I was very lucky to be offered a variety of maternity pillows whilst I was pregnant, some recommending benefits for the dreaded SPD, others talking about ease of breastfeeding, so we (and I mean the whole family) have put them to the test. So let the pillow fight commence ...

Theraline Maternity Pillow

The key points noted from Theraline is that this maternity and nursing pillow gives you stable support during your pregnancy, relief for legs, belly and a stressed back, easy to change sleeping positions, safely molds to baby’s body and it gives you amazing back support. I was genuinely surprised at how big this pillow is, it is definately the "daddy" of the nursing pillows and I really wanted to use it in bed at night whilst I was pregnant but dissapointingly my SPD meant that I couldnt get comfortable with anything, including this pillow, it was simply too big. This is not to say that the pillow hasnt been used, my eldest daughter has adopted it in her bedroom and it is great to sit her baby sister in, when we are all reading in the bedroom. It wraps around her easily, leaving her safe and comfortable. Verdict: Big Sisters favourite!For more details go to http://www.theraline.co.uk/ 

Floppeze Support Pillow

The Floppeze is a uniquely designed pillow that has multiple uses throughout the developing years from pregnancy support, feeding, sitting, travel and more.  I was extremely excited that the Floppeze claims to be an especially good support for women who suffer with SPD, so I was ready and raring to try this out! My pelvis however had other ideas and decided that it was going to be a complete pain (!!) and not be eased by anything. I have concluded that this is more a reflection on my body rather than the design or abilities of any of the pillows tested. We all absolutely LOVE the design of this pillow, it appeals to children (young and old) with its "cow" design and has been a godsend as the little one has got bigger as it has been used to support her development through tummy time and learning to sit unaided. I think out of all of the pillows, this is the one that will last after the baby stage, it will be a neck support on long journeys and with its cheeky face, its like having a new pet! Verdict : Daddy's favourite.

For more details go to http://www.bibsandstuff.co.uk/

Boppy Pillow

The use of a maternity or nursing pillow isnt all about asthetics and whether it looks nice in your lounge or your nursery, there is medial research that we have been supplied, courtesy of Boppy Pillow, which explains how the pillow helps with correct positioning for feeding.

Professor Guido Moro, Director at the Neonatology Operating unit and Neonatal Intensive Care unit at the Macedonio Melloni Hospital in Milan, explains: “At the beginning, it’s normal for the strong sucking of the baby to elongate the nipple and the areola tissues, which causes a certain amount of discomfort. When the baby is not positioned correctly, this will cause harsh tugging at the nipples which can lead to severe discomfort and pain to both the nipples and the breasts; over time this can even cause painful cracks and chaps,which take time to heal.” 

Quite recently I was told about "a friend of a friend" who had written their car off swerving to avoid a rabbit in the road. My other half said that unfortunately he would not have swerved for the rabbit because this would be endangering our children in the car and other vehicles on the road. He has a no swerve policy. But what if that rabbit was infact a child in the road? (and I dont mean a child dressed as a rabbit - just to avoid any confusion).

My children are a gift and its my responsibility to keep them safe. It got me thinking and as many parents do, your instinct is always to protect your children but what if the natural instinct is to swerve out of the way and inadvertently put your own children in danger? What then? Where we live, there are very often animals in the road and only last week a Peacock decided to take a stroll out in the road so a blantant no swerve policy would end up at the detriment of many beautiful creatures.

I go round and round in circles with this as my childrens safety is ultimately more precious than the rabbit who is trying to cross the road (I now wait for the animal activists to slate me for this comment) but this is not to say I dont care about the safety and welfare of our local wildlife .... but again, what if this were a child crossing the road?

I once had a holiday in the Isle of Wight and got extremely fed up of their "20 is plenty" speed limit signs but maybe speed is the culprit here, not the driver or the rabbit ...... maybe its about having a lighter foot on the accelerator pedal and rather than swerve out of the way, be in a position to do an emergency stop?

I am sure it is a debate that will generate many differing opinions .... so what is your swerve policy? Would you swerve to save the rabbit?

