Got teenage kids? Show them this...

We all know how much kids obsess over their looks, some girls actually go on to have serious health problems such as anorexia and boys have unrealistic expectations and that can lead to bullying and other demeaning behaviour towards girls.

The majority of victims here are girls BUT more and more boys suffer too.

The media presents unattainable images of models and actors but refrains from mentioning that they have been airbrushed, elongated, tucked in and even plumped up!

So yes, do promote healthy eating and exercise to your kids and teenagers... but do show them this so they can see what REALLY happens behind those photos of 'perfect' models.

Like this they can see what is natural & healthy VS so called perfect & fake!

M x

The 'Beauty' of Photoshop...

Genetic Modified Organisms (GMOs) Explained...

A 3 minute explanation about GMOs.

Abortion - At 19 Weeks... Is it a baby?

A very delicate topic, with very delicate images.

At 19 weeks a baby is already a baby, I am 'pro-life' and I have always been.
I think only in extreme situations, where there is a serious problem where the mother may loose her life at birth for example, it is only then that termination should be considered, but even then it is obviously a serious matter.

So please take care, if you don't want a baby. If you do fall pregnant by accident and really don't want the baby then give birth and give it for adoption, there are many couples that can't have a baby and would love the child like their own and give it everything.

So don't refer to the child in your tummy as a foetus and think it's ok to murder it, it really is not ok. To me it's murder, full stop.

I know someone that had a couple of abortions, because her partner didn't want kids.
Sadly her husband died and she was left with no children and lives in her home all alone. Now almost 80 years old and with a very bad heart, she feels alone and like nobody cares for her.
She regrets her decision forever. It's very sad.

Let that not be you, if you are thinking of an abortion, please don't. I beg you reconsider.

You see, even at just 19 weeks, although too little to survive outside the mother's miraculous body... A BABY is still a BABY.

Walter at 19 weeks - Lexi & Joshua's beautiful baby

Read Lexi's account of her experience meeting her baby boy here, hopefully this will give you a different perspective.

Even if this post changes just one decision and saves just one life, it's all worth it.

M x

Dear 16-year-old Me

FOR TOOLS & INFORMATION: http://dcmf.ca/tools

Melanoma destroys lives, make sure you know how to check yourself and take care.

M x

UK Air Pollution...Makes you want to move

Pollution in London

"When Justin Bieber collapsed last week at the O2 arena in London and was taken to a private clinic feeling "short of breath" and needing oxygen, the rumours started flying that he had had an asthma attack. They were denied by his management, but it would have been understandable if he had. Most of last week, London's air was heavily polluted, with many of the capital's pollution monitors recording "high" nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels as an acute photochemical smog of fumes and microscopic particles (PM) of acids, chemicals, metals and dust drifted in from the continent, mixed with London diesel exhaust and then became trapped in the still, dry air."

Read full article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/mar/19/uk-air-pollution-health-crisis

When you read the above it's easy to see why 5.4 million people in the UK are currently receiving treatment for asthma: 1.1 million children (1 in 11) and 4.3 million adults (1 in 12).

The last couple of years my children have suffered from allergic asthma but this last year the situation has become much worse, with several other allergies creeping up... prawn, lactose, milk, soya... etc!

On one of our recent visits to our family doctor, he mentioned that there was a lot of children with asthma around were we live because there are a few factories and places like that. 
I thought, wow, I have been living here for 7 years and didn't know that we were in such a high air pollution area!

That brought me to research on air pollution, I was particularly looking for a map that would show me the levels of air pollution around the UK.

The UK has some of the highest rates in Europe and on average 3 people a day die from asthma. (Source Asthma.org.uk)

This is a disgrace, considering we are one of the most developed countries in the world, you would expect people to be smarter about the environment.

