March ‘15 - June ‘15
Full guide to local pregnancy, baby, toddler and family groups, including Antenatal courses, plus a complete diary of local NCT events and What’s On in the area!
Features include:
Breastfeeding support
Children’s party ideas
Top Tips on dealing with reflux and colic
©NCT, Alexandra House, Oldham Terrace London W3 6NH, Registered charity no. 801395
For details of local course dates, see Page 36 2 Hello from the Editor
Hello everyone! This issue will see us leave the cold Winter months behind, move through warmer Spring days and hopefully towards a hot summer! It’s been an exciting couple of months for our branch, with new volunteers and committee members coming forward. At a recent NCT training day up in Yeovil, our Area Link Officer, Tabis, had this to say, “The NCT Bridport and Lyme Regis Branch team have been working really hard to create plenty of opportunities for new parents in the area to meet up and make friends - the weekly activities calendar is impressive! This is such an important part of what NCT is about, and I know the team of volunteers are dedicated to providing an accessible and fun branch for the local community. It has been a real pleasure to see the branch going from strength to strength.” It was reassuring to hear that we are doing so many things so well and it’s a great time to get involved. We’re a friendly bunch and would love to welcome new people to the team that work behind the scenes at events and activities that go on so that we can achieve even more! And with 2015 being the 30th anniversary of the Bridport and Lyme Regis branch, we would love to be able to celebrate in style later in the year... watch this space! Coming up in this issue: We’ve got plenty to keep you busy through the seasons with our Diary, packed full of activities for you and your little ones...check out the yellow pages in the middle. If you are breastfeeding, thinking about it or need support to move onto the next stage, find out about the support groups across Dorset on page 17. To party or not to party... what a question! If you’re not sure what to do for your little one’s next birthday, read some of the suggestions from mums who’ve been there and got the T-shirt, starting from page 22. Our ‘Top Tips’ section this month looks at reflux and colic and how to survive the witching hour with your sanity intact (or at least attempt to!) Find out more on page 42. And finally, as always, we have an extensive round up of all local activities for babies and toddlers in the What’s On guide, starting on page 46. As ever, please get in touch if you have any questions or comments about this newsletter or our branch in general. And don’t forget to find us on Facebook for the most up to date news! Love … Anna x
[email protected] 3 Who’s who in Bridport & Lyme Regis NCT
Here to support all parents, the NCT aims to give accurate, impartial information so you can decide what’s best for your family, and introduce you to a network of local parents to gain practical and emotional support and make friends.
We’re a small and friendly branch – please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any of us!
For all general branch enquiries Branch Coordinator Dee Lanning [email protected] or call 07740 349 393 Honorary President Ellen Simon 01308 898 750
Treasurer Alex O’Dwyer [email protected] Parent Services Rhona Passmore [email protected] Administrator Link Membership Coordinator Lindsay Noble [email protected]
Newsletter Editor Anna Foxx Neal [email protected]
Antenatal Class Bookings Fiona Makin [email protected]
Antenatal Teacher Ellen Simon 01308 898750
Antenatal Social Group Katie Lamb Just Bumps: [email protected]
Danni Tattershall Bumps, Babies & Beyond: Chloe Jackman [email protected] Post-Natal Groups Alex O'Dwyer Open House: 01308 421 819
Victoria White & For table bookings Nearly New Sales Anna Foxx Neal [email protected] or call 07847 534 464
First Aid Training Rhona Passmore [email protected] Ellen Simon & Breastfeeding Counsellors 01308 898 750 or 01308 863 362 Emma Gale
Find our NCT webpage at: www.nct.org.uk/branches/bridport
4 Here we meet some of the volunteers who organise and host our local events and generally keep things ticking along:
I'm Laura, Henry's Mum. I really enjoy volunteering at Bumps, Babies & Beyond, as it great to be able to 'give back' to this group after gaining so much from it, when I was a really new Mum. This group has been a great way to make new friends, get support and has been a big part of my maternity leave so far.
Hi, I’m Katie, Cameron’s mum. I started going to Bridport NCT groups as a “bump”, to meet some other mums in the area. From when Cameron was about 7 weeks old, I started to go to groups, to get out of the house and to socialise with other mums and babies. I have decided to volunteer as I know how important the groups are to mums and expectant mums.
Our branch is in need of more volunteers and committee members – without people willing to help out, our full diary of activities can’t happen!
See page 55 for more information…
Please mention NCT and this Small Talk newsletter when you contact any of our services or advertisers!
www.facebook.com/nctbridport @BridportLymeNCT
5 Branch News Nearly New Sales
Saturday 6th December saw us taking over the Reception area and main hall of Sir John Colfox School for another fantastic Nearly New Sale. With over 30 sellers and just under 200 bargain hunters, we saw many people happy with what they had bought and sold (including a great selection of homemade cakes!)
Goodie Bags
As a special Christmas treat we had some extra special goodie bags at the last sale, with Golden Tickets in a number of lucky bags. We would like to say a BIG thank you to all the local companies who supported us and contributed some fantastic vouchers and prizes!
Baby Gear Bridport
Beauty & Beyond Bridport
Clipper Tea Beaminster
Fizzy Boppers Oathill Farm Netherbury The Shed Johnnie Boden Symondsbury
Kettlewell Colours Sunny Days Nursery Crewkerne Bridport
Lesley Waters Cookery Symondsbury Estate School
6 Dates for 2015
We’ve got plenty of sales to look forward to this year:
Saturday 7th March – 2.00 - 4.00 pm - Sir John Colfox School, Bridport
Saturday 6th June - 2.00 - 4.00pm, - Uplyme Village Hall
Saturday 12th September – 2.00 - 4.00 pm - Sir John Colfox School, Bridport
Saturday 5th December – 2.00 - 4.00 pm - Sir John Colfox School, Bridport
Remember – NCT members get in 15 minutes early, so don’t forget your membership card!
Sellers
For anyone looking to sell, it’s a great way to clear out the loft, the shed and the cupboards and claim back some space as well as making a bit of cash along the way. We provide two tables per seller and you can bring a clothes rail with you. It is also an opportunity to sell larger items such as cots or pushchairs.
You only pay for the table, you keep all the money you make on the day!
Reserve your spot at our next sale for just £12.50 payable either by cheque or PayPal (50p for a stamp or an additional 50p admin charge for PayPal please).
For more details and to reserve your spot, please email us at [email protected]
Make sure you contact us early to avoid disappointment!
7
8 Nearly New Sales
Buyers
For buyers, it’s a chance to grab a bargain, treat your little one to some new outfits or snap up some kit ready for the next phase, as well as enjoying a delicious cake and seeing what’s in your Goodie Bag! Bag a Bargain!
Entry from 2pm (1.45pm for NCT members ) Entry is £1 per person and goodie bags are also £1 each
Volunteers
If you would like to get involved in the preparation for any of the sales, even just to help with putting up posters, stuffing bags or serving refreshments, we’d love to hear from you. The sales are huge fun and, if you volunteer, you are able to get an advance preview of the bargains too!
We believe that these events are hugely beneficial for local families who rely on them to buy and sell second-hand baby kit. As an NCT branch we also rely on these sales as a vital source of income – we’re a charity and the money we make at the sales, after our costs, all goes towards funding our activities in the local area.
We look forward to seeing you there!
To get involved or to find out more, please email Vicky and Anna at
9 Every Tuesday 1.00pm – 2.30pm Bridport Children’s Centre
Once a week, on a Tuesday lunchtime at Bridport Children’s Centre, a group of mums host our regular NCT coffee group Bumps, Babies and Beyond. It is a friendly, informal group which offers mums, dads, grandparents or other carers the opportunity to come along and enjoy a cup of tea and a chat while the little ones play in the safe environment of the Children’s Centre.
There are two adjoining rooms so that tiddlers and toddlers can play in their own areas without the fear of uncoordinated feet trampling tiny new fingers! Everyone is welcome from Bump to 3 years old with older siblings often joining in too. If you are attending for the first time, don’t forget to introduce yourself and your little one(s) to one of our hosts.
Towards the end of last year we hosted two incredibly successful parties for Halloween and Christmas with nearly 40 mums in attendance at one group alone! We plan to continue this success and host a Spring Party in April and hope to see you there. Check the Diary pages for details.
A big thank you goes out to the lovely
mums who help us run this group by setting up, clearing up, bringing the milk Bumps, Babies and Beyond and making the teas. With the group going is my favourite group of the from strength to strength, we now have two week! I love attending this mums each week who act as hosts to group because everyone is make sure that everyone is welcomed with so friendly and welcoming. a cup of tea. My son loves it at the We would like to welcome our new children's centre and it’s a Bumps, Babies and Beyond great chance let your child Coordinators, Danni Tattershall and play whilst you have a cuppa Chloe Jackman. and a chat with other mums or mums to be. You get lots If you would like more information about of info and help from others’ the group, or would like to volunteer to experiences . Now I'm host, please contact Danni and Chloe on : expecting my second child I know I already have [email protected] somewhere I can take both my children where we can all be happy ! Claire
10 The last Thursday of every month 7.00 - 8:30pm Bridport Children’s Centre
If you haven’t attended or heard of this group, Just Bumps is a pregnancy social group, set up and run by the NCT at Bridport Children’s Centre on the last Thursday of every month.
