This is not advice that is commonly offered to pregnant women, but from what I have seen in my clinical practice and based on discussions I have had with other fertility experts, I would strongly recommend delaying air travel until you are more than 12 weeks into your pregnancy.  The research in this area is […]

7 years ago

Sometimes miracles come in pairs. A twin pregnancy is super-exciting but really can mean double the trouble… 1. Higher everything (because it’s a twin thing) High levels of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is thought to be one of the main reasons behind good old morning sickness. As you might expect, HCG levels […]

7 years ago

Come on baby light my, um, candle. Oh the weather outside is frightful but, optimists that we are, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that it will soon be nothing short of delightful. The silver lining to the summer storm clouds is that they give us more time to moodboard our 2019 garden vibe. And top […]

7 years ago

Thousands of customers are facing holiday disruption as a result of a fault to the cruise-ferry. Thousands of Brittany Ferries customers are facing holiday disruption after it was confirmed that the company’s Pont-Aven ferry will be out of action until 14 June. The ferry, which sails from Cork to France, has been out of service […]

7 years ago

It opens in Ireland this summer.

7 years ago

Obviously, there’re the toddler milestones that we all eagerly anticipate: walking, talking, sleeping all night (this is going to happen eventually right????? Please someone reassure me). Then there are the lesser-known toddler milestones that are a mix of deeply infuriating and achingly sweet… 10 Toddler Milestones No One Ever Tells You About: 1. The first […]

7 years ago

Bye-bye, alarm clock.

7 years ago

What exactly is it about parenting discussions that make people abandon their brain-to-mouth filter? In my eight years as a mum, I have noted that everyday sexism doesn’t seem to get called out when it comes to parenthood. Men and women, who would normally balk at saying anything remotely resembling gender-stereotyping, suddenly come out with […]

7 years ago

Brilliant.

7 years ago

Here’s one for all the daddies’ girls… Psychologists say the relationship between dads and daughters really is different. New research, published in the American Psychological Association’s journal Behavioural Neuroscience, has found that Dads with toddler daughters are more attentive and responsive to their daughters’ needs than fathers with toddler sons. The psychologists, who used brain scans and recordings […]

7 years ago

And you thought the twos were terrible…

8 years ago

Ah, antenatal class… That one-off weekend that leaves you with more terrifying questions than you started out with. Once you’ve hauled your bump and partner along to the requisite antenatal class, you will discover that every group has at least one of these types of parents-to-be. 1. Teacher’s pet This chick has read the book. […]

8 years ago

Becoming a grandparent for the first time is a big deal. Even better is the fact that Nana and Grandad get to relive all the fun of parenthood, without the sleepless nights. However, being a new grandparent also brings with it a share of the concerns and responsibilities. Here are five tips to help you adapt […]

8 years ago

Seeing your baba take their first steps is a special (not to mention nerve-wracking) moment. Is your little one upwardly mobile? If they are already an adept crawler and are now hauling themselves upright by holding onto your legs, furniture, or the bars of the cot, you’re probably not too far away from being the […]

8 years ago

These truths might sound familiar… Last night, putting The Toddler to bed, he said “Night night muma, night night baby.” and I felt like crying at the loveliness of it all. (Okay truth is I did cry a little – HORMONES.) A couple of hours later at 2 am and The Toddler was up and […]

8 years ago

If you’ve ever been pregnant, you’ve probably noticed that your every move and utterance is remarked on by all and sundry. This can be hard to deal with as overnight you go from being an adult in control (ish) of one’s own life, to being treated like an infant. Even more irritating, people feel entitled […]

8 years ago

You know things aren’t always going to be easy when you have a toddler, but fighting with them about brushing their teeth is one daily battle you could do without. If you’re struggling to persuade your toddler to follow a daily dental hygiene routine, you’re not alone. Have a go at tackling those tooth brushing tantrums head on with […]

8 years ago

How much is a good night’s sleep worth to you? The answer is more than you might think… