The Little Lilypad is a lifestyle blog mostly written by a mum to two beautiful, cheeky and entertaining daughters. It is sometimes written by the Man on the Pad or by one of our baby bloggers. Occasionally we accept guest posts too. There is frequently talk of sustainable living, saving money, lifestyle and travel. It is hopefully helpful, sometimes funny and always honest.
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We have always blogged about our Water Babies journey, so when I read today that the ASA are reporting in an article that 51% of 7-11 year olds can't swim 25 metres, it made me even more delighted with our progress. You can read the article here.
So with the little one learning the "kicking" motion and happily putting her face under the water, I wanted to share once again why we love Water Babies.
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There is always a great buzz around The Baby Show at the NEC, Birmingham but is it really worth going?
I have been a the show for the past 4 years, in support of businesses, as a pregnant mum, as a new mum and today as an "expert" on the Mumsclub stand. The one thing I noticed this year was that there were more big brands at the show, than in previous years, in particular Asda had a big presence but the whole show had an overall great feel to it.
It is not always cheap to attend exhibitions like The Baby Show but there have been lots of offers around for reduced ticket prices, try the Mumsclub site for 40% off. Once inside the show, it is probably best to have a plan, otherwise you will quickly realise that you are missing some amazing stands and great deals.
Despite the fact that the floor plan isnt always clear to follow, the actual aisles are extremely spacious with lots of pushchair room, even while some of us (this may have actually been me) stood in the aisles chatting. So where are the top places to visit?
The Natal Company - The Natal Company is made up of MummyNatal, BabyNatal and DaddyNatal and they will be running classes across all three days of The Baby Show. Their ethos is to support families to have a confident, empowered and enjoyable experience into parenthood. This resonates so clearly with our own daughters birth that we highly recommend paying them a visit!
Tommee Tippee Feeding Area - This is a great space in the one corner of the show and has a private breastfeeding area and free baby food. It also has a seated area (and let me tell you, your feet will be grateful of this after a while).
Mimijumi UK - Now on the subject of breastfeeding, we found an amazing concept from Mimijumi UK. The bottle is unlike no other we have seen and as a mum who struggled to make the transition from breast to bottle, it is certainly a consideration for mums in the same situation. Replicating a mother’s nipple and breast, the innovative teat design is a key factor which creates a natural feeding and latching experience for a happier & healthier bottle fed baby. It may have raised a few eyebrows but if you are mum, you know you will try anything!
Baby Changing Area – We have all been to grotty changing rooms but the Baby Show has a large area with free nappies and free wipes ..... what is not to love??
The Fisher-Price Crèche – The Baby Show is obviously about our beautiful little ones but we all know that sometimes it is easier (and quicker) to zoom around the stands we want to go to, without worrying about a blanket or toy falling on the floor! The Fisher Price Creche looked extremely popular today though with lots of toys and things to learn whilst playing. All the staff are fully trained nursery staff and are CRB checked but our word of warning would be to book in advance or at least as early as possible!!
In terms of the stores and stands available there is a great mix from pushchairs, clothes, bibs, furniture, so if you are a pregnant mum, new mum or an experienced mum, there is something for everyone.
Our advice, make a list of what you need and "try" and stick to it!
Oh .... and maybe take some snacks as the queue for food was huge!!
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I regularly blog about our Water Babies adventures and Nanny is delighted that on this new course there is another "Nanny" joining the classes this term. She has taken great pleasure on passing on her wisdom for ease of changing and approaching the lessons (anyone would think she is a dab hand at it these days!!).
So with the little fish usually being star pupil, Nanny was a little perplexed this week to find that she wouldn't go to Kate the swimming teacher and she cried everytime she went to approach her. Now knowing my youngest daughter can be a cheeky little monkey when she chooses to be, I did wonder if she was just wanting to spend her day with Nanny or if she was feeling off colour but Kate suggested it maybe a stage of seperation anxiety.
The little fish is now fiercely independant but still needs reassurance from time to time and this is typical of seperation anxiety. I spoke with the Water Babies Midshires team and they recommend allowing the little one time to process information as they are becoming independant but do not know how to be. I suspect that this is what has happened in our case.
They also say that the early stages of child development & new experiences can also cause anxieties and consequently the "water wobbles". Things like: