – where H was shy and watched a lot of the time, she’s now more into joining in and doing the actions – so that means we’re guaranteed a dancing toddler (and if we’re really lucky she joins in the singing).

Justin Fletcher and a DuckThroughout the album you can hear some of Justin’s characters – H even asked at one point if it was Aunt Polly – I’m not entirely sure… the album fits Justin’s Cbeebies personality – someone who’s fun and gets the kids involved and doesn’t take himself entirely seriously. What’s to lose?

(apart from maybe your sanity when your little one asks for it to be played again for the fifteenth time – although now she’s taken to putting in requests with Justin instead)

So, really, the word goes with the two and a half year old. When asked “do you like Justin’s album, her response was “yes, Justin sings ‘Wheels On The Bus’ and ‘Happy and you know it’ and says “WE ARRRRE!” where is Twinkle Twinkle mummy?” (take note, Justin).

Justin Fletcher Hands UpWe live in a house of music, H isn’t scared to request something, so we’ve had plenty of “Put Justin on please” from her since we received the album. We played it when some of her friends were over, and again, it’s one they all liked – a lot! For me, the appeal is the songs – you’ve got three brand new songs alongside classics, it’s Justin singing them and it’s fun! Everyone needs fun!

As an aside, and I’m being completely serious when I say this, were Justin to enter ‘Hands Up’ for Eurovision, I think we’d walk it – or at least, do extremely well!

Justin Fletcher Hands UpJustin Fletcher
Hands Up
released by Little Demon on the 5th March 2012
tracklisting
1. Hands Up
2. The Hokey Cokey
3. Music Man
4. The Sun Has Got His Hat On
5. The Grand Old Duke Of York
6. The Teddy Bear’s Picnic
7. Heads Shoulders Knees And Toes
8. Who’s Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf
9. The Laughing Policeman
10. Old MacDonald
11. Nellie The Elephant
12. Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside
13. Incy Wincy Spider
14. The Wheels On The Bus
15. If You’re Happy And You Know It
16. Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush
17. Ten In A Bed
18. Frère Jacques
19. The Sailor’s Lament
20. Justin’s Lullaby

What are you waiting for?! BUY IT! Preorder it now!

by jo

The Baby Show, ExCeL February 2012

This will be my sixth or seventh baby show now, so feeling quite the pro at this going to fair lark, we (being Rachel, myself and our kids) jumped into my car and we did the drive across London – possibly a foolish one taking in the sights of Streatham and Tooting (lovely traffic…), arriving there with an hour and a bit left to shop.  One thing I’ve learnt from previous baby shows is you don’t need to take nappies (not an issue for us any more), and you don’t need to vary your snacks too much as there’s always tons of freebies you can pick up. Oh how wrong could we be on the latter? No Ella’s Kitchen, Organix or Annabel Karmel stands this time around – though fortunately some goody bags which did the trick.

We had the stands we wanted to see, so raced into the venue – H and I to see Pixie & Punk and Fudgy Bear as we’d got our tickets from them and Rachel to check out the Mia Tui stand.

H chooses which design she wants from Pixie & Punk

Fortunately Pixie & Punk were easy to find – so a chat with Tagore Ramoutar to thank him for the ticket and to buy a t-shirt and bag, as H loves her ‘Where In The World Is Rufus T Bear’ book – so we need a Rufus T Bear to go with it (and I love how he’s buttoned into the pocket of the shirt) – so picked out the lovely pink and cherry t-shirt – the colours are so lovely which is what made us notice Pixie & Punk in the first place. Go and check them out – if you love stripes you wont be disappointed! Even better, it’s not a pinky pink – it’s a nice un-girly one, so we approve.

