gagagiggles

My Pregnancy Weeks 20 and 21

Melanie — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:15:37 +0000

Its been a while since I last mentioned my pregnancy, so whats been going on… Well I had my 20 week anomaly scan on Monday, it was really exciting to see our baby again we wanted to make sure that everything was fine with the baby and also to find out the sex. however baby was having other ideas, Tads (as we have been calling the baby) just didn’t want to play ball, Tads was lying face down in the placenta, bum in the air giving us the finger, it just couldn’t be asked to move so the sonographer could get a good view, so luckily we have an appointment to go back in two weeks so that we can have a good look and find out if its a boy or girl

Other than the usual, my pregnancy seems to moving along quite smoothly, cant believe that I’ve crossed the half-way line already, before you know it, it will be Xmas OMG…. that’s scary!!!

So whats been happening with the little one then…Well has been gaining weight steadily, swallowing and getting the digestive system working, has also developed a whitish substance on the skin called vernix caseosa this helps protect the skin during the long soak in the amniotic fluid and about the size of a large banana.

Isn’t it amazing how quick things change from week to week, its a bit like the weather, until next time

Melanie

Are you pregnant or just had a baby we would love to hear..

Sophie’s Big Splash

Melanie — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:47:03 +0000

What miserable weather! its the kind of weather where you just want to curl up on the sofa with a DVD and eat junk, but i managed to overcome my demons and instead took my baby girl to waterbabies. We had such a fantastic swim its the last one before the summer holidays:-) so will have to start taking her on my own for the next few weeks. Today was also very emotional as it was the first time that Sophie and the rest of the babies swam unaided to raise money for the Tommys Charity.

Tommy’s are a charity giving babies the best chance of being born healthy to find out more or to donate visit http://www.tommys.org/sophiesbigsplash

How to make a healthy family meal in under 30 minutes

Melanie — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 13:13:55 +0000

Salmon and broccoli pasta with watercress sauce

Salmon is one of my favourite fish which I try to eat once a week, not only are the benefits of salmon good for you, packed full of omega-3 fatty acids but I find the flavours great too…. so I thought that I would put together one of my favourite recipes to share with you. Most of the ingredients in this recipe contains some form of omega-3 fatty acids essential for brain power and development in infants and children.

Although in this recipe I steam the Salmon you can cook it however you like so if you prefer to have it grilled or poached then you can do it to suit you and your family, and for the smaller members you just need to mash or chop the meal into smaller pieces for the tiny mouths.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and if there is something that you would like to see me cook then please leave your suggestions below.

Until next time bon appetit

Salmon and broccoli pasta with watercress sauce (serves 4 adults adjust portions for children)

Ingredients

4 x Salmon fillets (roughly 170g each)

200g Watercress (stems removed)

228g Broccoli (in bite size pieces)

500g Tagliatelle Pasta (or pasta of your choice)

800ml Milk

56g Butter

4 Tbspn Cornflour

Herbs and black pepper for seasonings

Method

Season the Salmon and place in the steamer for 15 mins (or under grill or poach etc)

Add Broccoli to steamer after 5-7 mins and cook until tender (or boil under tender)

To make the sauce

Add cornflour and a small amount of milk to a saucepan and mix until smooth add remaining milk and over a medium heat simmer until the sauce starts to thicken, stirring continuosly to avoid sticking, add the watercress and stir until wilted.

Blend for a smooth sauce and season

Stir the broccoli and the sauce into the pasta

Serve the pasta onto a plate with the Salmon on top.

P.S If you dont like pasta then you can try this recipe with new potatoes

Why Oily fish is good for kids

Melanie — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:16:11 +0000

Growing up on the island of St Helena, fish is an essential part of any-one’s diet it is so readily available and in such abundance that most families tend to have fish for dinner 4-5 times a week. As a child you don’t understand what a healthy diet you had, instead for me it was oh no not fish again…having now grown up and got a family of my own I look forward to having fish a couple of times a week, but fresh fish does come at a price, if only it was as easy as when i was a child being able to go fishing with my dad to catch it, living in the UK is a bit different.

Anyway on to the serious bit. Fish should be a part of every-ones diet, it is recommended that we should eat at least 2 portions of oily fish a week, the benefits are great for the body, oily fish are rich in protein, mineral and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids benefits the heart and help prevents heart disease. Oily Fish is good for pregnant or breastfeeding women because it helps the baby’s nervous system develops and boast children’s future brain power and social skills. That in itself should encourage parents to feed their kids fish of some kind.