This group gives mums and mums-to-be a chance to meet up once a month with others who are also pregnant and have a chat about the joys and the trials of being pregnant. We are not an antenatal class (for those please check out page 36). We are simply a group of women who love to have a coffee and cake and chat about all things relating to the imminent birth of our child…. home birth or hospital birth, which buggy to buy and where do you get nice maternity clothes!!
Every month we invite a someone along to help answer these questions, sometimes I found the Just Bumps group it’s a pregnancy related professional or really helpful when preparing trained peer supporter and sometimes is a for labour and what to expect mum with a new born or one with 1, 2 or 3 when coping with a newborn children older children to offer moral baby. It was also great to support and answer the eternal questions meet other ladies who were including “Will I ever get any sleep?!?” due at similar times, share experiences and give advice January saw us celebrating the one year to others who are just starting anniversary of Just Bumps. During the their journey as a parent. last 12 months we have had many mums- Danni to-be through our doors and then lots of cuddles with the lovely little ones who have then come to our post natal group Bumps, Babies and Beyond.
Dee has really enjoyed hosting this group for the last year and hopes that the success of this group continues with the new Just Bumps Coordinator, Katie. Dee will still be joining in the group until June, however she will be a ‘Bump’ rather than a ‘Host’!
Everyone is welcome to drop in, from any stage in pregnancy. There is no need to book in advance and there is no charge to attend this group, although donations are hugely appreciated and will go to the running of this and future groups.
Contact Katie at [email protected] if you have any questions!
11 Open Houses
If you’re at home with a young child and nothing to do but chores, get out and into an Open House!
If you’ve not been to one before they’re a good opportunity to see other Mums, have a cuppa and have a chat. They’re informal and friendly and open to everyone – you don’t need to be a member to come along. All we ask is a £1 donation to the branch which will go to support our Bumps & Babies group, running Nearly New Sales and the production of this newsletter.
You can find the dates of all the upcoming Open Houses in the yellow diary pages in the centre of this newsletter. Feel free to call the host in advance for directions but you don’t need to “book”, just turn up on the day!
We’re also always looking for volunteers to host Open Houses. You don’t need loads of chairs – most people are happy to sit on the floor!
If you want to find out more contact Alex on 01308 421 819 or email [email protected]
Mum’s Nights In and Out
All Mums need a night off from time to time – which is why we have regular dates in the diary when we can get away for an evening and get together!
The Nights Out are for absolutely everyone – whether you attend our groups or not – just so long as you’re a local Mum who fancies a night out and you enjoy a chat and the chance to make some new friends. We meet up for a drink and something to eat…and there are sometimes even some adventurous Mums who go for drinks after the meal too!
The Nights In are relaxed meals at a Mum’s house. Everyone brings a dish to share, whether it’s an elaborate pudding or a quick pizza grabbed from the shops on the way there. We enjoy a meal together with plenty of chat and good company. And feel free to bring small babies if you wish, we are the NCT after all!
All the dates for Nights In and Out can be found in the diary section in the centre of this newsletter. We would love to see you there!
12 Walk and Talk group
Want to enjoy the fresh air? Why not join us at our Walk and Talk group! Every other Wednesday we take a stroll and enjoy good company and the great outdoors.
Walks alternate between those that are buggy-friendly (relatively flat and using a path, even if some paths are a little rugged) and walks which are more “off road” and which would need babies/toddlers to be in a carrier or able to walk themselves! Children of all ages are welcome on the walks, as are partners and friends.
We only cancel if the weather would make the walk unsafe – we will walk in the rain! Check out our Facebook page for updates and cancellations or email [email protected] to check if a walk is going ahead. All walks have an advertised walk leader too, so do call or text them on the morning – or let them know if you are planning to join the group but will be late.
All walks start at 10am. See our Diary on pages 29 to 32 for individual walk details and start points.
Because we are a charity we do give you the chance to make a small donation to our branch at the end of each walk.
If you would like to lead a walk or if you know of a great route, email [email protected].
13 Baby First Aid Next course: Monday 11th May Our NCT Baby First Aid Courses are a fantastic 7.00 - 9.30pm way for mums, dads and other family members to Bridport Children’s gain knowledge in a range of basic techniques for Centre babies and young children.
The courses are run by a Red Cross First Aid trainer and include explanations, videos and the chance to practise some practical skills out on other course members!
An easy to follow course providing essential first aid and the confidence to use it. Highly recommended for all new parents. Tim
Having run a course in Beaminster in February, we have two more course dates for 2015 as follows:
Monday 11th May - 7.00 - 9.30pm Bridport Children’s Centre
Tuesday 20th October - 7.00 - 9.30pm Lyme Regis Children’s Centre
If you would like more details or would like to book a place on this course, please contact Rhona on 07981 810 422 or email [email protected].
Check out our Facebook page for updates and course details.
Subsidised places are available to those who need it. Please contact us to see if you are eligible.
14 Family days
Our last event: The Palm House, Weymouth 7th February
After the crazy Christmas period and the lull of January, a number of mums, dads and little ones headed over to The Palm House in Weymouth for playtime and a spot of lunch at the beginning of February.
With slides and rocker toys, baby pushchairs and a castle, a kitchen and wendy house and lots more, we all had a great time and it was lovely to chat and socialise with other parents whilst the children played in a safe environment.
And we didn’t have to worry that they were disturbing anyone else’s lunch!
Our next event: Picnic with Lambs - Tamarisk Farm, 2nd May from 11am
Come and meet the lambs at Tamarisk Organic Farm, West Bexington. Learn about how they are looked after and what happens on the farm from the knowledgeable Ellen Simon, our very own Honorary President! This event has been held for many years and is very popular (whatever the weather!)
Come along for your chance to handle the lambs, learn more about lambing, take part in feeding time and enjoy the stunning Jurassic Coast views.
Suitable for families with children of all ages, though due to walking over fields, babies will need to be in a carrier.
Pease bring suitable footwear and your own picnic lunch. Tea and coffee will be available, donations to the branch would be welcome.
Call Anna on 07789 963 747 if you would like more details.
Keep an eye on our Facebook page for other family-friendly events!
15 Monday 11th May 2015, 7pm - 9:30pm Bridport Children’s Centre, DT6 5LA
Tuesday 20th October 2015, 7pm - 9:30pm Lyme Regis Children’s Centre, DT7 3DY
For further details or to book a place, please contact Rhona Tel: 07981 810 422 Email: [email protected]
16
Breastfeeding Support
Baby and Me is a support group for women in the Bridport area who are breastfeeding, thinking about breastfeeding in the future or looking for support to move onto the next stage.
You’re welcome along at any time.... as a bump, with a newborn, older baby, toddler or even if you have finished your breastfeeding journey.
You do not need to have a 'problem' to attend, and many ladies go to share tea, cake and a chat about all sorts of things, all in an environment where breastfeeding is supported, so it’s also a good place to practice ‘feeding in public’ in the early days! Don't worry if you can't make it for the whole session, just come for whichever bit you can.
We also have a Baby & Me Facebook group...search "Baby and Me Beaminster and Bridport" to join the closed group and ask for advice and information, whatever time of the day!
Baby and Me (Bridport) Fridays, 1.00 - 2.30pm at Bridport Children’s Centre For more information call 07971 767794 or 01308 421 714 Please note that there is no longer a group in Beaminster.
Breastfeeding Counsellors
Breastfeeding Counsellors are experienced volunteers who are trained to help with any feeding-related issue. Their services are provided free to anyone and you do not need to be a member of the NCT to call them.
Our local breastfeeding counsellors are: Ellen Simon 01308 898750 / Emma Gale 01308 863 362
There is also the National Breastfeeding Helpline 0300 100 0212
17 18 Support Across Dorset
If you can't make it to the Friday group in Bridport, or you don’t want to wait a week to see someone, there are a whole host of similar support groups across Dorset, run by trained Peer Supporters who are all mums who’ve been there and done it too.
Below are some of the other groups close to us, but check the Real Baby Milk website for a full list of venues.
MONDAYS:
Dorchester 10:30am - 12 noon Holy Trinity Church Centre, Tel: 07969 075 664 (Jane Thrift)
TUESDAYS:
Weymouth (Littlemoor) 9:30 – 11:30am St Francis of Assisi Church Hall
Sherborne10:00 - 11:30am Sherborne Children’s Centre
THURSDAYS:
Portland 10:00am - 12 noon Outlooks Children’s Centre, Tel: 01305 823794
FRIDAYS:
Bridport 1:00 - 2:30pm Bridport Children’s Centre, Tel: 01308 421714
Weymouth 10:00am to 12 noon Mulburry Children’s Centre
www.realbabymilk.org/dorset has details of all support groups and breastfeeding friendly places in Dorset.
19 Things I wish I’d known...
Breastfeeding can seem pretty daunting in the early days, but there can be a light at the end of the tunnel!
Some of the Bridport Peer Supporters share things they wish they’d known when they started out as it would have saved a lot of worry and heartache:
That you're pretty much chained to the sofa for a few weeks....give in!