"Air pollution, especially from diesel engines, is a "neglected, hidden killer" and children and old people are especially at risk, says Mudway. "There's strong evidence that if you live near main roads you will have smaller lungs," he says. "They will not reach capacity and will be stunted. When, or if, people move to a cleaner environment they still do not recover the function they lost. We have good evidence that every child born in Tower Hamlets will have a reduction in the volume of their lungs by the age of eight. The point is, people die of lung disease later on. You store up a problem that will affect you later," he says.
He lists some of the effects of polluted air. In the short term, it leads to irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, headaches, nausea, bronchitis and pneumonia. Over a longer period it can result in heart attacks and lung diseases, cancers, even damage to the brain, nerves, liver, and kidneys."

Asthma caused by Air Pollution

So yes, it's affecting people left, right and centre but people don't think of all the pollution as the cause. Most of the time they just take care of the symptoms.

I have noticed that since we have moved to my current address I have had a heck of a lot of headaches, I'm not one to have headaches at all, so I found this strange but as everyone else I just treat the headaches. Now after reading the above excerpt, I realise that may be very well a result of the pollution of where I live as I have a dual carriage way just in front of my house. 

I would love to move somewhere else, somewhere in England that it's still accessible to London but there is less pollution. I have a lot to research, but initially I was thinking of Kent. It's nothing for tomorrow but I don't intend to live where I live for the rest of my days that is for sure.

Hopefully that will help my children's allergies but in fantasy land now.... I would love to move to Australia and I was really happy to see it 3rd best country on this list of 'Countries Ranked by Air Pollution' (which is compiled from World Health Organization's Research).

We all wish the best for our children, so we think of the visible dangers around them. I think it is now time to think about the invisible ones!

I have found a cool little website 'Clean Air Kids' that has this article http://www.clean-air-kids.org.uk/doingyourbit.html for the kids, and there are also fun games, etc.

For the adults there are lots of useful tips on the EPA website here http://www.epa.gov/airquality/peg_caa/reduce.html.

Take care,
Monica x

Dad gives toddler cannabis

A super controversial topic, should marijuana be legalized?

A father in desperation gave his 2 year old son medical cannabis. An example of the risks parents take to save their children's lives: Their son Cash Hyde was diagnosed with a stage 4 brain tumour, he nearly died more times that they could count, doctors said he wouldn't make it past the night many times and then look what happened...

Because of the wonderful success with Cashy,  the whole family set up

http://www.cashhydefoundation.com

After writing this article I found out that

unfortunately little Cashy's tumour came back two years later, for full story please visit the foundation website above, but what you will read will be upsetting.

 Cashy's family soldier on helping other children with Cancer.

M x

Brain Boosters (Omega 3) Review

Brain Boosters are little capsules of orange fruit bursts, packed full of Omega 3 providing concentrated levels of essential fatty acids DHA and EPA for improved concentration and brain function.

The DHA in Omega 3 fish oil is an important component of the brain. DHA plays an essential role in brain development, and also assists in maintaining healthy brain function and levels of concentration.

We got sent a pack of Brain Boosters by Healthspan and as I must say I was very interested to try them on the kids because we had previously bought some in the supermarket to give to the kids but they were really expensive and they didn't taste very pleasantly, so once the packet finished we kind of forgot about them.

The Brain Boosters were delivered in the box the actual vitamins come in, which I found really cool as its a eco friendly way of packaging and it fits through the letter box,  kids loved these and we call them "sweetie medicine" so they know they are only allowed one a day but they taste great too.

As the kids like them so much I researched further and I found out some of the many ways DHA helps children's health:

• Supports strong cognitive function by supporting optimal neuron function
• Promotes ability to concentrate and focus
• Affects the motor control part of the brain, playing a major role in muscle function and coordination
• Supports normal social development
• Promotes appropriate behaviour
• Provides increased visual acuity

The packaging also came with a voucher to get discount off Healthspan's Children's Multivitamin Bear which I'm going to have a look at trying, I'm definitely going to order the Brain Boosters again, one months supply for a child at £9.95 is quite good considering that it includes postage.