Mia Tui Amelie Baby Show

Mia Tui Goodness

We knew Rachel would be at Mia Tui for a while, so headed off to find them – and despite never thinking I’d need one of the bags, I too was persuaded and hooked – the bags are HUGE! Now H is toilet trained we don’t have the need for a changing bag any more – just one bag with both our things in is needed (like spare pants, trousers, socks) – and as we’re using the buggy less and less it’s not even like I can have two bags with one hanging off the handlebars – the Amelie bag fitted that need perfectly! Even better, you got a free Amelie if you bought a Grace. It had to be done, and I handed over my money, and tried not to gush too much (after about five minutes deliberating whether or not to buy) – I’m really not a handbag kind of person, and I think that’s what appealed – I’ve seen the bags online and hadn’t realised just how big they are, plus they can be worn across your body, so you’re not putting strain on your back – we’ll be gushing more about Mia Tui very soon….

My Carry Potty

H chooses Her Carry Potty

After that my main reason for going had to be done – while H is pretty good as far as going to the toilet goes, we’re doing a couple of long drives this year and after the very excellent Paula over at Mummy vs Work recommended the My Carry Potty, we (well, I) decided it was the solution for us. Holly chose the one she wanted, we paid and got a George and Hollie book thrown in. As we’ve already got one, stay tuned as I’ll offer this as another potty training themed giveaway (and I’ve decided, even though I set January and February as a potty trained theme, actually, it’s not just about one or two months – it’s a few – so let’s keep it going!) in the not-too distant future. H then insisted on carrying her My Carry Potty, so Fudgy Bear got put into my lovely huge great big Amelie bag – until she decided she didn’t want to carry that any more – but – a big hurrah! The Amelie bag fitted a My Carry Potty in there too – you’d never have known. It’s ginormous!!!

Fudgy Bear

H admires photos of herself on the Fudgy Bear stand

We found Fudgy Bear‘s stand, alas no Fudgy, but a deal for the books so picked up two more which is always good – Fudgy Bear is well and truly in H’s life right now – and she was even more impressed to see photos of her on the stand from the Foyles reading (and quite excited too!). More on Fudgy coming very soon… I worked out what I love the most about Fudgy is the good fonts used in the books and reading materials – so many people use Comic Sans – I’ve been put off schools that use it on their website I’m so anti-that-font. So we love Fudgy even more than we already did for that.

Toddler Mum-MumNow, this lack of free food led us completely by accident (and don’t get me wrong, I don’t expect free food as such, I just knew people gave it away so it was a risk worth taking, knowing I could buy if needs be) to a new product from Baby Mum Mum – biscuits made from premium Japonica rice. There’s a Stage 1 and Stage 2 kind, and there’s many benefits which I’ll go into more when we do a more in-depth review, as they were great, and a good snack for H – the Stage 2 kind are strawberry flavoured too which went down very well!

So, with some snacks, a huge bag with some of our things in it and a need for caffeine, I started to look for the cafe (and Rachel!), and stumbled across a site 5 Point Plus. This is a really excellent idea – and one I know a lot of parents come across. We’re lucky, H is more than happy to stay put in her car seat and is often more into fastening herself in than trying to escape, but a lot of kids do try to get out – and this is designed to keep the child safe. According to the site, up to 70% of children will try to escape their harness – so it’s a much more common problem than you’d think. It’s a simple velcro-fastening band which goes around the back of the car seat, fastening to the side belts, keeping your toddler safe until you’re able to fasten them back in. Really truly, check this out. They’re for sale in Boots for £25, and if you’ve got a mini Houdini on your hands then it’s one of the best solutions I’ve seen.

5 Point Plus

5 Point Plus - how it works

We stumbled across The Gro Company‘s stand, and I gushed for ages about The Gro Clock and how well it has worked for us, then something else, and something else until I felt embarrassed. Sometimes I really can’t help myself… (there’ll be a Gro Clock review soon too) – there are plans to develop a new Gro Clock which should appear in a year or so with a new story (I suggested they make toys with the characters from the story, although I guess you could do it easily yourself), so while it wont be for us (as we’re doing just fine with one), it’ll be interesting to see.

Prima Baby were doing excellent goody bags for two issues of Baby & Pregnancy for £2 and tons of goodies, so we’ll be trying out the Halos & Horns Baby Moisturising lotion (as I do also like their fonts) when we get a chance.