Your clothing choices will now revolve around how easily and discreetly you can whip out a boob
Cluster feeds...they're normal
It's worth getting the latch right....even if it seems to take ages
Don't be afraid to ask for help
Being able to breastfeed your child to sleep is a godsend (not a bad habit!)
Your milk doesn't run out
Growth spurts happen
When you feed in public, people can't really see your breasts. Besides, no one is really that interested anyway
Breast milk offers pain relief and comfort for teething and works better than Calpol in the middle of the night.
When your milk comes in you can do a great Dolly Parton impression.....but it does go back down eventually!
That eventually...after a challenging start (for most of us) you actually really really enjoy it.
The NCT Helpline also has an option to support breastfeeding. 0300 330 0700 option 1 for feeding Open every day, 8:00am - midnight including bank holidays
20 21 Children’s Parties - Ideas and Survival Tips By Suzanne Moore
So the big day is approaching and every parent is faced with the dilemma – what to do? If you don’t spend a fortune on a party, you feel guilty for not celebrating with all the people who send you invites. If you give in and throw a party then you spend weeks, if not months, running around trying to organise something on the scale of a mini wedding, at which your own child will probably end up spending the entire party clinging to your leg anyway. Unfortunately, I don’t know of any magic solution to this, but I can share a few of my own parties, and what worked and what I will never repeat again.
What age do you start giving birthday parties?
To be completely honest, your child will not be even slightly interested in a party until about four years old.
At one, the decision to celebrate is purely personal. If you have a large extended family then chances are you will have a big celebration at home, but if not then I can guarantee that your child will not remember a thing, and as hard as it is to believe now, you probably won’t be able to distinguish one birthday from the next in a few years either. The thing your baby wants most – IS YOU. They don’t need anything else, so why not Frankie Woodrow’s 1st birthday... just bake a cake, buy a candle, and take a Keep it simple! photo of you together with the cake to look back on?
At two and three, maybe extend the cake to a few fairy cakes with some ‘Mummy friends’ and their children in tow, or pre-school friends for three-year olds, and have a little tea party at home. They will be more aware of birthdays (and presents!) but they also prefer not to share their own toys at home, in fact it might be worth putting a few of their favourites away to save the tears.
They also tend to shy away from big groups, so a large party is likely to intimidate them into a babbling shell of their usual shrieking, over-confident little selves, and see them clinging to your leg for the entire duration. Keep it simple and always have chocolate buttons and bubbles to bribe tears away!
22 If you want to add some fun play areas to your home rather than having your own child’s toys out, easy ideas include a pop-up house filled with teddies and a tea set, and filling a small paddling pool with balls and having a little mini slide into it.
Party Bags
Let’s face it, you have to give into the awful American culture and make party bags. … it is a brave parent who stands against the trend and has children leaving empty handed in tears.
We all know they are a horrendous waste of money and full of junk (sorry, treasure), but children have come to expect them, and there is nothing worse than a child going home upset, amid the shushing of embarrassed parents muttering “don’t ask, not everyone does party bags” etc.
If you’re going to spend money on something, then why not buy something that won’t be immediately binned? For 1-3 year olds, I usually buy cheap book sets – www.thebookpeople.co.uk – have fantastic sets of children’s books, usually averaging less than £1 a book. I would give out a book and a small pack of sweets wrapped in paper, instead of a bag of traditional party favours. The child leaves happy that they got a present, and the parents are happy that they don’t have to find homes for a football whistle and crayon box that is too small to use. Other favourites for this age range include bubble pots, the beach windmills and stickers.
Once children get older, it is still possible to steer away from the plastic princess combs and bouncy balls if you are brave enough. For my five year old daughter’s party bags last year, I ordered mini jewellery sets online, which were around the £1 mark each, each set comprising of a Disney princess enamel necklace, bracelet, ring and tattoo, all in their own mini organza bag. I simply added a Haribo pack to this and everyone went away happy (boys had Spongebob sets in organza bags too, but with keyrings, badges and tattoos instead).
Loom band bags are inexpensive and both boys and girls will have hours of use from them. For boys, I have often found those wooden boards that press out to make a 3D dinosaur or car in shops for around 80p each, or The Works is brilliant for little lego/meccano style sets which again I would wrap up with a pack of sweets. The same shop also does a selection of science kits which work brilliantly for older children.
23 Party ideas
What type of party are you having? Will it be a bouncy castle, a disco or a trip to the cinema or bowling? When deciding what to ‘do’ for your child’s party, the decision is a combination of your budget, your own time constraints and what your child prefers.
The Bridport area offers a few easy options to busy parents who prefer to just turn up on the day with a cake.
Bridport Leisure centre offer Soft Play and Bouncy Castle parties in the hall, and now have a spare room for food and cake, but you do have to bring your own party food. They charge per person, so it can get expensive if you have a large group.
Freshwater Holiday Park do a complete party package, with Swimming parties in their fun pool, or bowling parties upstairs, and include hot food such as sausage or pizza and chips, and the table will be all laid up for your arrival with party poppers, treasure boxes of sweets and jugs of squash. They will coordinate everything so you really can enjoy the party yourself.
If you have a large class coming and want to keep the budget a bit smaller, then hiring a village hall and doing it yourself is considerably cheaper. Village halls cost around £30-50 for a morning or afternoon, and include use of their kitchen facilities. Then you fill the hall with your choice of activity and bring your own party food.
A favourite for young children is the bouncy castle, which can be hired and delivered for £80-100 from a number of companies, or if you are prepared to collect and return it yourself, the Crewkerne Outdoor Toy Centre hire them out from just £45 for the day. The castle will fit into any car, and it is easy to roll out, and in my opinion well worth the saving.
A children’s entertainer can be an excellent choice for 4-7 year olds. Everything from magicians to Punch and Judy shows can be found online. Our favourite (if I’m allowed to choose!) is Uncle Ron the magician, who keeps even large (30+) groups of children completely enthralled for an hour, and finishes by pulling out a live rabbit.
If you are organised, then you can book out great varieties of toys from the Toy lending library. A friend had a boys birthday party in a village hall, where she had borrowed various ride-ons and even a pull along rickshaw.
24 Activity and making parties are especially popular with girls. Set up tables in the hall with different activities on each. Search online for cheap craft materials in bulk. In the past I have had activities tables such as cardboard crowns and sticky gems, Loom bands, colouring sheets with glitter and glue, bracelet making with pots of coloured beads and pretty charms made of Tibetan silver (literally pence if you order in plenty of time from China), and cupcakes or biscuits ready to decorate with bowls of icing, sprinkles and smarties. For older girls, I have had small groups designing T-shirts using fabric pens and cheap plain tops.
If your child is more sporty, groups like Team Theme and the Dorset Action Van can be hired to give football parties, or why not run your own mini-Olympics with fun team relay races, and silly egg and spoon races, all cheered on with plenty of fun prizes and medals. Fill in time around the races by having footballs and balloons for the children to play around with, and traditional party games such as pass-the-parcel. Or make up clues to have a treasure hunt around the hall, searching for painted pebbles to spell out each child’s name, or to find materials such as an old sheet, pegs and sticks and then challenge two teams to build a den. Let your imagination run wild!
Above all, remember it is just a children’s party, it really doesn’t matter if it isn’t all perfect, the children won’t notice anyway. Organise friends and family to help so you get to spend some time with your own child too, otherwise you might miss out on all the fun. Available for Children’s Parties, Events, Fairs & Festivals. We also offer glitter tattoos for that added bit of sparkle! Fully insured and DBS checked.
Call Caroline: 07810 448 322 or Sarah: 07904 564 388
www.smartypantsfacepainting.co.uk [email protected]
25 My ten top tips for parties By Alex O’Dwyer
1. Don’t feel you have to have a party! We don’t start doing parties until our kids are 4 years old. Not because we’re mean but because until that age many children don’t really enjoy parties, or really know what to make of them. By all means have a gathering because you want to invite friends over for your own sociable reasons. But don’t expect the kids to participate particularly, eat the food or do any of the cute stuff you have planned!
2. When you do have a party, make a budget and stick to it. Organise things in advance so you have time to order cheap stuff online, shop around etc. Desperately trying to make up party bags in the last 24 hours will mean you are bound to spend more!
3. There is nothing at a party that is mandatory, except perhaps a cake!
4. For younger children, don’t feel you have to invest in an entertainer… they will almost certainly get ignored! Better to invest in some snacks and nibbles for the kids, tea and coffee for the grown ups and a cake, then cover the floor in age appropriate toys / balloons etc for the children.
5. Party bags are lovely but you don’t have to do them…and for younger children it is hard to find age appropriate, cheap small toys. If you really want to, try The Works or Book People for big packs of cheap books which can make good take home presents or what about splitting up multi-packs of cute character socks… wrap them in tissue paper with a bow… thoughtful, useful and cheap!
6. If you’re issuing invitations, especially to parents you don’t know especially well (e.g at nursery) don’t rely on getting RSVPs! Don’t take it personally, but you probably want to assume that people are coming unless they tell you otherwise… to avoid a crying child without a party bag / balloon at the end!