I will be looking out to see if it does in fact improve his concentration and what not but because I still have "Baby Brain" I might order some adult ones too and see if it works for me too.

Do you already take or give your children Omega 3? Did you see a noticeable difference since taking it?

Monica x

Can you put your childs mattress in the washing machine?

No?! Why not? Far too big isn't it...

Don't you wish you could though?

You wash their clothes, their hands, their comfort blankets, their duvets, sheets and duvet covers, etc, so why not their mattresses too?

In their first two years, babies sleep for an average of 15 hours a day and spend a huge proportion of their early life in close contact with their cot mattress. However, while we excitedly choose their new pushchair or cot, we often overlook the significance of what - in terms of health - is actually the single most important purchase are are ever likely to make!

Not too long ago we researched into mattresses and the best options that are out there, one of them is without a doubt PurFlo - a unique design, which has managed to scoop various awards across the world as well as being acclaimed by leading health experts concerned with Sudden Infant Death Sydrome (SIDs) and allergies such as Asthma and Eczema.

The PurFlo mattress is the healthiest and most hygienic cot mattress available on the market today, that is why we have decided to add it to our range of mattresses on www.myfunnybunny.com, and they are now finally available.

Unlike any other mattress, the PurFlo is completely hollow with a fully breathable, chemical-free SleepSurface, which not only provides better support than a conventional mattress, but allows free air circulation helping babies to regulate their own body temperature and preventing the re-breathing of CO².

You can just throw it in the washing machine!
Washable at 60°c ensuring any spillages, fungi or nasty bacteria (which often lurk in traditional mattresses) are completely removed! Because of this it is safe to pass down to younger siblings - a great bonus for your pocket and the environment in view of the fact that around 600,000 baby mattresses go to landfill every year!

Recently awarded Gold in the 2010 Practical Pre-School awards with one of the highest overall scores of 97.3%, testers commented: "PurFlo is amazing! How great to have a cot mattress which can be washed in the machine and tumble-dried. We really like the fact that dust mites would be greatly reduced for babies with allergies and the hollow nature of the mattress means that babies keep cooler and also prevents them from rolling onto their front. It reduces parents' worries about cot death and is perfect for travelling too as you just fold it up and take it with you. Top marks!"

You can find out more about this amazing mattress here and and purchase it from www.myfunnybunny.com

Top 10 tips for a better nights sleep

Did you know that more than 10 million people in the UK suffer from insomnia*? That’s almost a fifth of the country’s population...and I bet all of those are parents!

Last week I didn't have such a great time sleeping so my husband kindly offered to give me a nice massage and who am I to say no to a no strings attached massage?? Nobody that is who!!

My dear husband has a broken toe so for his comfort he gave me a back massage while we were both laying on the bed which meant I had to switch sides to get both my shoulders massaged. This resulted in me falling asleep on his pillow and I had a lovely night's sleep!

In the morning I figured that our pillows had been switched since we had changed the bed, so my problem all along was that I had the wrong pillow, something as simple as that!

Monica x

If you are having trouble sleeping you can can try these top 10 tips to getting a better nights sleep:

1. Always get up at the same time - even at the weekend.
It might seem like you need a lie in to make up for the sleep you haven’t got, but to break a cycle of sleeping problems you need to train your body into a good sleeping pattern.

2. Avoid catnaps during the day. It’ll only make it harder to get into good sleeping habits.

3. Replace caffeine and alcohol with hot milky drinks. Alcohol won’t help you sleep properly. If you are having trouble cutting out caffeine, set yourself a time in the day past which you don’t have it.

4. Unwind with a hot bath and lavender bubbles. Both will aid sleep by helping you feel more relaxed.

5. Exercise during the day. Exercising at night will actually make you more awake and you’ll find it harder to get to sleep.

6. Get to bed at the same time every night. It’ll help your body prepare itself for sleep.

7. Make your bedroom a shrine to sleep. No TV, no reading.

8. Alleviate your worries. Try writing them down before you go to bed.

9. Invest in a decent bed. You spend a third of your life in it!

10. Don’t lie there frustrated. If you can’t sleep, get up and do something for a while.

If you are one of the many people who suffer from sporadic or regular sleeplessness, then new Kalms Night One-A-Night natural remedy could help restore your natural sleep patterns and offer relief from disturbed nights. It contains dry extract of the herb valerian, which is often used to help relieve stress, anxiety and sleeplessness due to its natural sedative qualities. As the product is herbal there are no drowsy side effects the next day, allowing you to wake feeling refreshed and ready to tackle work, chores or children!

Kalms Night One-A-Night is available in blister packs containing 21 tablets (RRP £4.99).
It is not recommended for children under the age of 18 or for use while pregnant or breastfeeding, for further information on natural remedies visit www.laneshealth.com.
*TGI Q3 data, covering April 2009 to March 2010
Image: graur codrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Plum Baby Organic Snacks Review

Last week I woke up (mighty early) with the postie delivering me a box full of yummy Plum Baby food!
I was delighted with the selection and couldn't wait for the kids to try it :)

We tried...



Multigrain Rings with Gouda & Cheddar
We only had a packet of these and as a result a lot of "it's mine!" and "Da da da da" *baby talk* and me *stealing* it on the sly from the kids (sshhh... don't tell anyone!).

The kids loved to pop their little fingers in the whole in the middle to eat them so it was a whole lot of fun and laughter eating these too!

These are a great alternative to all the other cheesy puffs that are full of nonsense and make your kids hyper. I love the ingredients, simple, organic, and with grains like quinoa and teff which you would normally not be able to get your little ones to eat :)

Organic corn 66%
Organic palm oil 10%
Organic Gouda cheese powder 7%
Organic Cheddar cheese 5%
Organic quinoa 4%
Organic teff 4%
Organic rice 4%

Not forgetting these totally gluten free too, so easy on those sensitive tummies!

Spelt Breadsticks with tomato and herbs & Spelt Breadsticks with mild Pecorino cheese

These came in a little box with 3 sealed packets inside, this is a great idea because I could pack an individual packet in my bag for when we went out.

For those that don't know spelt is the 'original' wheat, its what our ancestors ate back in the bronze age! Spelt contains more protein than wheat, and the protein in spelt is easier to digest. This means that some people who are allergic to wheat may be able to tolerate spelt. ( I learnt this in my days working as Manager in an organic haven Planet Organic)

Both of these were tasty, yummy and the kids loved them too!! Ok ok so I "stole" some of these too... guilty as charged! lol (Great with hummus by the way ;) )

And both again with simple and healthy ingredients:

Tomato & Herb
Organic wheat flour 46%
Organic spelt flour 28%
Organic wholemeal wheat flour 19%
Organic tomato powder 2%
Organic extra virgin olive oil 2%
Yeast 1%
Sea Salt 0.7%
Organic herbs 0.6% (rosemary 0.5%, oregano 0.1%)

Pecorino Cheese

Organic wheat flour 46%
Organic spelt flour 27%
Organic wholemeal wheat flour 18%
Organic mild Pecorino cheese 5%
Organic extra virgin olive oil 2%
Yeast 1.5%
Sea salt 0.5%

These are for 12+ months so the salt in it is minimal and it didn't bother me, love the fact it has olive oil in it as its beneficial and we use it a lot in our house.

Savoury Bakes with carrot & Savoury Bakes with Parmesan

These are big packets with 4 little packets inside, again this was handy to put in my bag for days out and also very handy for Funny Bunny's preschool lunch boxes, he is a very fussy eater but these went down a treat!

Hidden in the carrot ones is carrot juice, broccoli and fennel which are things that my fussy eater won't always pick up, he hasn't even ever touched fennel, so it's nice to see them in there also pleasing to see that they have vitamin B1 in there too.