Our coffee break was done, and we headed over to Buggyaccessories stand, where we said hello to lovely Emily from Bundlebean (we’re going to review here soon, we’ve had a good six months use from it now easily) until the Bay City Rollers ‘Bye Bye Baby’ came over the tannoy.

The penny eventually dropped, it’s time to go… H was bopping around or just throwing herself onto the ground refusing to walk (oh don’t you just love toddlers?) and we made our way out – just in time to grab a leaflet from me&i who do gorgeous Swedish designed clothes for kids – but we had no time to browse, and our parking ticket was about to run out. Sighhh. So I have a leaflet and I wish I’d seen more – gorgeous clothes.

So, thoughts about The Baby Show? I think this may be one of the last ones we do – I feel like we have everything we need now, and unless another small person is going to enter our world, I suspect we have all that we’re ever going to need. I was (again) disappointed at the lack of traders with potty training solutions (though My Carry Potty and Pourty are the two leading brands as far as this goes, so that’s okay), as I’d hoped to pick up a Piddle Pad which helps keep your car seat dry in case of an accident when travelling. The facilities were great, parking was good (though expensive – two hours for a fiver, any more than that for £9!),  but overall I can’t really complain. We bought the things we set out to get – and I’m a convert to Mia Tui and even surprised the lady on the Prima stand as I took everything out of the bag to try to find my camera lens cap – as Seasider in the City said, it truly is a Mary Poppins bag!

We got to Croydon on the drive home and H needed a wee. The My Carry Potty was christened in the car park just next to Reeves Corner, and oh, was I glad we had it – it was dark and I didn’t fancy holding a squatting toddler… plus of course it all remained contained and airtight until we got home!

by jo

Olay Total Effects Sensitive Moisturiser

I received and have dished out samples of the Olay Total Effects Moisturiser as part of the SuperSavvyMummys Savvy Circle projects – and have been using the moisturiser daily now for a good month. Back in my younger days I used Oil of Ulay a lot, so the chance to try out another Olay product (as they’re now known) was too good to miss – I’m pleased I’ve had a try – while it doesn’t feel as light as the one I’ve used previously, I’m still impressed – and my skin feels lovely.

The Savvy Circle projects are proving to be quite fun – you get samples, you dish them out and you talk about them – so, what’s to learn?

Olay’s Total Effects Sensitive moisturiser is lovely although I have to admit, in this colder weather I like my moisturisers thicker and feeling like they’re still on my face by lunchtime (a la E45) – so I was unsure how I’d get on with this one – but actually, on applying I could still tell for a while afterwards – and my skin has looked great since I started using it.nd light to apply – and comes with a pump which so far has been no trouble at all (I’ll be interested to see how it fares with the last bits of cream in the bottom of the tub) as far as applying goes. I received a 30ml tube which will retail for around £13.29 (the 50ml one will retail at around £19.29) – and am already finding you only need a small amount and it goes a long way.

Olay Total Effects Sensitive Moisturiser

Total Effects Sensitive Moisturiser contains the following – VitaNacin (a unique complex of Vitamin B3, Pro-Vitamin B5 and Vitamin E) which strengthen, hydrates and soothes, and protects. The lotion is also SPF 15 UVA/UVB – in other words it protects your skin from the sun’s harmful rays – handy to know now the sun is creeping back into everyday life again. (hello spring!) As well as this it contains Sea Buckthorn Berry which has been used by herbalists for thousands of years – and contains sources of Omegas 3, 6 and 9 as well as some Omega 7, and white tea which helps promote radiant skin and has been used in Chinese medicine for years. Add to that some glycerin, some cocoa butter and olive extract and some calming allantoin and that’s your lot!

The cream is designed to fight the seven signs of ageing, but also meeting the needs of sensitive skin. Do you want to know what they are? I was more than a little curious at almost 42…. that’ll be age spots, pores, dryness, dullness, uneven tone, uneven texture, fine lines and wrinkles. Yep, I’m in!

Olay Total Effects Sensitive Moisturiser is available in all good stores now!

by jo

Meg & Mog Giveaway!

Meg, Mog, Owl and other StoriesMeg, Mog, Owl and other StoriesHow do you fancy winning a DVD of Meg & Mog episodes? You get thirteen episodes in total (they’re nice and short too), featuring Meg, Mog and Owl on their various adventures – as well as two interactive games – The Hiccup Game and The Circus Game.

We love Meg & Mog in this house – we bought the book set recently from The Book People, and these programmes were kept so faithful to the books that original illustrator Jan Pienkowski is very much involved.

The programmes air daily on CITV, and feature the voices of Fay Ripley as Meg, Alan Bennett as Owl and Phil Cornwell as Mog.

So, what to do to stand a chance of winning? Click the Rafflecopter widget below and read on… Closes on the 17th March 2012, so you’ve three weeks!

Don’t forget – you can join in the chat over at the Mum Friendly group, or just check for updates via the Mum Friendly page on Facebook.

Continue reading →

by jo

The Land Of Sometimes

We were really lucky to receive a copy of ‘The Land Of Sometimes’ to review.

You can find the official website here – it’s worth clicking on the link in another window and having your computer speakers on – this CD package is more than just a regular album with simple disc and sleevenotes – it’s a book with a picture for every song; you do the work, the music sets the scene and tells a story. Even better, this isn’t your regular kids music. There’s a genre in there for everyone – from reggae to disco, New Orleans jazz plus more – it’s definitely the kind of album you’re not going to get sick of as it sounds too samey!

The Land Of Sometimes

The story follows Alfie and Elise, two children who enter the Land Of Sometimes, ‘where four seasons pass within one day, and everyone who lives there has a song’ – if you listen with the website, there’s activities and downloads (and lyrics!) you can get pictures of the characters to colour in (H’s constant favourite thing to do) – plus more information about each character – you feel so much more a part of it.

H’s favourites are the cats, called George and Holly (funny, that…!) – even though they don’t have a song to sing (though there is one about them) – so there’s been plenty of cat colouring in lately…

The best thing we’ve found about this is it’s opening H’s mind to there being more than just nursery rhymes out there – something we’re both keen to do (although we must get a CD player for the car…)

It’s a beautiful package, and something you can tell a lot of time has gone into – heck, there’s even a song featuring Ruby Turner! The CD says ‘Recommended ages 2-99’ – which I think pretty much covers us (and the grandparents!) – it’s something which has a universal appeal.

The Land Of Sometimes was created by Francesca Longrigg and her long term writer/producer Chicky Reeves – both have long standing careers in music, and have since had children which brought about the inspiration for this project – a massive three years in the making. The illustrations and visuals come from Howard McWilliam whose work you’re sure to have seen.

The Land of Sometimes came out on the 6th February 2012 – you can buy it now at Amazon for £8.99.

by jo

Jackson Reece ‘Kinder By Nature’ wipes review

We were lucky to be sent one of each type of wipes from Jackson Reece. The Kinder By Nature wipes are biodegradable, and use organic ingredients and are vegan. Read on….

Jackson Reece Wipes

We tried out the scented wipes, available in packs of 72 which came with a great seal – one which kept the wipes really moist and fresh too – we’ve found with some brands the seal will split and the wipes dry out. This was definitely a big plus point. They were kind to H’s skin, and we had no reactions to them – something we’ve had a problem with when using some well known names. Oh, and also – they smell so very very lovely!

We also tried the newly launched Natural Flushable Wipes which come in smaller packs of 10 – I’ve never been a fan of flushable wipes (as I’m convinced it’s me that clogs up the toilet), but these were lovely – and kept H so clean – it’s definitely something I’d consider over regular toddler wipes.

Jackson Reece flushable wipes

Jackson Reece’s unique mild and gentle balm soothes and protects babies delicate skin – and 99% of the ingredients are derived from vegetable or plant sources. Each pack of wipes contains Organic Aloe Vera (an anti-inflammatory, plus it’s healing and cooling), Organic Tea Tree Oil (which is naturally antibacterial), Organic Lavender Aromatherapy Oil (soothing and calming), High Purity Water and a vegetable based preservative system.

