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  • Car seat with one hand? 5 signs you’ve officially nailed motherhood

    Car seat with one hand? 5 signs you’ve officially nailed motherhood

    Brought to you by Aldi. Women are famously good at multi-tasking, but mothers develop actual superpowers. You mightn’t wear a latex catsuit with a big ‘M’ on the front but the trial and error of early motherhood have honed your skills to optimal efficiency and you are amazing. 1. You’re way past doing things with […]

    9 years ago

  • 5 touching alternatives if you’re not too keen on christening your baby

    5 touching alternatives if you’re not too keen on christening your baby

    Brought to you by Aldi. In an increasingly secular Ireland, many parents are looking for alternatives to traditional religious celebrations. With the fear of Limbo quashed by the Vatican itself in 2007, and high infant mortality no longer a concern in the modern age, many people wait months or even years to formally name their […]

    9 years ago

  • Car-travel with your little one: how to manage if they just HATE it

    Car-travel with your little one: how to manage if they just HATE it

    Brought to you by Aldi. If your baby hates the car, you’re in for a white-knuckle ride. It’s hard enough to concentrate on the road without glass-shattering screams behind you, so here are six tops tips to help you travel in sanity and safety. 1. Introduce the car seat at home, letting baby sit and […]

    9 years ago

  • Babies’ love of looking at faces develops while they’re still in the womb

    Babies’ love of looking at faces develops while they’re still in the womb

    Babies’ preferences for looking at faces develops while they are still in the womb. Child development researchers have long known that infants are more interested in looking at faces than other objects. Now, brand new research published in Current Biology has shown that this preference for faces actually develops in the womb. By projecting light through the […]

    9 years ago

  • Are you raising a bilingual child? Scientists have more good news…

    Are you raising a bilingual child? Scientists have more good news…

    Children who speak two languages have even more of a cognitive advantage than was previously thought. Brand new findings from New York University’s school of culture, education, and human development have shown that bilingual children process voice information quicker than kids who only speak one language. The research, published in the journal Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, […]

    9 years ago

  • Boxes, spatulas and the other unusual items your kids love

    Boxes, spatulas and the other unusual items your kids love

    You can buy every toy and educational gadget in the store, but your toddler will more than likely develop an obsession with the cardboard box it came in. Am I right? My daughter used to sleep with the remote control and my youngest shuns lego and blocks in favour of curtain rings and an old […]

    9 years ago

  • Findings reignite SIDS debate about where babies should sleep

    Findings reignite SIDS debate about where babies should sleep

    Last October, the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) released a new policy statement advising that babies should sleep in the same room as their parents but in their own cot for the first year of their life, in order to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Despite the AAP’s recommendations, room sharing between babies and mothers beyond […]

    9 years ago

  • Huge study debunks myths about preemies’ educational outcomes

    Huge study debunks myths about preemies’ educational outcomes

    A large-scale study of 1.3 million babies has shown that educational outcomes for premature babies are more promising than was previously believed. Although many mums and dads of preemies worry that their children might struggle in school, findings from a new large-scale study – published yesterday – should reassure parents. Researchers from the Institute for Policy Research […]

    9 years ago

  • Bye bye trampoline: the lowdown on pregnancy incontinence

    Bye bye trampoline: the lowdown on pregnancy incontinence

    That awkward pregnancy moment when you laugh, cough, sneeze and pee all at the same time. During the nine (long) months of pregnancy, women’s bodily functions undergo many significant changes and the urinary system is sadly no exception. The uterus, which rests on the bladder, dramatically increases in size and weight over the 40 weeks. In […]

    9 years ago

  • Doctors say mums are being ‘over-prescribed’ pain relief after c-sections

    Doctors say mums are being ‘over-prescribed’ pain relief after c-sections

    Although many of us who have had a Caesarean section birth might argue otherwise, a leading medical research centre in the US says that women are being sent home with more pain relief medications than they really need. A new study from Vanderbilt University Medical Centre has shown that most women who have a c-section are […]

    9 years ago

  • Breastfeeding for 6 months or longer protects against liver disease

    Breastfeeding for 6 months or longer protects against liver disease

    Australian researchers have found yet another benefit to breastfeeding for six months or more. New findings, published in the Journal of Hepatology., have shown that babies who are breastfed for less than six months before starting infant formula are much more likely to develop non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as teenagers. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is […]

    9 years ago

  • The best Dublin restaurants for a romantic date night

    The best Dublin restaurants for a romantic date night

    Michelle and Barack Obama famously kept their ‘date night’ alive despite the stresses and strains of being the President and First Lady, having kids, and living in the public eye. Even science says that you should make the effort. According to a study by the Marriage Foundation, couples who go on a date night just once a […]

    9 years ago

  • Cut down your carbs tonight: 3 ways with sweet potato

    Cut down your carbs tonight: 3 ways with sweet potato

    All for the love of sweet potato.  Not only do they have a lower carb content than regular spuds, sweet potatoes also contain more vitamin C. A win-win situation.  The average Irish daily consumption of fruit and veg is only 3.2 of the recommended five servings, so that give number a boost this week with these […]

    9 years ago

  • Celebrities who have spoken about their struggles to conceive

    Celebrities who have spoken about their struggles to conceive

    Millions of people around the world have problems conceiving and throughout the years many celebrities have been outspoken about their struggles with failed IVF attempts and miscarriages. In the hope of encouraging other women to keep on trying these celebrities have spoken about their experiences and their disappointments. Brooke Shields Prior to her daughter Rowan’s […]

    9 years ago

  • Your baby at 33 weeks pregnant: Week-by-week guide to development

    Your baby at 33 weeks pregnant: Week-by-week guide to development

    Welcome to week 33 of your pregnancy! This week, your baby is as big as a celery stick. Here’s what else you can expect this week. You You might describe yourself as ‘fed up’ at this point, or you could still be loving your bump and your glow – either way, you’re not the only […]

    9 years ago

  • An expert has shared some of the top causes of infertility in women

    An expert has shared some of the top causes of infertility in women

    According to Eurostat, women in Ireland, on average, wait until they’re 30 to have babies. And chances are they only start thinking about conception at that time. But, according to Alan B. Copperman, medical director of Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York, women need to be mindful of their fertility in the years that precede […]

    9 years ago

  • 5 tips to reduce back and pelvis pain during pregnancy

    5 tips to reduce back and pelvis pain during pregnancy

    If you are suffering from any pregnancy-related condition, it’s super-important to visit your local women’s health Physiotherapist, but in the meantime, there are loads of things you can do to ease pain and discomfort. We chatted to women’s health Physio, Deborah Fernandez, from PhysioFit Woman, who specialises in pregnancy and post-pregnancy physio and physiolates. Here […]

    9 years ago

  • Family day out? Taste of Dublin is back and better than ever

    Family day out? Taste of Dublin is back and better than ever

    Brought to you by Taste of Dublin. We’ve been waiting for this for months. No, not the summer holidays…Taste of Dublin of course. The massive festival is returning to Iveagh Gardens from the 15th-18th June and it looks like it’s going to be its best year yet. This year’s theme is ”Celebrating the Flavours of […]

    9 years ago

  • These factors might make you more likely to have twins

    These factors might make you more likely to have twins

    Do you know any sets of twins or have some in your family? Or maybe you have your fingers crossed that you’ll be welcoming two pairs of tiny feet rather than one. Twins can either be identical (meaning they develop from just one zygote that splits and forms two embryos) or fraternal (meaning they develop […]

    9 years ago

  • Your baby at 31 weeks pregnant: Week-by-week guide to development

    Your baby at 31 weeks pregnant: Week-by-week guide to development

    Welcome to week 31 of your pregnancy! This week, your baby is as big as a bunch of asparagus. Here’s what else you can expect this week. Your baby Your baby, now around 41 centimetres long and weighing about 1.5 kilograms, is working hard to prepare for the outside world. Their immune system is getting […]

    9 years ago

  • Toys have taken over my house and I’m taking a stand

    Toys have taken over my house and I’m taking a stand

    So many toys, so little space. With three little people living in our house, I can’t walk without stepping on a piece of brightly-coloured plastic. I can’t sit on the sofa without being stabbed in the arse by a pink unicorn. Toys have now invaded my personal space to a level only seen on Extreme […]

    9 years ago

  • Can we all please remember how lonely motherhood can be?

    Can we all please remember how lonely motherhood can be?

    I’m breaking the taboo: motherhood is lonely. The lucky ones – the mamas with sisters, cousins, friends, and even work colleagues who had babies at the same time as they did – won’t know what I’m talking about. But, for those of us who sat alone in a play centre, mother and baby group, or […]

    9 years ago

  • 5 emotions we ALL go through when our baby smiles for the first time

    5 emotions we ALL go through when our baby smiles for the first time

    Brought to you by Aldi. So you’re wrecked. Total sleep deprivation; vomit in your hair; endless nappy changes and wondering how the hell you’re going to keep it together. Then your baby smiles for the first time, and in an instant, it’s all worth it. Not that newborn’s reflex ‘smile’ – that’s involuntary neurological activity […]

    9 years ago

  • Older mums’ age is not the real cause of increased birth risks

    Older mums’ age is not the real cause of increased birth risks

    Advanced maternal age doesn’t appear to be the cause of increased birth risks. The average age of women becoming mums has been rising for decades in high income countries. A number of scientific studies have found that among mothers 35 or older, there is an increased risk that their babies will be born preterm (less than […]

    9 years ago

  • Major breakthrough in link between fibroids and miscarriage

    Major breakthrough in link between fibroids and miscarriage

    Important new findings from a decade long study, have altered traditional medical thinking that uterine fibroids cause miscarriages. The results of the 10-year-study, led by Vanderbilt University Medical Centre’s professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Katherine Hartmann, were published yesterday in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Fibroids are common benign uterine masses that can distort the external […]