7. Don’t invite more people than you can afford. You don’t have to invite the whole of your child’s class or playgroup and nobody should take it personally if they are left off the list. Parties can be expensive and the difference in price between inviting 8 children to a party in your sitting room compared to 20 children in the village hall, is considerable.
8. If you really want to do matching paper plates, cups, napkins etc because it will make you happy, then go for it! But your child won’t really notice if the plates are plain white!
26 9. Important kit for parties… matches for the cake candles, sharp knife, bin bags, prizes for party games, wet wipes, music (don’t assume it will be easy to pull together a kids party playlist in 5 mins!), fully charged camera/phone for pictures.
10. Keep it short – an hour and a half, two hours maximum for littlies. Any longer than that and the tears to smiles ratio starts to go into serious decline. Have fun!
Munchkins offer Traditional Tea Parties and were voted as runners up to Farmer Palmers in the Netmums Party awards in their first year.
Traditional Tea Parties are great fun for 1-4 year olds and they pride themselves in making it home from home. They do the hard work while guests have all the fun without the worry of tidying up or preparing the party food.
Visit their website for more details and see how much fun your little ones can have! www.munchkinsplaycafe.co.uk
27 Molly’s Den in Bridport is full of surprises.... find preloved books and toys to keep them entertained, vintage and designer clothing to keep them looking snazzy and original and quirky pieces of furniture to kit out their bedroom.
And if you’re there for a visit, why not have a bite to eat in Annie’s Retro Cafe? With baby changing facilities and a fantastic play area upstairs for children, you can have a couple of hours out for some retail therapy with something fun for the little ones to do too!
28 Bridport & Lyme Regis NCT DIARY
Everyone is welcome at our activities and events – you don’t need to be an NCT member, though if you would like to be there are details on page 54!
Donations towards the running of the branch, including provision of refreshments at groups and the publication of this newsletter, will always be gratefully received at any event or meeting.
Occasionally dates may be changed - please keep an eye on our Facebook page as date changes will be posted on there.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the individual listed for more information.
March
Bumps, Babies & Bridport Children’s Centre. Tuesday 3 Mar Beyond Email: [email protected] 1.00 - 2.30pm Nearly New Sale Sir John Colfox School, Bridport. Saturday 7 Mar 2.00 - 4.00pm Email [email protected] At Dee’s: Endway, Higher St, Bradpole, Open House Monday 9 Mar DT6 3JA. 1.30 - 3.00pm Mobile 07740 349 393 Bumps, Babies & Bridport Children’s Centre. Tuesday 10 Mar Beyond Email: [email protected] 1.00 - 2.30pm Langdon Wood - circular walk. Suitable for Walk and Talk buggies (but may be a little muddy!) Wednesday 11 Mar 10.00am Meet in the National Trust car park. Call Alex 07940 538 540 At Dee’s: Endway, Higher St, Bradpole Branch Meeting Thursday 12 Mar DT6 3JA. 8.00pm Mobile 07740 349 393 Bumps, Babies & Bridport Children’s Centre. Tuesday 17 Mar Beyond Email: [email protected] 1.00 - 2.30pm Hive Beach - not suitable for buggies. Walk and Talk Wednesday 18 Mar Meet outside the cafe. 10.00am Call Alex 07940 538 540 At Alex’s: Atrim Farm, Atrim Lane, Open House Friday 20 Mar Broadoak, Bridport DT6 5PX. 10:00am - 12 noon 01308 421 819 Bumps, Babies & Bridport Children’s Centre. Tuesday 24 Mar Beyond Email: [email protected] 1.00 - 2.30pm
29 March (continued)
Mum’s Night Out Meet at The Stable, East St, Bridport. Tuesday 24 Mar 7.30pm “Tuck In Tuesday”!
Just Bumps Bridport Children’s Centre. Thursday 26 Mar 7.00 – 8.30pm Email: [email protected]
Bumps, Babies & Bridport Children’s Centre. Tuesday 31 Mar Beyond Email: [email protected] 1.00 - 2.30pm
April
Bumps, Babies & Bridport Children’s Centre. Tuesday 7 Apr Beyond Email: [email protected] 1.00 - 2.30pm At Lindsay’s 34 Culverhays, Beaminster, Open House Friday 10 Apr DT8 3DG 1:30 - 3.30pm Mobile: 07748 247 111 Bumps, Babies & Beyond Bridport Children’s Centre. Tuesday 14 Apr SPRING PARTY Email: [email protected] 1.00 - 3.00pm West Bay, meet at the pier, opposite Walk and Talk Wednesday 15 Apr Ellipse café 10:00am Call Alex 07940 538 540 At Alex’s: Atrim Farm, Atrim Lane, Mum’s Night In Wednesday 15 Apr Broadoak, Bridport DT6 5PX. 8:00pm 01308 421 819 Bumps, Babies & Bridport Children’s Centre. Tuesday 21 Apr Beyond Email: [email protected] 1.00 - 2.30pm Open House At Katy’s: 4 Burbitt Close, Shipton Friday 24 Apr 10:00am - 12 noon Gorge, DT6 4FD Bumps, Babies & Bridport Children’s Centre. Tuesday 28 Apr Beyond Email: [email protected] 1.00 - 2.30pm Stonebarrow Hill, Charmouth. Meet by the Walk and Talk National Trust hut. (suitable only for very Wednesday 29 Apr 10:00am “off road-friendly” buggies) Call Alex 07940 538 540
Just Bumps Bridport Children’s Centre. Thursday 30 Apr 7.00 – 8.30pm Email: [email protected]
30 May
Family Day At Tamarisk Farm, West Bexington Saturday 2 May from 11am Tel: 01308 897 784
Bumps, Babies & Bridport Children’s Centre. Tuesday 5 May Beyond Email: [email protected] 1.00 - 2.30pm At Dee’s: Endway, Higher St, Bradpole Open House Monday 11 May DT6 3JA. 1.30 - 3.00pm Mobile 07740 349 393 Bumps, Babies & Bridport Children’s Centre. Tuesday 12 May Beyond Email: [email protected] 1.00 - 2.30pm Branch Meeting At Alex’s: Atrim Farm, Atrim Lane, Tuesday 12 May 8.00pm Broadoak, Bridport DT6 5PX. PUDDING CLUB 01308 421 819 Lyme Regis - suitable for buggies Walk and Talk Meet Marine Parade, by Cobb Gate car Wednesday 13 May 10:00am park and clock tower Call Alex 07940 538 540 Bumps, Babies & Bridport Children’s Centre. Tuesday 19 May Beyond Email: [email protected] 1.00 - 2.30pm Stonebarrow Hill, Charmouth. Meet by the Walk and Talk National Trust hut. (suitable only for very Wednesday 20 May 10.00am “off road-friendly” buggies) Call Alex 07940 538 540
Mum’s Night Out Meet in Steak Out, Beaminster (Hogshill Thursday 21 May 7.30pm Street, just off the Square)
Open House At Katy’s: 4 Burbitt Close, Shipton Gorge Friday 22 1:00 - 3:00pm DT6 4FD
Bumps, Babies & Bridport Children’s Centre. Tuesday 26 May Beyond Email: [email protected] 1.00 - 2.30pm Just Bumps Bridport Children’s Centre. Thursday 28 May 7.00 – 8.30pm Email: [email protected]
Keep an eye on our Facebook page for updates!
31 June
Bumps, Babies & Bridport Children’s Centre. Tuesday 2 Jun Beyond Email: [email protected] 1.00 - 2.30pm Walk and Talk Cogden Beach, meet in the National Trust Wednesday 3 Jun (buggy friendly car park. Not suitable for buggies. route) 10.00 am Call Alex 07940 538 540 Bumps, Babies & Bridport Children’s Centre. Tuesday 9 Jun Beyond Email: [email protected] 1.00 - 2.30pm At Suzanne’s: Charm Cottage, Seymour Mum’s Night In Thursday 11 Jun Farm, North Allington, Bridport. 8.00pm 01308 459 551
Open House At Katy’s: 4 Burbitt Close, Shipton Gorge Friday 12 Jun 10:00am - 12 noon DT6 4FD
Bumps, Babies & Bridport Children’s Centre. Tuesday 16 Jun Beyond Email: [email protected] 1.00 - 2.30pm Langdon Wood - circular walk. Suitable for Walk and Talk buggies (but may be a little muddy!) Wednesday 17 Jun 10.00am Meet in the National Trust car park. Call Alex 07940 538 540 At Alex’s: Atrim Farm, Atrim Lane, Open House Friday 19 Jun Broadoak, Bridport DT6 5PX. 10:00am - 12 noon 01308 421 819 Bumps, Babies & Bridport Children’s Centre. Tuesday 23 Jun Beyond Email: [email protected] 1.00 - 2.30pm
Just Bumps Bridport Children’s Centre. Thursday 25 Jun 7.00 – 8.30pm Email: [email protected]
For our regular weekly group ‘Bumps, Babies and Beyond’ please email the new co-ordinators Danni Tattershall and Chloe Jackman: [email protected]
For our regular monthly antenatal group ‘Just Bumps’ please email the new co-ordinator Katie Lamb: [email protected]
For general information about the branch contact Dee Lanning: Tel: 07740 349 393 Email: [email protected]
32
Want to advertise in our next issue?
See page 58 for more details!
Our next Family Fun Day is at Tamarisk Farm! See page 15 for more details...
33
34 Sure Start Children’s Centres
We are lucky enough to have three Sure Start Children’s Centres in our area, in Bridport, Lyme Regis and Beaminster.
Each one offers a full range of classes and activities, as well as access to information and additional support for those who need it. Why not pop along to your local centre and pick up their latest timetable and information leaflet to see what’s happening in your area? Parenting courses
Stay and Play Little Wrigglers Adult Education Breast Pump Loan Baby Massage FAB Foods
Counselling Young Parent Groups
Bridport: 01308 421 714 Lyme Regis: 01297 444 076 Beaminster: 01308 861 030
35 NCT Antenatal classes
Little one on the way? Want the reassurance an antenatal course can offer?
Worry no more as the NCT are able to offer you courses in your local area. What do the courses offer?
With a relaxed and friendly style, the NCT Signature antenatal course will be as individual as you are. That's because it will be flexible and tailored to the needs of your small group.
Your NCT Signature antenatal practitioner is fully licensed and experienced in preparing you and your partner - both physically and emotionally - for the arrival of your beautiful baby. Couples, singles, friends and family partners are welcome and the price of the course is for two attendees so you can bring your partner or your mum, or indeed anyone you want with you!
More than half of your course will cover the birth of your baby. There's also plenty of time to explore your questions, hopes and anxieties in a safe and supportive space. Subjects covered typically include:
Pregnancy, birth choices and options available Body awareness, relaxation, breathing and massage What happens in labour, the role of your partner and how your baby is born Pain relief - natural and medical methods More complex pregnancies and medical procedures, including caesarean birth Early parenting, feeding your baby and lifestyle changes
Plus, you will also receive an NCT-exclusive personal learning pack to take away with you plus a free week-by-week pregnancy e-newsletter.
My NCT antenatal classes were such an important part of preparing to have my baby. They gave me the information I needed but, even more importantly, I made lasting friends there. Attending the course also gave me the confidence to join in other NCT activities, like Bumps Babies and Beyond on Tuesday at the Children’s Centre, and that was such a lifeline, especially during the first few months when everything is new and exhausting! Rhona
36 When and where are the courses?
Each course is spread over two Sundays, 10am to 4.30pm each day and are held at Bridport Children’s Centre. The next course dates for Bridport are: 1st and 8th March 26th April & 10th May 28th June & 5th July The cost is £150 per couple without optional membership, but there are generous concessions available depending upon joint income - please enquire in confidence about these.
Everyone can pay for a course by agreed instalments as long as the final payment is made by the time that the course starts, so please speak to the NCT today and get the information you want to prepare you for your bundle of joy
To book your place or register your interest, email Fiona Makin on [email protected]
37 Top Tips on... Dealing with Reflux and Colic What is reflux?
Acid reflux is the word used to describe what happens when the stomach contents – food (milk) and acid - come back up into the gullet or into the mouth. Most babies have a degree of reflux because the muscular valve at the end of their food pipe, which acts to keep food in the stomach, hasn’t developed properly yet. This means that when your baby’s stomach is full, milk can come back up. If he brings up small amounts of milk it’s called posseting. Babies often 'posset' a bit when burping, hence the use of muslins over the shoulder. What is colic?
Colic (or infant colic) is characterised as excessive crying or extended and repeated periods of crying or fussing in babies who are otherwise healthy and thriving. Common symptoms of colic in babies usually begin within the first few weeks of life and generally end between the ages of four and six months. What are the main differences?
Both colic and reflux can test a new parent's stamina and patience, but the conditions have very different symptoms. Colic is characterized by general irritability late in the afternoon. A colicky baby is content in the morning, but seems to wind up as the day progresses. You'll quickly learn ways to create a calming environment that reduces the symptoms of colic. Reflux, on the other hand, is more unpredictable, flaring up throughout the day, especially after feedings. Because reflux is a medical condition, it usually requires more complicated treatment. Finding out more...
The NCT website has a wealth of information on both these topics... symptoms to look out for, what you can do to help your baby or toddler and where to find further information.
If you are concerned that your child may have colic or reflux, you are not alone and help is available. Talk to your Health Visitor or GP to get advice and treatment if necessary. And read the following top tips from some of our mums who know from personal experience how difficult it can be to deal with.
www.nct.org.uk/parenting
38 Tips from a Reflux Mum By Dee Lanning
Joshua was diagnosed with reflux at 6 weeks, but as he was still gaining weight we were offered no help from the GP. By 12 weeks Joshua was not keeping any milk down, he was constantly in pain and crying and I was at my wits end living on no sleep and a full laundry basket.
We returned to see the Doctor when Joshua was just a little more than 12 weeks old. During this appointment he arched his back and proceeded to vomit all over the doctors floor at which point the Doctor agreed it was “Classic Reflux” or as I later found out Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux (GOR) and sent us on our way with some Infant Gaviscon. The Gaviscon helped, but was by no means a cure so along the way I have picked up a few hints and tips how to make life a little easier for your baby and a little easier for you!
Have at least 20 muslin cloths. You will go through loads of these, having more means the need to wash the 5 you do have will become less urgent… I think I ended up with around 40 cloths in the end!
Buy three sets of bedding (sleeping bags, mattress protectors, sheets, blankets). This way, even if your little one has reflux during the night while your other set is in the wash, you will have bedding to hand.
Raise the head of your Moses basket or cot with a few well thumbed pregnancy books, we all have them! Keeping baby more upright will ease the pain.
Baby carriers are perfect for upset tummies, you don’t even need to be going anywhere! Keeping your little one upright will help your baby feeding and when out and about too.
Feed little and often, it’s kinder to little tummies.
The constant crying is as distressing for you as much as your little one, but cuddles are better for you and your baby than having them lying on their back so if it gets too much, hand your little one off to any willing relative or friend!
Joshua still has a tendency to throw up at night if he gets upset or he is feeling under the weather with a bad cough! But he is now over 2 and has grown out of most of the sickness.
There is light at the end of the tunnel!
39 My Experience with Reflux By Lindsay Noble I would like to share my experience with Darcy’s intolerance to cow’s milk and reflux. She was born 10 weeks premature and had duodenal atresia requiring major abdominal surgery to connect her gut at 2 days old. She was only introduced to breast milk at about 1 week old and fed by NG tube for 10 weeks. She started on 1ml of milk every hour and gradually increased. She was failing to put on weight, in part due to her inability to keep milk down and thus we were unable to vastly increase the milk volume. The staff tried a thickener, but it did not improve. It was then decided to start Darcy on Domperidone and Ranitidine. Her reflux continued but she was gradually able to increase the volume of milk. Once home we coped using a diary feeding schedule- volume, time taken and reaction. Initially it took 40 minutes to give just 60mls of expressed breast milk. Feeding was 3 hourly and muslins were invaluable. I continued breast milk via expressing as Darcy was unable to breast feed. After I finished the breast milk at 4 months I started on formula cow’s milk. The grimacing increased as we increased her volume, slow to feed and reflux continued at times. The GP just increased her medication dose, though I felt this was not addressing the underlying issues and felt unsupported. My instinct was to try alternatives. All the consultants up to now had said she “was not allergic to cow’s milk” and cows’ formula was OK to continue with. I chose goats milk after talking to a family My advice as a mum would be friend who had used goats milk in 1970’s if you think your baby has an and what little I could find on the internet and MumsNet. I found NannyCare on the issue, talk to other mums for internet for under ones, and immediately peer support and ways of there was no grimacing after feed. I ran out coping and use your instincts. of goat’s formula before the next delivery and had to use cows’ formula for just 2 feeds. Immediately the grimacing and regurgitation restarted. This was evidence enough for me to keep to goats’ milk. Although the HVs all said to start weaning at 6 months and not before, I did start at 5 months on small amounts of baby rice which did help and needed less fluid volume. At 1 yr I weaned Darcy onto ordinary cow’s milk with no issue and had been using ordinary cow’s milk when cooking from 6 months old. One paediatric SCBU consultant reviewing Darcy immediately referred us to the dietician once I mentioned I had put Darcy onto goats’ milk. The Dietician was supportive, though she acknowledged she knew little about goats’ milk for under ones. Once I gave her all the nutritional values she was happy Darcy was on it. She mentioned that the EU are promoting goat’s milk formula for under ones more than cow’s milk, but this had not filtered down through our medical system in the UK yet. 40 At Darcy’s one year abdominal surgery review (we saw a different consultant every 3 months) the consultant listened to me and he agreed it sounded like cows milk intolerance. Goats milk was fine and a lot of premature babies have issues with cow’s milk. Halleluiah someone listened and understood. He thought Darcy’s condition should have been picked up earlier whilst in hospital (she was there 3 months!) However the specialist feeding nurse was on long term sick and no-one else had picked up. I wasn’t aware of possible issues or alternatives in the early days and as Darcy had had abdominal surgery, was led by the doctors saying it would settle as her stomach/gut healed and started to function. My advice as a mum would be if you think your baby has an issue, talk to other mums for peer support and ways of coping and use your instincts. Ask questions and be pushy with the health teams, do your research and look at the content in comparison for nutritional values. I used NannyCare, bought via the internet as Supermarkets (Waitrose) only sold the follow-on 1 yrs olds formula. It is twice as expensive as most cow formulas but in my case I felt it was worth the cost.
NCT Shared Experiences Helpline
The NCT's Shared Experiences Helpline can be a useful source of support.
When you call the Shared Experiences Helpline, the enquiries team will put you in touch with a volunteer who has gone through a similar experience and is able to offer understanding and a listening ear. Callers are also given details of other relevant charities or support organisations who may be able to help.
If you or someone you know needs the support of the Shared Experiences Helpline, call the number below Monday - Friday from 9am – 7pm. You can leave a message outside of these hours and someone will call you back. Tel: 0300 330 0700
Living with Reflux
This charity aims to support parents and carers of children with reflux as they know only to well how stressful and exhausting it can be living with a child with reflux (GOR) everyday – not just for you but for them also.
You can contact them via an email form on their website or find them on Facebook.
For more information, visit www.livingwithreflux.org 41
42 Our Reflux and Colic Story By Alex O’Dwyer
“He’s hiccupping again, have a feel…” This was a common thing for me to say to my husband in the last trimester of pregnancy with our first baby. So sweet.. little wriggles, kicks and then these strong, clear and recognisable hiccups. One person, someone I met at a midwife appointment, sucked their teeth and said “he’ll be a vomiting baby, if he’s hiccupping like that”…but I ignored them. I was deliberately ignoring all “old wives tales”. Fast forward to the birth, and little Freddie, when he finally emerged after a natural, but LONG, labour, had the cord wrapped round his neck twice, resulting in a terrifying first five minutes as he was helped to take his first breath and released from what must have been such an uncomfortable, stressful time for him…every push and wriggle tightening the cord. He was fine very quickly, changing from fish-like grey to beautiful baby pink, invigorated by rubs from a towel, a blast under the heat lamp, a swig of an oxygen mask and then, miracle of miracles, those first few pearls of colostrum.
Little F was a lovely baby, beady eyed, mouth pursed up, like a comedy wizened old man, but feeding was very very difficult. We just couldn’t get it right. Painful wasn’t the word for it, and the recurring mastitis, especially on the right hand side was agonising. And the hiccupping continued. I made up a special hiccup song that I sung to him day and night in between painful feeds as he hiccupped on my shoulder. And when the hiccupping fast resulted in all that milk, so painfully produced, just “falling” out onto my muslin-draped shoulder, the only thing I could do was grit my teeth and try again. Little wonder that with no decent breastfeeding support (we lived in London, not in Dorset where we are lucky enough to have some brilliant and approachable breastfeeding counsellors and peer-supporters) I ended up increasingly turning to bottle feeding. Which helped me enormously and put the joy back into feeding time, but the amount of “spit up” that we experienced was considerably more than anything I could see amongst the other Mums and babies I knew.
So we got used to the perpetual smell of babysick (“this is just par for the course” I told myself) and then at about 10 weeks we started to experience the “witching hour”. That black moment, about 6pm, just as your old self would have been thinking about putting feet up, pouring a drink, cooking supper, chatting to partner… when suddenly baby becomes inconsolable. Shrieking yelps and cries of pain and fury that no amount of feeding, rocking or singing can quell. Face screwed up, fists clenched, knees bent and drawing legs to chest and howling… Good old Google told us quickly that this was “colic”…and proceeded to tell us that nobody knows quite what “colic” is, so we could draw any manner of potential solution at random from the hundreds out there, and there was a good chance that nothing would work. Great.
43 I became attached to the bottle of Infacol – effectively a sugar solution given with a dropper before a feed that is supposed to help air bubbles draw together in the tummy and be passed, painlessly, as an almighty burp or fart. Sometimes it worked. Usually it didn’t. But I had a bottle in every room of the flat to make myself feel better.
The Health Visitor reassured me that it was common, and would pass. And she recommended early weaning (I’m not sure she was supposed to, but I happened to get someone quite old school that day who maintained that the old 17 week weaning date was still fine, as opposed to the 6 months now recommended). So, Freddie was, in all other things, a well developed baby… alert, sitting up, strong, full of will and intelligence.. so we started weaning as soon as possible. He enjoyed it. Parsnip, Carrot, Sweet potato, apple, pear…but it didn’t stop the food falling out. In fact, it made it worse… because now this wasn’t sweet smelling milky sick anymore. This was curdled, mangled food-flecked vomit. And it became much more noticeable that what Freddie was doing was unusual… baby play dates saw raised eyebrows as Freddie threw up for the 6th time in an hour. He was getting through a ridiculous number of outfits in a day. And I started to worry about taking him out anywhere. And then someone mentioned Cranial Osteopathy.
I was a bit dubious but was willing to give anything a go, so made an appointment at a local, and highly recommended, cranial osteopathy clinic.
Our initial consultation was 45 minutes – and by the end of it I felt so relieved I could have wept. The osteopath asked so many questions, about pregnancy, about birth, about all Freddie’s symptoms and only after a good half hour of talking did she very gently feel Freddie’s head, neck and stomach, with the lightest, mere butterflies of fingers. And she told me, quite clearly, that there was a reason why Freddie found keeping his food down difficult, and why he and I had never been able to get the hang of breastfeeding – he basically had a crick in his neck (from having a cord around it for a few months in the womb) and an enormous amount of tension in his abdomen from where the cord had been pulling at his midriff. She could feel it in her fingers – and we could almost see the tight spiral of tension in his little tummy. So simple. So obvious. But such a relief to finally know there was a reason behind everything.
And that night, after what seemed like hardly any treatment at all, Freddie went off to sleep at 6.30pm without a peep and slept soundly until about 4am… unheard of. Of course, it wasn’t all plain sailing every night, but we went to the osteopath every other week for 3 months and gradually the vomiting died down. And with each visit, after the gentle pressure from the osteopath’s fingers, another notch of tension and discomfort was eased away from Freddie (and by association from me!).
44 By the time he was about 10 months, the vomiting had disappeared. It is likely that he would have “grown out” of the reflux at some point anyway, but the relief of feeling that I was doing something positive through the osteopathy and the “diagnosis” that helped everything feel understandable and manageable, was invaluable.
This was our experience of reflux… there are countless reasons it can occur, and sometimes no reason at all. But this is what I learned overall, and some of these things that, with hindsight, I wish I’d done sooner…
Reflux and colic are common and therefore “normal” but you don’t have to live with them without help. Don’t feel ashamed or worried that there is something you are doing wrong – nobody will be judging you!
It is worth trying out over-the-counter colic remedies in consultation with your Doctor or Health Visitor, but don’t expect them to work wonders
Speak to your health visitor as soon as you can if you start to worry about excessive regurgitation or painful wind in your baby – and make sure that you take your baby to be weighed regularly.
Lying baby on its back and “bicycling” his/her legs can ease discomfort, but be warned, it can also elicit a projectile vomit!
During bouts of colic, make sure you have support in terms of a partner or friend at home with you, take it in turns to hold and rock/swing baby and don’t worry if you have to put baby down for a few minutes and let them cry to allow you to make a cup of tea, go to the toilet…nobody outside will really be listening and think you are neglecting or killing your baby, even though you worry that is what it sounds like.
Keeping baby upright after a feed helps, as does regular gentle burping (after every 1oz of milk). Once we were on formula we used “comfort milk” and this seemed to help too.
Never feel ashamed of your baby – the crying or the sick. But do be prepared so you don’t put yourself under extra stress… take enough changes of clothes / muslins where ever you go and talk openly about the issue, so if baby does make a mess, everybody understands.
Get help early on with breastfeeding issues and never feel that you just have to knuckle down and cope with pain or problems by yourself.
45 What’s On? Our area is bustling with baby and toddler groups of all types and sizes…take your pick!
Our What’s On listings rely on us being given accurate information about groups. We cannot take any responsibility for any errors, but if you know of any changes or omissions, please let us know at [email protected] with listings free of charge to all not-for-profit groups.
If it is your first time attending a group we recommend you call in advance to ensure that the group is running, especially during school holidays.
What’s On…MONDAYS
Fizzy Boppers - Netherbury Village Hall. 9.30 - 10.30am. Music and dance group for 0-5 year olds. Refreshments included - £3.50 per family. Call Julia on 07833 718032 or email [email protected]
Axminster Monday Monkeys 9.30 - 11.30am during term time at Millway Hall. For more information contact Gaynor 01297 32 659
Toddler club – Bridport United Reform Church, East Street 9.30 - 11.30am. Call 01297 489 449
Parent and Child Club, Annie’s Retro Cafe, Molly’s Den. 10.00am - 4.00pm Call Jackie 07792 487 927
Little Fish (Pay as you go) Bridport Leisure Centre From 10.30am – 11.00am for 0 - 36 months in the Learner Pool. An introduction to water through songs and games with the emphasis on developing water confidence. Parent/carer must accompany children in the water. Call 01308 427464 or visit www.bridportleisure.com for more details.