To quote Jackson Reece “Unlike many baby skincare products, our wipes do NOT contain any of the following potential irritants. Jackson Reece Natural Herbal wipes are free of alcohol, parabens, chlorine, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), Lanolin, phthalates, MIT, triclosan, propylene glynol, petro chemicals, benzonates, phenoxyethanol & Soap. ”

The wipes are suitable for children with eczema and sensitive skin, and is hypoallergenic and dermatologically approved – and of course the wipes are biodegradeable, and the packs degradeable. Oh, and they’re made in the UK, and not tested on animals – and are suitable for vegans.

I love that the company is named after their two sons, both of whom had eczema related problems which inspired them to create the wipes – read their story over here.

Jackson Reece wipes can be bought in Sainsburys (and several other retailers – check their site for more info!) – and they’re reasonably priced at around £2.99 per pack. The pack of 10 retail for just over £1.

by jo

It’s Tinnitus Awareness Week

Tinnitus Awareness WeekWhile Tinnitus isn’t something that strictly falls under what Mum Friendly is about it is something I live with daily.

The 6th to 12th February 2012 is Tinnitus Awareness Week – and while it’s too late for me, it’s not too late for me to make sure that H grows up knowing that her hearing is something which should be protected and looked after.

I’ve been going to gigs since 1983, and only started using earplugs at gigs in the 2000’s – I know when my problems became permanent, and wish I’d had the common sense to deal with it sooner. Guided By Voices and Seachange played a gig at ULU, the sound was so loud for Seachange that nobody was in the main hall – and you couldn’t even speak in the bar area. It was horribly loud. I know when GbV were on stage was the first time I wore earplugs at a gig. Two days later the ringing started to calm down – again, that should have been a warning sign – but instead I went to Dingwalls and saw Mojave 3 play a gig, standing right down the front with no earplugs in. The ringing hasn’t stopped yet.

Peltor Kidproof Ear DefendersFrom the word go we made sure that H had ear protectors – without trying to be too paranoid about it (my mum, dad and sister have had hearing issues, so there could be something hereditary in there), so parties with a disco would have H with a nice bright yellow pair of Kidproof ear defenders. There’s several brands of these – and they’re not expensive, and definitely worth looking into.

Ultimately, the main way to protect your hearing is to have a sensible outlook from the start. Around 20 years of going to live gigs ruined my hearing because I didn’t pick up on the signs – so any loud events and I’ve got my disposable earplugs (or I just don’t go) – it’s really important to let our kids know they do need to look after their hearing – and there’s cases of people going to one loud gig and having problems – so it doesn’t even have to be a cumulative effect. Some people don’t go to gigs and still have tinnitus, so it’s not unique to one scenario.

The British Tinnitus Association have a Top 10 Tinnitus Tips, which are worth reading through; should you find yourself with this problem then show these to your GP :

1. At any point in time around 10% of the population experience tinnitus – both sexes are equally affected and although tinnitus is more common in the elderly it can occur at any age, including childhood. The perceived sound can have virtually any quality – ringing, whistling and buzzing are common – but more complex sounds can also be described.

2. Most tinnitus is mild – in fact it is relatively rare for it to develop into a chronic problem of life-altering severity. The natural history of tinnitus in most patients is of an acute phase of distress when the problem begins, followed by improvement over time. But for a minority of patients the distress is ongoing and very significant, and they will require specialist support.

3. Tinnitus is more common in people with hearing loss – tinnitus prevalence is greater among people with hearing impairment but the severity of the tinnitus correlates poorly with the degree of hearing loss. It is also quite possible to have tinnitus with a completely normal pure tone audiogram.

4. Tinnitus can be associated with a blocked sensation – for reasons that are not clear tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss can give rise to a blocked feeling in the ears despite normal middle ear pressure and eardrum mobility. Otoscopy and, if available, tympanometry can exclude Eustachian tube dysfunction. Decongestants and antibiotics are rarely helpful.