Carrot Bakes

Organic spelt wheat flour 35%
Organic wholegrain wheat flour 35%
Organic spelt syrup 8%
Organic sunflower oil 8%
Organic palm oil 7%
Organic carrot juice concentrate 5%
Organic broccoli 2%
Raising agent sodium bicarbonate
Organic fennel
Thiamin (Vitamin B1)

Again, nice to see spring onion and vitamin B1 in there.

Parmesan Bakes

Organic spelt wheat flour 36%
Organic wholegrain wheat flour 35%
Organic spelt syrup 9%
Organic sunflower oil 8%
Organic cheese 7% (Levanto hard cheese 5%, Parmesan cheese 2%)
Organic palm oil 4%
Organic spring onion 1%
Raising agent sodium bicarbonate
Thiamin (Vitamin B1)

So that is it for the snacks! We will let you know about the Plum Baby food we also got soon.

Pros: 

• Tasted great!
• No nonsense ingredients
• Organic
• Hidden veggies & super grains
• Handy packaging

Cons:

• Outer packet of the savoury bakes could be made of fsc certified paper/ cardboard instead of plastic

I also learnt that these are great healthy snacks for adults too, so when you go and buy some for the kids do them a favour and buy a packet for you too so you dont "steal" from the kids packets like I did!!!

These are stocked in most UK supermarkets and health food stores, you can also get them directly from www.plum-baby.co.uk

If you want to be a Plum Mum or apply to be a Plum Super Mum too go here an put my name in the code box Monica Strydom and you too can reveive special offers in their newsletters and get some free goodies by being a Plum Super Mum too! ;) 

Monica xx

Plum Super Mum ;)

Support for Special Parents: Four Ways to Reach Out and be a Cheerleader

Despite all the wonders of modern medicine and scientific research no direct cause or cure has yet been discovered for autism. As a result, the prevalence of autism continues to rise at an alarming rate. With some sources stating that as many as 1 in 91 children are being affected, everyone is bound to know of a family or a child with autism.

Parenting is tough enough as it is. Just think of all the times you wished for an extra helping hand or a kind comment. Now take a parent of a child on the autism spectrum and double that, maybe even triple it. Half the battle of parenting a child with autism is having a big enough cheering section to pull from when you need it. Won’t you consider being a part of some mom or dad’s cheering squad?

The next time you meet or hear of someone who has a child on the autism spectrum, be brave and take action. And remember that assisting families who are dealing with challenging circumstances should not be a time limited endeavor but a year round effort. If you know a parent with a child on the autism spectrum and want to help but aren’t sure what to do here are four ways to show your support:

• 
  
  Make Contact – Whether the mom you know is a relative, friend, neighbor or coworker give her a call, send her a card, an email or a text message offering supportive words. If you are inclined to give a gift, consider a contribution of your time by offering to do some errands or cook a meal.
• 
  
  Offer respite – If you know how exhausting being a parent of a typical child can be - try doubling or tripling it – and you will get a feel for what it is like to parent an autistic child. Extend an invitation to watch or entertain your friend’s, neighbor’s, relative’s autistic child even if it is just for 15 or 30 minutes. Providing a short break from the hyper vigilance these parents have to practice every hour of the day can be the most beneficial thing you can do for them.
• 
  
  Gain some understanding – Do some research or reading on the subject of autism so you can acquire more of an appreciation of what it is like for parents to have a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The more informed you are about autism, the more likely you are to feel comfortable around autistic children and offer a helping hand.
• 
  
  Share resources - When you come across new information, ideas and supportive resources, about autism, don’t assume the parent already has this information - share it with them. Don’t worry that you may be duplicating information, hearing something twice never hurt anyone but not helping them stay abreast of beneficial services might.