Types of oily fish to choose from are Mackerel, trout, salmon, sardines, fresh tuna, pilchards to name a few and with the many other available ingredients out there, there are many recipes we can cook so get adventurous, and when shopping for fish try and buy fresh, always look out for catch of the day or deals, this is where you get your moneys worth and get you into the habit of trying new fish.

So until next time get fishy and look out for my latest cooking video

Do you have some great fish ideas or recipes we would love to hear.

Choosing a Healthy Take-away

Melanie — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:59:48 +0000

Does the thought of a take-away give you a guilty conscience? Well in the pass it has done for me, but then I discovered the Kebab not the big fatty doner type one, but I’m talking about the Shish Kebab, these ones are proper chunks of chicken or lamb with onion and peppers cooked on an open grill served up with lots of crisp fresh salad and a pitta bread (they do make a veggie one to just ask). Now in my book thats classed as healthy……Fresh meat and veg cooked on a open grill no oils used, all the flavour and nutrients retained, fresh crisp salad now we are on our way to 5 a day without having to think about a side dish, and the pitta bread well its nowhere as bad as a baguette or nan. Also i like mine with a touch of chilli sauce, remember mayo is loaded with calories so the healthy kebab might not be as healthy if laden with high calorie sauces.

So if you want to treat the family to a take-away your local kebab could be a good choice, careful it doesnt turn into a habit, some habits are expensive so you might want to try making your own, stay tuned for future videos from me, you never know whats coming next, kebabs will be on the menu.

Do you have a favourite healthy takeaway? We would love to hear what it is.

Enjoy your kebab

Melanie

Spaghetti Bolognese

Melanie — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:39:58 +0000

Ingredients

Serves 4 Adults

500g Extra lean Minced Beef
500g Spaghetti
1/2 Finely chopped onion
1 clove Garlic Chopped
1 Pepper Chopped
150g Mushrooms chopped
200g Frozen Peas
2 tbsp Tomato Puree
400g Tomatoes (tinned, creamed or fresh Chopped)
Herbs for seasoning (oregano, basil or mixed herbs)
Grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese for serving (optional)

Method

Cook Spaghetti according to instructions on the packet
On a medium heat brown mince in heavy based saucepan, add onion and garlic and cook until soften
Add mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes and tomato puree, stir and simmer for about 10-15 minutes
Add peas and cook for a further 2-3 mins
Season to taste, if you should find the sauce a little too acidic, add a sprinkle of sugar or a dollop of ketchup
Serve the sauce on top of the pasta and sprinkle on the cheese….Enjoy

For a vegetarian version substitute the minced beef for minced quorn
For toddlers and young children finely chop the vegetables and adjust the quantity to suit.

My Pregnancy Weeks 16 & 17

Melanie — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:33:31 +0000

Its seems to be quite a while since my last post, guess I’m enjoying this lovely British Summer too much, well today it was way to hot for me it was like a sauna outside spent very little time out, the air was just to dry. So whats been happening…. well Ive had this terrible headache since Saturday and it seem as though its not going anywhere yet. thought that I also had food poisoning on Friday after a take-away…naughty naughty! but turns out there is a terrible tummy bug about so over that now. To top it off woke up this morning with a stabbing pain in my side went to my Doctor only to find out that I have a urine infection so now on the antibiotics, also she told me for the headaches its safe to take up to 8 paracetamol a day, did you know that? So all in all its been bit of a roller coaster to say the least, ah also been helping a mum raise funds for her autistic daughters treatment.

My tummy is really starting to show now, went shopping on Monday got a few new bits actually got myself some real good bargains up to 50% off in the sales, had to get a new swimsuit as Sophie and I have a regular water babies session on a Tuesday she is now learning to dive bless only 14 months old.

So whats happening with the little one, heard the heartbeat again this morning at the doctors and been feeling a few little rumbles, the little acrobat is well on the move now turning and kicking, also starting to gain weight rapidly and started practicing breathing by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, its amazing how quick they develop.

So are you pregnant or just had a baby? share your story with us leave your comments below

Until next time

Melanie

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5 A day are you getting enough?

Melanie — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:23:16 +0000

For some of us just the thought of 5 portions of fruit or veg a day fills us up, but really when you think about it we probably already do so or are close to consuming that amount each day, consuming fruit and veg need not be a chore but more of a benefit to our lifestyles.

Why is it important to eat fruit and vegetables?

Its important to eat fruit and vegetable because it helps to balance our diets and gives us a good supply of vitamins and nutrition, fruit is a major source of vitamin C also they contain antioxidants which will help absorb free radicals which damages DNA in our cells and they are packed with fibre. Eating enough fruit and vegetables also helps to reduce the risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure and obesity.