Stay & Play - Bridport Children’s Centre Stay & Play Sessions for children 0-5 years on Mondays 10.00 - 12 noon. A chance to play, to participate in a planned activity, have a healthy snack and finish with a song or a story! Call 01308 421 714 for more information.
Stay & Play - Lyme Regis Children’s Centre Stay & play sessions for children 0-5 years on Mondays 1.15 - 3.00pm. Call 01297 444 076 for more information. 46 What’s On…MONDAYS (continued)
Little Acorns Toddlers - Evershot Village Hall, Mondays and Thursdays, 1.15 - 3.15pm. (Term time only) Friendly group, with indoor and outdoor space for your baby or child to play, snack included for children and home-made cake for parents/carers. £2.50 per session. www.littleacornsevershot.org or call 07752 479 900
Happy Bunnies Playgroup – Mosterton Village Hall Children 0-5yrs welcome on Mondays 1.30 - 3.00pm. Cost £1.50 per session. Please contact Kizzy on 01308 867 142 or search for “Happy Bunnies Playgroup” on Facebook for more information.
What’s On…TUESDAYS
Gym Tots (Pay as you go) Bridport Leisure Centre 9.30 - 11.00am for 0 - 5 years. Designed to widen the child’s horizon mentally, socially and physically in a challenging, fun and safe environment. Call 01308 427 464 or visit www.bridportleisure.com
Topsy Turvey Toddlers - St Andrews School, Yetminster. Tuesdays from 9.00 - 11.30am (Term time) Friendly group with large indoor space to play. Lots of craft activities, painting, cooking and lots of toys to play with. £1 per session. This includes snack and drink for the children, and homemade cake for parent or carers. For any more details call Nicky on 01935 83250.
Little Wrigglers Postnatal group – Beaminster Youth & Children’s Centre. This group for babies under 1 year old runs on Tuesdays 10.00 - 12 noon. Call 01308 861 030 for more information.
Baby Band at Axminster Christian Fellowship Church, Castle St For children from 6 months. Tuesday’s 10.30 - 11.30am . £1 per session
NCT Bridport Bumps, Babies and Beyond - Bridport Children’s Centre Our own friendly group for parents with babies and toddlers up to two years old, older siblings also welcome. Come and join our group, meet other Mums, make friends and enjoy tea and biscuits. We have a range of toys for babies and toddlers. The group runs every Tuesday during term time from 1.00 - 2.30pm. Call Dee on 07740 349 393 for more information.
Uplyme Village Hall, lunch group from newborn to pre-schoolers,1.30 - 3.00pm.
Tea & Tots at Seaton Methodist Church Tuesday afternoon 2.00 - 3.30pm , £1 per session
47 What’s On…WEDNESDAYS
Swimming Sessions Flamingo Pool, Axminster A session for young children and babies is held in the warm hydrotherapy pool on Wednesdays from 9.30 - 10.30am. Call 01297 35800 for details.
Leaps and Bounds at the Salway Ash village Hall Wednesday morning baby, mother and toddler group running 9.30 - 11.30am . The group has a wide range of toys, including a tots bouncy castle. Cost £2 to include fruit & toast for the children, and hot drinks for adults.
First Steps Toddler Group – Litton Cheney and Thorners Community Hall, School Lane. 9.45 - 11.15am. Call 01308 482 162
Bride Valley First Steps Toddler Group Meets Wednesdays 9.45 - 11.15am at the LATCH village hall in Litton Cheney. There are toys, trampoline and soft play combined with friendly faces, a good old cuppa & biscuits! Parking on site.
NCT Walk and Talk Group Walks take place every other Wednesday during term-time and alternate between routes suitable for buggies and routes that need babies and toddlers in a carrier. Usually around 2 miles – a chance to chat and get fresh air! See page 13 for details, check out Bridport & Lyme Regis NCT on Facebook or email [email protected]
Charmouth Cherubs Parent, baby and toddler group - Wednesdays in term time, 10.00 - 11:30am Charmouth Village Hall £1.50 for one child/£2 for two children to include tea/coffee, toddler activity and snack
Tots@Ten – Bradpole Parish Church 10.00 - 11:30am Tots@Ten is for under 3's and runs during term time. There are toys, ride ons and craft activities for all children to join in on. This group rounds up with story and rhyme time and a healthy snack. Donations welcome
Kilmington Toddler Group Each Wednesday 10.00 - 11.45am at Kilmington Baptist Church.
Axmouth Toddler Group Wednesday’s 10.00 –11.45 am at Axmouth Village Hall, £1. Call Lindsey 01297 21232.
48 What’s On…WEDNESDAYS (continued)
Bridport Toy Library Every Wednesday 10.00 - 12 noon, during term time at the United Church, East Street, Bridport. Creative activity materials are also available at cost price. Contact Mrs Chantler on 01308 423 250 for further information.
Young Parents Group – Bridport Children’s Centre A group for young parents, supporting each other, on Wednesdays 10.00am – 1.00pm. Call 01308 421 714.
Library Toddler Time - Bridport Library Toddler time, every Wednesdays 10.30 - 11.00am, suitable from birth to approx three years, with rhymes and songs at Bridport Library.
Precious Ones Toddler Lunch Group - Bridport Christian Fellowship Hall, Kings Square, (back of East Street car park). Wednesday 12noon - 2.30p.m. This group is for under-fives and their parent or carer. Lunch is provided for adults and children. Call 07971 767 794 for more information.
Pregnancy Yoga – Bridport Children’s Centre 1.15 - 2.45pm (term time only). Classes focus on gentle postures, breathing techniques and positions for labour and relaxation. Call 07754 628 449 for more information.
Little Wrigglers Postnatal Group – Lyme Regis Children’s Centre. This group for babies under 1 year old runs on Wednesdays 1.15 - 3.00pm. Call 01297 444 076.
Little Wrigglers – Bridport Children’s Centre 1.30 - 3.00pm. A group for parents and babies up to 9 months old, covering topics such as baby development, childcare choices, sleep routine and weaning. (Runs throughout the summer holidays)
Minster Mini’s Axminster Church Wednesday’s 2.00 – 4.00pm at . Suitable for 0-5 years, £1 per session.
49 What’s On…THURSDAYS
Tiny Tots Axe Valley Sports Centre Each Thursday 9.00 -10.00am, £2
Powerstock Stay and Play Group – Powerstock Village Hut. 9.00 - 11.00am. For under 4’s. Call 01308 420 497
Netherbury Desperados Thursday mornings, 9.30 - 11.30am at Netherbury Village Hall. The group is for under 5’s and their parents, and offers a range of toys and weekly activities such as breadmaking.
Gundry Lane Toddler Group – Bridport Youth Centre. 9.30 - 11.30am (term time only). £2 for one parent and child, 50p for each additional child. Parents, carers, childminders and grandparents all welcome.
Little Fish (Pay as you go) Bridport Leisure Centre From 10.00am – 10.30am for 0 - 36 months in the Learner Pool. An introduction to water through songs and games with the emphasis on developing water confidence. Parent/carer must accompany children in the water. Call 01308 427464 or visit www.bridportleisure.com for more details.
Musical Monkeys Seaton Every Thursday 10.00 - 11.30am at the Methodist Church Hall, Seaton.
Charmouth Stay & Play Thursdays 1.00 - 3.00pm at Charmouth Youth Centre, for children aged 0-5.
Little Acorns Toddlers - Evershot Village Hall. Mondays and Thursdays, 1.15 - 3.15pm. (Term time only) Friendly group, with indoor and outdoor space for your baby or child to play, snack included for children and home-made cake for parents/carers. It is £2.50 per session. www.littleacornsevershot.org or call 07752 479 900
Messy Church – Bridport United Church. 3.30 - 5.30pm (3rd Thursday of every month). All ages welcome. Call 01308 458 489.
50 What’s On…FRIDAYS
Gym Tots (Pay as you go) Bridport Leisure Centre 9.30 - 11.00am for 0 - 5 years. Designed to widen the child’s horizon mentally, socially and physically in a challenging, fun and safe environment. Call 01308 427 464 or visit www.bridportleisure.com
Stay & Play – Beaminster Youth & Children’s Centre Stay & Play sessions for children 0-5 years on Fridays 9.30 - 11.30am. Call 01308 861 030 for more information.
Library Story Time - Bridport Library Story time every Friday 10.30 – 11.00am for Under 5’s, aimed more towards pre-school aged children with stories & rhymes.
Munch Club Bridport Run by St Mary’s Church, the group meets on Fridays 12.30 - 2.30pm at Church House, South St, Bridport. Lunch is provided with vegetarian options, followed by fruit and tea & biscuits. There is a range of toys for toddlers, and song and story time at the end of the session. Cost (including lunch) £1.50 per adult and 50p per child.
Baby & Me – Bridport Children’s Centre Every Friday, 1.00 - 2.30pm. A baby group for breastfeeding mums and pregnant ladies, offering support if needed, but also tea and friendly chat! Run by other mums who have completed peer- support training. Call 07971 767 794 or 01308 421 714 for more information.
