As well as water and milk, Rooibos tea has become a staple drink for my fourteen-month-old daughter. She has it with breakfast, lunch and dinner and thinks it’s DElicious. Rooibos, more commonly known as ‘Redbush’ in the UK – a direct translation from the Afrikaans “Rooibos” (pronounced Roy-Boss) – is a flowering shrub that grows in the Cedarberg mountain region in South Africa’s Western Cape, about 250 km north of Cape Town, and is thus popular in the region of southern Africa.

Point of information: If you want your saffa friends to think you’re the coolest, just say that you’re in to drinking Rooibos at the moment – it’s a sure friend winner.

Rooibos tea is a great alternative to sugary drinks; it is caffeine-free and is high in antioxidants, so a great immune booster. Traditional medicinal uses of Rooibos in South Africa include alleviating infantile colic, allergies, asthma and dermatological problems, and the tea is thought to assist with nervous tension, allergies and digestive problems. Rooibos tea is rich in minerals including iron, calcium, potassium, copper, fluoride, manganese, zinc, magnesium and alpha hydroxyl but what else makes it great for children (and adults)? OrganicFacts.net provides a breakdown; check it out:

• Polyphenols: Rooibos contains polyphenols that has anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-mutagenic qualities.
• No Caffeine: Rooibos tea is totally caffeine-free, therefore it is recommended by doctors for insomniacs. A cup of rooibos beverage just before going to bed can help you sleep better.
• Good for Bones: Red tea is rich in calcium, manganese and fluoride minerals that assist in good bone structure and stronger teeth.
• Infant Relief: It can be useful for little infants who suffer from colic or stomach pains. You may add some sweetened milk to the tea for added taste.
• Good for Skin: The alpha hydroxyl acid and zinc contents in red tea are best for skin. You can also try applying some red tea powder directly to the skin to relieve acne, pimples, sunburns or related skin conditions.
• Kidney Stones: Even people with stone problem can drink as much red rooibos tea as they want as there is no oxalic acid in the beverage.
• Hypertension: Rooibos tea is said to bring relief to stress, nervous tensions and hypertension conditions.
• Anti-spasmodic Agents: The tea is rich in anti-spasmodic agents, which eases severe stomach cramps and abdominal pains.
• Allergies: In many parts of South Africa, red tea is used as an effective curative to treat allergies like eczema, hay fever and allergic bronchitis.
• Slows Aging: The anti-oxidants present in rooibos tea slows down human aging process and also boost the immunity levels of human body.
• Great Beverage: Red rooibos tea is an excellent thirst quencher and does wonders for active people including sportsmen, hyper active children and constant travellers. Most people love to drink rooibos tea in its natural form without any sweeteners.
• Rare Nutrients: Rooibos tea is said to contain rare nutrient contents such as Quercetin and Bioflavonoid that assists in good blood circulation and obstructs haemorrhaging.

If Rooibos sounds like something you’d like your child to try, it’s probably best to dilute it with quite a lot of water until your child gets used to the taste, and then you can make it progressively stronger. The tea can be drunk warm or cold – my daughter usually has it cold and gulps it down in no time!

For more info on Rooibos and its properties visit the official site of South African Rooibos at www.sarooibos.org.sa.

Zombie – a term that has embedded itself in my vocabulary since the birth of my fifteen-month-old daughter. I love my little lovely most dearly but she has done nothing to improve my complexion. Bags and wrinkles are the story of my life.

In light of the aforementioned I think that I can safely assume that cosmetic brand ZombieMomz is designed especially for moms like me – to remedy that all too familiar Night of the Living Dead look.

ZombieMomz is an online store that sells body lotions and creams, lip balms and, rather randomly, magnets and stickers. The punctuation on the site leaves little to be desired and the homepage seems a tad amateurish but I guess that’s not the point; the brand is really cool and even if the creams and lip balms happened not to work so well, you’d be the owner of a funky ZombieMomz container – awesome containers are always something worth spending money on says the woman with the small tub fetish.

Check out Zombiemomz.com to see what products are on offer.

My baby girl has just recovered from her first of the season’s colds. Being a hippy at heart and cursed with an irrational fear and mistrust of doctors and all things pharmaceutical – I blame my mother – I made my way to Whole Foods to see if I could be advised on a natural immune booster suitable for babies. Amelia gets enough vitamins and minerals from the masses of fruit and veg that make their way into her mouth, so I was looking for something other than supplements. The natural remedy specialist at the shop suggested Organic Virgin Coconut Butter. Here’s why:

Coconut oil has Lauric Acid, one of the most redeeming qualities of extra virgin coconut oil. Lauric Acid is a nutritious, antibacterial chain of fats that is also found in breast milk and is recommended for its immune boosting properties.