So how can you make sure you get your 5 a day?

Well lets start with the most important meal of the day Breakfast, because of our busy lifestyles a lot of people grab breakfast on the go or not at all, Breakfast simply means to break the fast get the metabolism going so you should find time to sit and eat, be creative use fruit to make your cereal more interesting try adding berries to porridge or grate an apple on top try chopped strawberries or banana, if you have bit of a sweet tooth toast with chocolate spread and strawberries or banana is great, and chocolate spread have slow releasing energy so keeps you full longer.

Lunch and Dinner might be a bit easier for some of us, try and get into a habit of having at least a third of you plate with vegetables or salad, again try and be adventurous, there are so many exotic fruit and vegetables to try this way you are less likely to get bored with it, my favorite salad ingredients at the moment is avocado and vine ripen cherry tomatoes this is delicious with prawns or hot bacon yum… Liven up your stir-fries with exotic mushrooms, many supermarkets now do ready packed stir fry mixes give them a try. For snacks try vegetable crudities with a hommous or guacamole dip or a piece of fruit there are so many great and exciting ways to experiment with.

You are probably thinking eating this way is going to cost me a fortune, eating healthy do not need to be expensive, look out for fruit and vegetables in season these are always cheaper, frozen tinned and dried also count so look out for any offers, your local market stall they always have great offers at fantastic prices especially towards the end of the day bulk buy remember if you see the fruit or vegetable starting to go off use it up in smoothies, soups or casseroles, these can also be frozen after, saving time in the kitchen for another day.

If you are stuck for ideas why not join our free newsletter there are great freebies for each new member one of them being 40 Quick and Easy Fruit Recipes plus there will be regular updates on new recipes and ideas that the whole family can enjoy. Remember healthy parents makes healthy kids.

Do you have some great ideas of how to get your 5 a day? Why not share them with us.

Until next time

Melanie

Terrible Twos ?

Melanie — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:22:21 +0000

Talking to other mums with older kids I keep hearing about the terrible twos I’m slightly confused because Sophie is only 13 months, so I thought that I would do a bit of research myself….I’m shocked! Well from what I can understand the terrible twos can start from the second year of life or sometimes sooner not necessarily from age 2. This now makes things a little clearer. For the past couple of weeks she has really become a right little terror, she really knows what buttons to press……But still I love her all the same.

adorable

She started to adapt this temper tantrum and would throw her head back sometimes hitting you in the face and I’m telling you it sure does hurt, sometimes slapping you across the face, this was funny at first and we would laugh at her, but soon realise this didn’t help the situation so we spoke firmly telling her that this was wrong.

Don’t get me wrong she get lots of attention we go to toddler groups 4 days a week and she is so happy and content, we have family weekends together doing fun things outdoors most time depending on the British weather, but if you are busy for a minute more than you should be she will let you know, recently its been the TV, she has managed to convert our TV to black and white, she has taken the card out the digibox and lost it, its not like we watch lots of TV its hardly on and try to get her to watch a kiddie programme is impossible, she would rather pick up her toy pram and carry it, yes carry it….I forgot to mention Sophie is training for the strongest baby competition

Well the terrible twos it seems that its part of growing up and all very natural you can help the situation by encouraging discipline and routine it seems we were on the right path. I will make the most of each day with her before the baby comes and my attention gets divided, still 6 months to go, hopefully the worst will be over by then, but she is still adorable and makes me laugh each day.

Are you experiencing the terrible twos? Have you had the experience in the pass, how did you deal with the situation?

My pregnancy week 15

Melanie — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:52:22 +0000

Well another week has passed and not sure where its gone, had some blood test on Tuesday and midwife today, it turns out that I had my kettering blood test done too soon… oh no only means that it will be blood test again next week, everything was ok until the midwife started to check for the heartbeat, she was probing around and nothing Oh My God, I think my heart stopped beating, then suddenly just like that there it was, what a relieve, I could see the relieve on my midwifes face, smiles all around she had a good feel and assure me that the little one is growing fine so thats all good as im still feeling fine in myself, although had bit of a clothing dilemma on tue, just seemed that every top i put on it had shrunk but the reality is my tummy is growing, guess its time i head to the shops and get a bit of retail therapy yippee!! Have had some brilliant weather so been spending time with sophie in the garden playing in our little water park we made together, she loves the outdoors.

So whats happening with the little one, well the head and body is in proportion, the skin is starting to cover with the soft downy hair called lanugo,this will disappear before birth also has started to suck and swallow and grasp on.

Are you pregnant or trying to get pregnant? why not share your experience with us

Melanie