5. Giving a negative prognosis is actively harmful – it is all too common to hear that patients have been told nothing can be done about tinnitus. Such negative statements are not only unhelpful but also tend to focus the patient’s attention on their tinnitus and exacerbate the distress. A positive attitude is generally helpful and there are many constructive statements that can be made about tinnitus, such as: most tinnitus lessens or disappears with time; most tinnitus is mild; tinnitus is not a precursor of hearing loss.

6. Enriching the sound environment is helpful – useful sources of sound to reduce the starkness of tinnitus include quiet uneventful music, a fan or a water feature. There are inexpensive devices that produce environmental sounds, and these are particularly useful at bedtime. They can be purchased online from the British Tinnitus Association at www.tinnitus.org.uk or by calling 0114 250 9933.

7. Hearing aids are helpful – straining to listen causes increased central auditory gain and this increased sensitivity can allow tinnitus to emerge or, if already present, to worsen. Correcting any associated hearing loss reduces this central auditory gain and thereby reduces the level of the tinnitus. Hearing aids are useful even if the hearing loss is relatively mild and an aid would not normally be considered. Recent Department of Health guidelines have emphasised the value of audiometry in a tinnitus consultation, and this is the definitive basis for decisions about hearing aid candidacy. If in doubt, refer for an audiological opinion. In our view, all people who describe tinnitus deserve an audiological assessment. Decisions on when to start using a hearing aid and what sort to use are up to the individual patient and audiologist.

8. Underlying pathology is rare, but be vigilant – in many cases tinnitus is due to heightened awareness of spontaneous electrical activity in the auditory system that is normally not perceived. It can however be a symptom of treatable and significant otological pathology, such as a vestibular schwannoma or otosclerosis. One should be especially vigilant if the tinnitus is unilateral, or if it has a pulsatile quality.

9. There is no direct role for drugs – although they can be used to treat associated symptoms such as vertigo, insomnia, anxiety or depression. There is also no conventional or complementary medication that has been shown to have specific tinnitus ameliorating qualities and there is anecdotal suggestion that repeatedly trying unsuccessful therapies worsens tinnitus.

10. Self-help is often effective – the British Tinnitus Association provides excellent information on tinnitus and common sense advice on managing symptoms. It runs a telephone helpline 0800 018 0527 as well as offering advice through its website www.tinnitus.org.uk

With thanks to The Line Of Best Fit for mentioning it in the first place, as I’d never have known.

by jo

Back Pain and Advice from the British Chiropractic Association

British Chiropactic Association

I’ve wanted to do a feature on back pain for a while now. I’m in no way qualified to write about it from a medical perspective, however, I am qualified as I’m still in pain now, as I’m sure are many mums who have had back trouble.

Last year around August time I had a miscarriage, which started with back pain. A few weeks later my back went – I was unable to walk, to do anything – and was eventually taken to hospital.

I suspect the two issues are linked in some way which I’m not entirely sure how, but late January 2012 I attended an event held by Publicasity and the British Chiropractic Association, which went into issues a lot of mums (and dads) have relating to back pain.

I want to try to cover some of what I learned, and include some useful links so if you find yourself in that position, it might be of some help. All guidance came from Tim Hutchful and Louise Hampton from the BCA.

My first chat was with Tim – he told us how we often don’t pick things up from the floor correctly, putting extra strain on our back – and what we actually should be doing is raising a leg to give us balance. Try dropping a pen on the floor and bending down to get it – it’s not great – but if you try again raising a leg, you’ll find you have better balance.

Everything comes down to posture; to quote Tim “The ideal posture would allow for a plumb line to hang straight through your ear, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle. Try and stand in a relaxed way but gently contracting your abdominal muscles. When sitting, the same is true. The gravity line should pass thorough ear, shoulder and hip.” Did you know that when you’re sitting down, you’re actually using 150% strain on your back? (that is from memory, I need to double-check so am apologising now if it’s wrong!) As for slouching in front of the tv (guilty as charged, with my history, not good), that’s bad. A settee is not a good chair to be sitting in – it’s really bad for your posture. The ideal sitting position is to make sure your body has as much contact as possible with the chair, so it’s kept supported.