Still hesitant? If you need a nudge to get you moving in the right direction just picture yourself in their shoes. A short investment of your time supporting a parent of a child with autism will be well worth the effort when you sense the relief they feel and see that glowing smile blossom across their face.

Imagine less worries and concerns as a parent, especially a parent of a child on the Autism spectrum... and more happiness and joyful times as a family. That’s what you get when you have the support of Connie Hammer, expert parent educator and coach. For more than twenty years, this licensed social worker has worked with families to create opportunities that open possibilities for more love, more fun and more contentment, regardless of disability. To find out how she can help you take your parenting to the next level visit her website at http://www.parentcoachingforautism.comor sample her free ecourse.

The dangers of Aspartame - it's in your food!

Would you like some cancer? Mmm Delicious...

These days most of us eat ready prepared foods, even if you cook your meals at home you still eat chocolates, yoghurts, cool drinks, etc... those are all ready prepared for you just to "unwrap and eat".

Well, if you want a chocolate you are very unlikely to buy a bar of 80% cocoa and make your own chocolate... most of us don't know how to, let alone have the time!!

The problem is not everyone reads labels... let alone know to recognise all or most of the "baddie" ingredients in our foods!! One of them is Aspartame, I'm sure many of you have heard of this sweetener that is present in loads of foods, especially diet and children's foods... 


Ever wondered why that diet chocolatey bar or dessert is still so yummy and sweet? Or why that sweet kids food or drink says 'No Sugar'? Chewing Gum... Look at the label... Its probably got Aspartame in it!!


Some of you may be thinking..."So what?!? Whats the big deal!?"
Well you may just be serving up Cancer or Brain Tumours on a "plate"...


Did you know that the scientific tests they did at the time they approved this food in the USA were flawed and fraudulent, how test animals died with cancer and brain tumours and they did not investigate into their deaths? That the animals where administered antibiotics while under testing.... mmmm how scientific!!! 


Oh well... you might just want to lay off it... I hope this little video helps!
It starts with a Coca Cola advert... a very popular drink...



If you want to go into it a bit more...
  












Please feel free to let me know your thoughts on this matter.

M xxx

Innocent Get the fruit & veg into the kids chart!

By now you should know that I absolutely adore Innocent smoothies... for the kids... for us... yes I am totally addicted!

Anyways I am totally devout to their newsletters and you should be too... go to www.innocentkids.com

Today I came across their new poster / chart whatever you wanna call it, full of cool ideas to get your kids eating more fruit and veg!

You can pop over to their website to print it out and to have a look at all the other cool stuff they have on there too.

Enjoy!

Monica x

Anyone with diabetes?

I thought this was really interesting and wanted to share it with you...

I am not diabetic myself but have family that is.
I saw this on Dr Mercola's website, the full article can be found here




What do you think?


Monica xx

Say no to bottled WATER?!? I say no!

Are you tapped?

Mums on the run

British mums are on the go for an average of three hours every day before they have even reached work, research from Hovis reveals.

Cramming in a range of activities such as ironing, making the bed and styling their children’s hair means that working mums are on the go from the moment they get up, with 60% of women admitting that their day is well underway by 7am, and rarely slows until they go to bed just before 11pm. Indeed, the average working mum uses around 500 calories simply undertaking her pre-work chores and getting the family ready, the equivalent to over one hour on a bike!

Alarmingly, despite their action-packed schedules, a quarter of working mums (25%) admit that they regularly forgo breakfast; whilst 59% of those that eat it, spend less than five minutes doing so and 32% don’t even sit down. Despite many missing breakfast themselves, British mums are spending an average of 18 minutes preparing breakfast or lunch for their families before work. It would appear that British mums really don’t have time for themselves, with the average spending just over six minutes on her own make-up in the morning and instead put the family first, spending 28 minutes dressing their children, styling their hair and helping them to clean their teeth.

Almost half of mums (48%) cite a lack of time as a reason to skip breakfast, whilst almost one in seven do so to lose weight.  Of all the women questioned 86% admitted snacking in the morning in a bid to stave off hunger, with 44% of the snacks they were turning to being unhealthy such as cakes or pastries, crisps , chocolate bars, and biscuits.

Hovis nutritionist Lindsey Ormond, warns against the perils of going to work on an empty stomach, saying “With the average mum on the go for three hours before work, a healthy, filling breakfast is even more important. Skipping breakfast could mean they are more likely to snack on something unhealthy mid morning in order to keep them going. Many mums do have to keep an eye on the clock in the morning, but factoring in an extra five minutes to eat a couple of slices of wholemeal toast would certainly help power their morning.  Not only is wholemeal bread low in fat and sugars, but it is also high in fibre which helps you feel fuller for longer so you may be less likely to reach for those unhealthy snacks.”  

This research was conducted ahead of the Hovis Wholemeal Breakfast Week which launches on 12^th April, fronted by Olympic Cyclist Victoria Pendleton. As a top athlete and having studied nutrition at University, Victoria really understands the importance of breakfast and always makes sure she starts her day with a healthy and filling option.

Victoria says “A substantial breakfast is a vital part of my training so I make sure I never skip it.  I can't perform at my best either physically or mentally without a good start to the day and I would certainly not be able to achieve my long term training goals.  It is easy to forget that rushing around after the family can be a workout in itself. The temptation when working to a busy schedule is to neglect yourself, but my advice would be to make the time for a healthy and filling breakfast like 2 slices of Hovis Wholemeal Toast with a light spreading of peanut butter topped with a sliced banana to help you avoid turning to unhealthy snacks before lunch. For more of my healthy breakfast ideas and further information about Hovis Wholemeal Breakfast Week, log on to www.hovisbakery.co.uk.”

How true this is, most of the weight I have put on is because of skipping meals, did you know when you skip meals your body goes into "fat storage mode" for survival... so yes not a great idea to skip meals & then eat chocolate (like this morning :( ! )

I guess I'll try and have fruit or a sandwich instead!!!

Monica xx

Avoid These 7 Foods and You're Off To A Healthier New Year

Avoid These 7 Foods and You're Off To A Healthier New Year

Great list of foods that you should ideally avoid to be healthier in 2010. I found this very interesting and wanted to share this with you!

Monica xx

Swine Flu

We all know about the swine flu and specially us with little ones indoors are mortified by it!

My 3 year old son has been sick since about Thursday with fever, he's been getting better with Nurofen for kids but eventually the fever creeps back...he then started getting some phlem, a cough and a sore throat.

I have given him Nurofen, Calpol, some sweeties and syrup for his throat.
This morning he was burning up with fever again so I though I better call NHS Direct Helpline to get some advice.

So indeed I did and explained everything, they asked me some questions and then advised me to call the Pandemic Helpline. When I did they also asked me some questions and at the end they gave me a reference number to go and get the Tamiflu capsules for my son from the local swine flu clinic.

I went running like mad to get the capsules leaving my son and my 7 wk old baby girl with my grandparents (left on tip toes so my son wouldn't notice I left otherwise there would be crying galore!).

To my luck when I get there (out of breath and looking like I'm homeless lol) they tell me that I need the ID of both me and my son, which I didn't have!
So here I go again, running like mad to get home and pick up our ID's and back again... All this stressing about my son and my daughter because if she woke up she would need breast feeding and she was already asleep for 4 hours so she could wake up any min!
When I got there luckily there was no one in front so I got served straight away and ran back home again like a mad woman!
Luckily my little one was still asleep and I managed to give my son the medication mixed with a spoonful of yoghurt.

As you imagine I am absolutely terrified, not only for my son but for my 7 wk old girl too. On top of that my family has all been in contact with my son while sick and my untie is currently in labour!

I pray that everything and everyone will be fine and thank all my Twitter followers for all their support so far.

I will let you know what happens.

Monica xxx