There is nothing nicer than receiving an email that is headed "Congratulations! You've made the shortlist!"

As many of our regular readers know, I love to ramble, write or blog, whatever you may call it and I do it because I love it, not to be controversial, more to be conversational as like most women I know, I love to chat. My blog lets me share information for fellow parents, anecdotes from my gorgeous children and great competitions.

Everything I do, comes from the heart of my family to inspire other women that if you really want it, are prepared to work for it (and be exhausted along the way) you really can have whatever you desire.

The shortlisted nominees have been put onto the Women Inspiring Women National Awards website, and the winners in each category will now be decided by votes from the public vote. So if you enjoy reading my blog, I would love your vote, just click on the link. (it only takes a minute - I promise) xx

Voting now closed 

So today we have traipsed around the Baby Show at the NEC wondering what delights will grab our attention but the first thing that struck me this year is that it is so baby friendly. This may sound like a bonkers comment, given the name of the show, but in comparison to other exhibitions, the aisles were wide enough for a number of pushchairs to get through, there were free nappies in the baby changing area and free baby food courtesy of Plum Baby. Having worked at the Baby Show before and not actually walked round with a baby, I was pleasantly surprised at how much it catered to the little people not just the mummy and daddy shoppers!!

So, where to go .....

The Baby Show is such a huge show, it is good to have a plan, to here is our round up of some of the deals on offer and great people to visit:

Fisher Price - Stand G4

For the first time ever, Fisher Price are offering a huge 25% discount at the Baby Show this year, so its a great time to test out the products and buy them at a fantastic discount.  The Fisher Price team are on hand to give help and guidance and as we are huge fans of Fisher Price on the Lilypad, tell them we sent you!

Prima Baby - Stand N15

You can visit the Prima Baby stand where you will get a free goody bag when you purchase two issues of Prima Baby magazine for just £2 (RRP £2.80). Or you can subscribe to receive 12 issues of Prima Baby magazine (RRP £33.60), and get a free Tommee Tippee gift (choice of 5 gifts), all for just £20 – saving you a whopping £43.60!

SnoozeShade - Stand L14

We know the owner of Snoozeshade and she is a genuinely lovely lady and ever since the mini frog was born we have been meaning to invest in a Snoozeshade, so we were delighted to find that the Original Snoozeshade was on offer at £15, instead of £20 at the Baby Show today. The multi-award-winning SnoozeShades are the proven breathable sleep and shade solutions for families on-the-go. Designed by Cara and endorsed by experts, they block 94% of light, provide UPF50+ sun protection, offer universal fit, are lightweight - and parents love them .... we cant wait to try ours!

Bras for Mums - Stand H15

Having been fitted for a Bra by the lovely TJ after the mini frog was born, it was great to see a buzz around the stand today. TJ has a special offer for the show, Buy 1 get 1 half price Seren Maternity & Nursing Clothes. They are an innovation in maternity and nursing clothing saving you money with clever fabrics and styling. Available from bras4mums. Cheapest item half price.

Mamascarf - Stand K30

We love our Mamascarf and couldnt get to talk to Kiera as there was so many people around the stand. However, we do know that they are offering a great show deal of Mamascarf breastfeeding scarf £15 or twin pack for £25 (RRP £17.99) Babasac multi tog baby sleeping bag £30 (RRP from £37.99-£39.99). Mamascarf is a simple but stylish solution to discreet breastfeeding.

Gumigem - Stand C16

If you have a teething baby, you need a Gumigem. This isnt an expert opinion, its a mums advice to hold onto your sanity and your jewellery! We didnt get chance to talk to Jenny from Gumigem but we do know that if you are fans of them on facebook, there is a deal to be had .... you just have to go and find it.

The Baby Show really is a whole day out for the family, the children are catered for and mum can even have a massage or her nails done. My other half's complaint about the whole day ...... well aside from having to carry all the bags, was that there is nothing to pamper the men. Maybe thats our recommendation for next year!

Have fun!!