    9 years ago

  • Kids learn what they live: disciplining without punishment

    Kids learn what they live: disciplining without punishment

    Sometimes consequences are necessary, but beware what messages you’re actually sending to your child. Despite outward appearances, punishments are not the best way to correct or teach children. Punishing a child for bad behaviour or a misdemeanour does not teach him or her what they did wrong, only that if they do X, they will be […]

    9 years ago

  • Early onset puberty hits learning ‘switch’ in girls’ brains

    Early onset puberty hits learning ‘switch’ in girls’ brains

    Many young girls are entering the first stage of puberty as early as eight years of age. Now, scientists say that puberty hormones might have educational implications. New findings from the University of California, Berkeley, has revealed for the first time how puberty hormones might impede some aspects of learning in children. Linda Wilbrecht, an associate […]

    9 years ago

  • App aims to close the gap in postnatal support for new parents

    App aims to close the gap in postnatal support for new parents

    A nursing research team in Singapore have developed a unique mobile app that provides much needed postnatal support for new mums and dads. A nursing studies team from the National University of Singapore’s school of medicine have developed a mobile app to deliver postnatal educational programmes and provide postnatal supportive care on the go. Findings from […]

    9 years ago

  • I don’t want my name on a coffee cup (or any other forced intimacy)

    I don’t want my name on a coffee cup (or any other forced intimacy)

    Can I have a triple-venti-soy-no-foam-latte without the fake intimacy please? So, we’re all aware that there is a certain branded coffee shop chain who practically hold your latte hostage until you’ve told them your name. I’m not an unfriendly person, honestly I’m not. But you don’t need to know my name barista person. We’re not making […]

    9 years ago

  • Win a free summer camp spot at The Gaiety School of Acting

    Win a free summer camp spot at The Gaiety School of Acting

    Summer is fast approaching. And before we know it the little ones will be finished up with school. We can’t wait for days spent at the beach, picnics outside and weekend family getaways to the countryside. While it’s lovely to have a bit of downtime in the summer months, it’s also good to have some […]

    9 years ago

  • Babies can stand without support from just three months of age

    Babies can stand without support from just three months of age

    Most wobblers start to stand without support from around nine months old, but these enthusiastic Scandies say that infants can stand without support even before they are four months old. Professors Hermundur Sigmundsson, Håvard Lorås, and Monika Haga, professors at Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s departments of psychology and neuromedicine, say that three to five-month-old infants […]

    9 years ago

  • Sharing makes children happy (but only if it’s their idea)

    Sharing makes children happy (but only if it’s their idea)

    How many times a day do you have the ‘sharing is caring’ conversation with your smallies? Trying to explain altruistic behaviour to children can be a challenge, especially when they realise sharing can come at a personal cost. But, it turns out that sharing makes our human brains happy. And because we feel happy, we […]

    9 years ago

  • Avoid the “are we there yets” in the car this Bank Holiday Monday

    Avoid the “are we there yets” in the car this Bank Holiday Monday

    Are you heading back home in the car with the kids today? Dreading the cooped-up crankiness and endless “are we there yets”? Here are 10 ways to make the car journey a little less tedious. And remember mamas: It’s not the destination, it’s the journey… 1. The ‘Find It’ game If things are getting a little […]

    10 years ago

  • Too many grapes last night? We’ve got the best hangover cure

    Too many grapes last night? We’ve got the best hangover cure

    If the Bank Holiday weekend has you suffering and experiencing waves of ‘the fear’, don’t worry because we are here to help. This is the sweet solution you need. This healthy green elixir will conquer dehydration and soothe away any troubling thoughts leftover from an over-enthusiastic weekend. Oh, and it tastes delicious too! Ingredients: Two handfuls of lettuce (preferably romaine) […]

    10 years ago

  • This dad made the coolest Star Wars spaceship for his little girl

    This dad made the coolest Star Wars spaceship for his little girl

    What daddy’s little girl wants, daddy’s little girl gets. When John Stoddard was asked to make a spaceship for his six-year-old daughter’s school ‘drive-in’ movie day, he went lightyears beyond what was expected. The doting father and Star Wars fan constructed a hugely impressive Empire Strikes Back ‘snowspeeder’ replica for his little girl to take to her […]

    10 years ago

  • Doctors try to better understand embryo implantation in IVF

    Doctors try to better understand embryo implantation in IVF

    Medical researchers are using animal models in an attempt to understand human embryo implantation failure, something of a mystery in female fertility. In an effort to improve the success rate of IVF and assisted reproductive technologies, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, have been investigating exactly what is involved in successful embryo implantation. […]

    10 years ago

  • The HerFamily guide to Ireland’s BEST summer camps for kids

    The HerFamily guide to Ireland’s BEST summer camps for kids

    The year is flying by and we’re already slap bang in the middle of the June Bank Holiday weekend. The school holidays will be upon us in the blink of an eye, but don’t panic HerFamily are already one step ahead with your summer camp options. We have taken a voyage of discovery into summer camp options […]

    10 years ago