Stay & Play – Lyme Regis Children’s Centre. 1.15 - 3.00pm
What’s On…SATURDAYS
Saturdads - Bridport Chrildren’s Centre. This runs on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month 10am-12pm. These are sessions for Dads and male carers who may not get the chance to use the Children’s Centre during the week. A supportive environment where you and your children can play and learn together. Call the Centre on 01308 421 714 for more information.
51 What’s On…SATURDAYS (continued)
Bridport Child Contact Centre We provide a safe, happy environment for non- resident parents to meet with their children, after a separation. Parents need to complete a referral form, either themselves or through a solicitor. We are then able to ensure that contact can take place in a way which is satisfactory to both parents. We meet on the 2nd and 4th Saturday afternoon of each month, from 2.00 – 4.00pm at the Bridport Children’s Centre. All the helpers are volunteers and have been checked by the DBS. The helpers are there to support parents, and we do not write reports, and are not attached to the police or social services .We are affiliated to the National Association of Child Contact Centres (www.naccc.org.uk) If you would like more information, please contact Mish or Diana on 07792 075 972
What’s On…SUNDAYS
Gingerbread runs on the 4th Sunday of the month 10.00am - 12noon at Bridport Children's Centre. A great way to meet other single parents and make new friends. At group meetings you’ll meet people in similar situations to share experiences with. We welcome single parent families from all walks of life, whether you’re a mum, dad, carer or even a grandparent bringing up children on your own, and kids are always welcome! Call Tammy on 01308 421 714 or head to www.gingerbread.org.uk
Peace Time - Bridport For parents and young children at Quaker Meeting House, South Street, Bridport.2nd and 4th Sunday of each month. 10.30 - 11.30am A time for young children and parent(s) to share experiences, exploring the creative and spiritual side of life. Come into a friendly atmosphere of calm, where you and your child(ren) can listen in wonder to meditation bowls and rain-stick, blow and watch bubbles and listen to music to encourage peace and well-being, sharing the “Wow-effect”! Other activities: stories, games, craft and cooking. If one parent would like a bit more peace, they may like to attend “grown- up” Meeting for Worship. This will be going on at the same time, and you would be most welcome. The younger members of the family may join in from 11.20am.
Bradpole Brunch 3rd Sunday of the Month - Bradpole Village Hall 11:30 - 12:30pm. Come and enjoy delicious bacon rolls with fresh coffee or tea, fruit and soft drinks. Come and enjoy fun creative activities, story and songs for adults and children together. All Welcome!
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There are many benefits to joining a group and getting involved with the NCT. Why not take out a membership for you and your family? More details on the next page...
53 NCT and Membership
Our vision is a world in which parents are valued and supported to build a strong society, believing that a child’s early years significantly impact upon the future they help to shape.
Our charitable purpose:
We offer information and support in pregnancy, birth and early parenthood. We campaign to improve maternity care and ensure better services and facilities for new parents. We aim to give every parent the chance to make informed choices. We want to make sure that everyone has access to our services and activities.
NCT membership offers you an easy way to meet other mums and dads who are going through exactly the same thing and the good news is NCT membership costs less than £4 a month!
When you’re a member, you’ll also get exclusive access to:
Priority entry and the chance to grab a bargain at our famous NCT Nearly New Sales Our inspiring and informative quarterly parenting magazine, NCT Matters Special discounts at NCT Shop and our new Eco Range Low-cost holidays using our members only NCT family house swap holidays
Membership options: We have a range of membership options to meet your needs. One membership covers up to two people at the same address, so select the 'Joint membership' option to sign up your partner too.
18 month membership costs £48. You can opt to pay up front or just £8 per quarter by direct debit 12 month membership costs £40, or £10 per quarter by direct debit Reduced price membership is available at £10 per year. You are eligible for this if you receive Employment Support Allowance or tax credits (excluding child tax credits alone). Volunteer rate membership. For those who volunteer - NCT offer a reduced rate membership of £26 as a single payment or quarterly direct debit of £6.50 per quarter.
54 Keep Calm and Get Coordinated Deputy Branch Coordinator
We are looking for someone to support the Branch Coordinator by taking on some of her tasks. You may be asked to cover some of the following: organising volunteers and offering support, keeping up to date with activities, planning and attending Branch Meetings. So if you are the person in your group of friends who is known as the organiser and you like to help out where needed, please get in touch...we need you!
Keep Calm and Be Sociable Keep Calm and Socialise Website and Social Media Administrator Parent Support Coordinator
Do you have about an hour a week, at a Are you a people person? Organised time that suits you, to help update our and friendly? Then this could be the website and schedule Facebook posts? If role for you! We need someone to so, our branch really needs you! You wont ensure that the parent support system be asked to do more than you want to and in the branch is working well. This the role will be completely computer based means organising our groups, liaising so you don't need to attend all of our with Health Visitors and Midwives and groups, just have an idea what we do! generally being a friendly face. Training can be given if needed.
Keep Calm and Go For a Walk Keep Calm and Host a Group Walk and Talk Leaders Bumps, Babies And Beyond Host
Do you enjoy getting out of the house and Our weekly coffee meet up is taking your little one for a walk? If so, completely run by volunteers and if we would you like a few more mums and little didn't have those volunteers we ones to join you? Yes? Great! We are couldn't open the doors and provide looking for a few mums to volunteer to lead coffee for up to 20 mums each one or two walks over the coming week! Do you have a spare couple of months! You can suggest a new walk or hours once a month to help keep our lead one of our tried and tested walks on a group running? day and at a time that suits you!
Keep Calm and Raise Some Funds Keep Calm and Contact Us!!! Fundraising Coordinator What are you waiting for!
Due to only having a small number of To discuss any of these volunteers we have not had anyone to help us raise more funds or to distribute roles or other skills you the funds where needed. would like to contribute, This role would be ideal for someone please talk to us! outgoing and creative! Is this you? Contact Dee today!
Tel: 07740 349 393 Email: [email protected]
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56 Your next edition of Small Talk…
This is your newsletter and we want to hear from YOU!
The next edition of Small Talk will be the July to October 2015 issue.
Deadline for this edition is 6th June 2015
Please get in touch if you would like to contribute or advertise.
For every newsletter we need stories and recommendations from parents in OUR branch. There is no such thing as a good or bad story, only YOUR story.
If you would like to contribute an article or you have any suggestions on how we could improve this newsletter, please get in touch:
Like our Facebook page – nctbridport – to get all our news and updates!
The information in this newsletter is for the use of the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) members only in connection with NCT activities and may not be used for any commercial purpose. The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the individual and not necessarily those of the NCT or the Editors. The information in this newsletter should not be reproduced without the Editors’ consent in writing. The conditions of the Data Protection Act may apply. The appearance of an advert in this newsletter does not imply endorsement of the company or its products by the NCT, nor does it constitute a recommendation. NCT cannot be held liable for loss, damage or injury arising out of goods sold through these columns or any advertisement in this newsletter.
57 Advertise with us
Small Talk is the newsletter of Bridport and Lyme Regis NCT and it is distributed to new and expectant parents throughout our area, which covers Bridport, Lyme Regis, Axminster and Beaminster. The newsletter is distributed free through local hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, nursery schools, playgroups, childrens’ centres and shops and facilities frequented by young families, as well as our at our popular Nearly New Sales. It is published three times a year and is also available to download from the NCT website.
Advert size Price for 1 issue Price for 3 issues (1 year) Black and White ¼ page 95mm x 65mm £18 + VAT £45 + VAT ½ page 95mm x 135mm £25 + VAT £65 + VAT Full page 200mm x 135mm £40 + VAT £95 + VAT Colour inside cover – back or front ½ page 95mm x 135mm £35 + VAT £100 + VAT Full page 200mm x 135mm £60 + VAT £160 + VAT
We are also happy to create artwork for your advert if required, and request a minimum donation of £10 for this service, in recognition of the volunteer time that will go into creating your advert.
Opportunities for promotion at Nearly New Sales
Why not use our popular Nearly New Sales for additional promotion and marketing? Over 250 people attend each of our sales (buyers and sellers) which are held four times a year and there are a range of opportunities:
£10 per 100 inserts £75 for inserts into all bags at all Leaflet insertion into bags (at one sale) four sales in a 12 month period
Leaflet distribution on the door £25 per sale
Your presence at our events or Contact us to discuss your requirements… other sponsorship options
Contact Anna for all advertising enquiries Tel: 07789 963 747 Email: [email protected]
58 Children’s Centres are for everyone caring for a child under five. We offer support and information as well as fun activities for you to enjoy with your child.
Little Wrigglers Stay & Play 0 – 6 months 0 - 5 years Giving you the tools to give your Play with toys, make things, child the best start in life including have a healthy snack and finish baby development, weaning and with a song! sleep routines.
Outreach Workers Saturdads Offering you additional 0 – 5 years (older siblings welcome) support when you For dads and other male carers, a need it most. chance to play with your children Please speak to us for and eat bacon sandwiches further information.
…and lots lots more!
For more information, call us, pop in or visit our website: Beaminster Children’s Centre 01308 861 030 Bridport Children’s Centre 01308 421 714 Lyme Regis Children’s Centre 01297 444 076
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