Stats Just In – Mums How Old Are We?

STATS JUST IN Mums how old are we?

According to the office of National Statistics 690,000 babies were born in the UK in 2007.  Here is the age-group breakdown

Under 20 = 7%

20 – 24 = 18%

25-29 = 26%

30-34 = 27%

35-39 = 16%

40-44 = 4%

45+ = 2%

5 Things You Should Know About Sterilising

5 things you should know about sterilising!

1. It’s important to keep sterilising all your baby’s bottles, soothers and feeding equipment until at least 12 months of age.  Stale milk is a particularly ripe breeding ground for bacteria and your baby will only just have started producing antibodies so is therefore still very vulnerable to infection.
2. Always refer to the manufacturers guidelines to ensure the product is safe for sterilising otherwise it could be damaged when exposed to high temperatures involved in sterilising (soft soothers be warned!)
3. Before you start to sterilise each time, be careful to wash all your baby’s bottles, teats, utensils etc in hot soapy water and then rinse well with hot water
4. There are several ways of sterilising your baby’s equipment. Electronic steamers, microwave sterilisers, cold water sterilisation using special tablets and of course the good old fashioned boiling in a pan for 10 minutes (for just in case your on holiday and have forgotten the electric lead to the base of the steriliser).
5. After your baby is 12 months, your safe to put her bowls and bottles in a hot cycle in the dishwasher instead of sterilising.  The cycle should be above 80*c to ensure the products come out clean enough for your baby’s developing immune system (don’t forget to keep your dishwasher clean as per recommended by the manufacturer).

I’m worried about developing pre-eclampsia. What symptoms should I look out for?

Q  I’m worried about developing pre-eclampsia.  What symptoms should I look out for?

A  Pre-eclampsia is a kind of hypertensive (high blood pressure) disorder found only in pregnancy.  The causes are unknown, but there are several warning signs – high blood pressure reading (which is why your midwife or doctor takes your blood pressure regularly during pregnancy), presence of protein in your urine (known as proteinuria and tested each time hence you giving a sample upon each visit), in severe cases women can experienced visual disturbances (seeing flashes).  Sensitivity to light, headaches, pain across the top of the uterus and occasional vomiting and the “not feeling well.”

If untreated it can lead to eclampsia, which is a serious and potentially fatal condition.

Be assured that as long as you attend all your antenatal checks you should be fine as you are continually monitored for this.

In mild cases of pre-eclampsia you will attend the hospital for monitoring by the antenatal day unit and you will have your blood pressure, urine and blood taken to asses the severity.  Most women don’t go onto have the serious complications; all that is required is close monitoring.  Symptoms usually improve enough to allow the pregnancy to continue naturally but in very severe cases your labour may be induced or the baby delivered by caesarean section.  Once the baby is born the pre-eclampsia disappears.