We talked about bags. Most mums have their lovely fancy changing bags, and actually they can often be bad for your back – ideally something like a rucksack which spreads the weight across your back is better – the same goes for laptops, and anything you’d carry in this way.

The one that surprised me was the potential for back trouble if you have a badly fitting bra. Most women don’t get correctly fitted and measured (from experience, the one time I did she didn’t measure me, she just kept bringing me bras she thought would fit) – there’s some tell-tale signs you’re wearing the wrong size – the underband rides up (lift your arms – and check if the underwire is still against the body), the shoulder straps dig in (the straps provide 20 percent of support – if the straps dig in then the underband may be too loose), the centre fold is lifting away from the body (possibly too small cup), or the back band is over stretched.

We were shown more practical situations we could all improve on – one was baby carriers – slings aren’t great for your posture (gulp) – try going for the ones which strap baby across you and criss-cross across the back, rather than go over one shoulder. When picking up your baby/toddler, hold them as close as possible to you and your hip, changing sides as often as possible.

How about playing? I had no idea what was going on with my knees, there were weird bits on them, but apparently loads of people get them – fluid on the knee, due to kneeling down playing with your little one. To help combat this and improve the line of posture, try kneeling on a cushion. I suggested sitting cross-legged, and was advised to sit on a cushion while doing this, as it’s an okay posture, as you’re evenly balanced.

When you’re sitting in front of a computer all day, I found that setting a reminder on my computer to check my posture every 15 minutes, and after three (ie 45 minutes) standing up, also helped a lot. I can get quite engrossed in my work… “Your seat should be adjusted so that your feet are flat on the ground, your knees bent, but with a slope from your hips to your knees. You should end up with your hips higher than your knees and your eyes level with the top of the computer screen. You may need to put the screen on a stand or even on a ream of paper to bring it to the right height.”

If you’re using a laptop, it’s worth investing in a separate keyboard and mouse to use when at home to use in a more back friendly manner.

As a knitter, I was told it’s good to sit in a chair which moves – like a rocking chair, as your posture wont be great while doing this, but with you moving around a lot, you’re getting support for the rest of your body – and take lots of breaks! My rocking chair is my feeding chair – and also with feeding make sure you’re giving yourself good support – your arms shouldn’t hold the baby’s weight. Try investing in a ‘V Pillow’ too, for additional support.

Exercise-wise, we were recommended one we’ve done in Pilates classes – the Star Exercise – I’ve linked to an article on eHow which explains it a little better, you essentially keep your back straight (core muscles at work – imagine you’ve a tea-tray on there which you don’t want to spill) and raise alternate arms and legs – our Pilates instructor liked to call it the Superman one (that seems to be another much more difficult one though) – but this works your abs to keep your pelvis stable.

It goes without saying, the one exercise they drum into you at ante-natal classes, the pelvic floor is extremely important. As someone who had a c-section, I’ve heard so many other mums who had one saying “oh I’m okay, I had a c-section, I don’t need to do them” and then have problems – everyone should do them, even dads. I’ve found I’m more likely to do my pelvic floor if I think of something to associate it with – singing nursery rhymes! It helps though, especially with the breathing, as if I’m not doing something I think about it too much.

One suggestion we had as far as overall balance goes was to stand on one foot when we clean our teeth, to help posture again. If we get pretty well-balanced, try doing it with our eyes closed – again, it’s helping the core muscles work and improving overall balance.

I have to say, I found the event really helpful – I got answers to things that other people hadn’t been able to give me. Six months after it all happened to me, I still have minor backache; it’s something I wish I’d done things to help strengthen and improve – everything we were taught was common sense. I met some other bloggers at the event, who all have their own accounts of the day – they’re all worth reading as we all had different issues, so where I’ve waffled, they may have said it in a far more coherent way!

The Healthy Back Blog – this blog is essential and comes from Louise Hampton, a mum and chiropractor
Tim Hutchful’s blog – full of more useful advice
Emmy’s Mummy
WitWitWoo
I Heart Motherhood
Me The Man and the Baby

Thank you to Tim and Louise at BCP and Aaron at Publicasity!