Both coconut oil and extra virgin coconut oil are part of a healthy, balanced diet which involves a moderate intake of saturated fats. Saturated fats, as opposed to Hydrogenated soybean oil and unsaturated fats, help to boost thyroid function, and used in moderation, can even help weight loss efforts. Here are some of the main health benefits of coconut oil:

To fight against viruses such as the flu
As a vitamin E substitute
Cancer preventative
Skin and hair radiance supplement
Balance cholesterol levels
Energy and thyroid booster
Immune booster
Liver disease preventative
Weight loss

Extra virgin coconut oil also helps in the absorption of calcium, which makes it ideal for bone health and Osteoporosis. Coconut oil can be used as a moisturiser for healthy, shiny hair and roots, and also as a salve for skin ailments of all types, including wrinkles, dry skin, and premature aging.

Source: Facts About Coconut Oil and how to take Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil Internally

Higher Nature’s Organic Virgin Coconut Butter contains no added sugar, salt, starch, soya, yeast, wheat, gluten, maize/corn, lactose, dairy products, artificial preservatives, colours or flavourings. It is safe for cooking as it is heat-stable, and can be used instead of butter or margarine – try it in biscuits, cakes, muffins and pastry or add it to pancake batter. It can also be eaten straight from the spoon, and for a baby it can be mixed into milk or food.

…and Medela pump gets thumbs up

I wrote a post a couple of months ago I wrote an article entitled Tommee Tippee to the rescue. Well, I spoke too soon. My pump broke shortly thereafter. I can’t be sure what the exact problem was but I think that it had something to do with water being sucked through the pipe into the swing and eventually destroying the electronics. I have since purchased the Medela breast pump, which was a budget stretch but definitely worth it.

One small difference between the Tommee Tippee pump and my new Medela pump pumps is the ‘how to look after’ advice in the Medela manual, which states that if the pipe gets water in it (or milk), leave the pump on (without being attached to the breast attachment) until the water has evaporated to make sure that it is not sucked into the swing device. Maybe it’s a logical solution but it would have been nice if Tommee Tippee had informed its users of this small but significant piece of ‘pump care’ information. It would have saved me some money.

I am sure that this care info is applicable across all pumps, so make sure those pipes are dry ladies!

My baby started with a patch of eczema on her chest, which then developed into several other patches – most of them concentrated around her joints (elbows, back of knees). I am not sure what causes the eczema but I am fairly certain that it is aggravated by certain foods. I have changed my washing powder to the more gentle kind that is suitable for sensitive skin and I monitor what my baby girl eats quite carefully in an attempt to remove anything from her diet that seems to provoke her eczema. There is a lot of hit and miss that goes on and just when I think I have found a trigger, I am proved wrong. The eczema flares up and calms down at intervals and although the dry patches don’t seem to bother my baby girl (she doesn’t scratch at them), they do require treatment.

I have chosen to avoid hydrocortisone cream, which is often prescribed by doctors – I will use it as a last resort. I have tried a range of natural products and along the way I discovered a little gem called Purepotions Skin Salvation. The Purepotions product is by no means a cure for eczema but it has certainly helped manage my baby girl’s dry skin. The spot on her chest has disappeared and the eczema around her knees and elbows, although not completely gone, is certainly not as acute.

The Purepotions Skin Salvation was developed by a mum whose daughter suffered from very dry skin and reacted negatively to anything mass produced or chemical. The product contains organic ingredients and parents will find comfort in the fact that even if it does not work for your baby, you will not have damaged his/her skin in any way. The ointment can also be used on sensitive areas including the face, hands and scalp. Purepotions Skin Salvation has made a difference to my baby’s skin however I am sure that there are mums out there who will recommend something different and who perhaps have experienced the product differently. If your baby’s eczema is severe, especially if your baby is very uncomfortable, it is best to seek medical advice on how to best manage it. Otherwise, give Purepotions a try.

Colic is commonly perceived as an incurable, illusive illness that plagues small babies and sends parents into a deep, dark pit of desperation. The aforementioned view is both true and false; colic is not an illness and although it often can be extremely stressful for parents and uncomfortable for babies, there are ways to manage the condition. Bupa describes colic as “inconsolable crying in a healthy newborn baby with bouts of fussiness and irritability. The condition has no known cause but is harmless, although it can be very distressing for parents or carers.” Colic is quite common, affecting up to two out of every 10 babies, and it usually desists after about 4 months.

A recent colic survey carried out by Consumer Analysis Ltd, revealed that the third most common treatment for baby’s colicky symptoms, after giving medicine and using massage, was to change the feeding bottle used to another brand. Consumer Analysis undertook this survey, commissioned by Central Medical Supplies Ltd with a view to producing a set of independent, practical recommendations for a better understanding of colic, its symptoms and remedies. 1000 respondents took part across 12 UK regions. Key findings informed that

• Dr Brown’s Natural Flow was the first choice (43%) for mums changing their baby’s bottle to relieve the symptoms of colic.
• Three quarters of babies with colic (75%) whose mums changed to Dr Brown’s Natural

Flow saw improvement in their colicky symptoms after their bottles were changed.

• Only two out of five mums with young babies (42%) could correctly name one or more of the symptoms of colic.
• According to mums in the survey, the most recognised sign of colic is the baby’s legs curling up to their stomach (26%), followed by long periods of crying (23%).
• Colic led 62% of mums to be frustrated because they couldn’t solve the problem, 29% felt that the crying caused a lot of stress in the household and a fifth (20%) felt guilty because they thought that they were doing something wrong.
• Concerned mums were more likely to turn to their health visitor than their mum for advice about their colicky baby (47% vs. 29%).

There is no known cure for colic but there are a wide range of medicinal remedies available, which the survey revealed were not always welcomed by mums. In fact, 46% of mums reported they were concerned about giving medicine to such young babies. This suggests that mums are more inclined to remedy their baby’s colic in a non-medicinal, more practical manner. The fact that mums reported getting very different messages from health professionals on how to treat their baby’s colic would also suggest that practical solutions are preferred. According to the survey, GPs often offered conflicting advice; some GPs avoided prescribing medicines altogether, whilst others believed it to be the best solution. Many recommended gripe water and rubbing the baby’s tummy or back.

Of the 28% of mums who attempted a more practical solution by changing their baby’s bottle to an alternative brand, 43% chose Dr Brown’s Natural Flow feeding system as their number one choice. Three quarters (75%) of mums who used this brand went on to report an improvement in their baby’s colic symptoms. Some mums, 35%, stated that the new bottle relieved symptoms instantly, after just one feed, with over half (53%) seeing an improvement within a day in their baby’s colicky symptoms.

Dr Brown’s Natural Flow is a fully vented, vacuum free baby bottle. The company’s goal is to provide the best technology-driven products available whether a baby is fed on expressed breast milk or infant formula.

Reported by Response Source

The verdict on my Tommeee Tippee breast pump is in: it’s awesome. Why? Because it makes expressing milk as non-weird, convenient, quick and painless as possible. I decided as soon as I fell pregnant that I was going to breast feed and that my lifestyle would demand that I express milk – a thought that completely grossed me out. I am not keen on the whole idea of milking myself like. I am no bovine. I knew that expressing by hand was a big no-no and even expressing manually with some sort of device was out of the question for me. So it had to be an electric breast pump that would allow me to maintain some semblance of a social life with my newborn. I purchased a Tommee Tippee breast pump because it was the one on special when I went pump hunting. And the decision paid off. Expressing takes little concentration and effort and I usually do it in the company of BBC iPlayer to alleviate boredom. So thanks Tommee Tippee for a great device that has helped me maintain some independence as a new mom.

Related Breast pumps are weird

It’s quick. It’s easy. It’s healthy. And it’s yum yum yummy. As the new parents of a wriggling, guzzling, wailing newborn, New Covent Garden soup saved the day … actually the last month! NCG’s fresh soup range boasts a host of mouth mouth-watering flavours. As new parents spending much time trying to figure out what to do with our little cutie, NCG soups have been a five minute breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack option within the mad frenzy of parenthood.

Available at most stores including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, here is a current list of the NCG soup on the go at the moment:

600g Cartons

* Asparagus
* Beef & Irish Stout
* Bengal Lancers
* Broccoli & Stilton
* Butternut & Sage
* Carrot & Coriander
* Chicken Mulligatawny
* Chicken
* Chicken, Lemon & Tarragon
* Coronation Chicken
* Leek & Potato
* Lentil & Smoked Bacon
* Minestrone
* Oxtail
* Pea & Ham
* Plum Tomato & Basil
* Plum Tomato & Mascarpone
* Red Pepper & Rocket
* Scotch Broth
* Smoked Haddock Chowder
* Soup of the Month
* Spicy Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato
* Spicy Parsnip
* Spinach & Nutmeg
* Thai Chicken Fusion
* Tomato & Chunky Veg
* Tomato & Fennel
* Wild Mushroom
* Winter Vegetable

300g One-Bowlful

* Leek & Potato
* Minestrone
* Plum Tomato & Basil
* Winter Vegetable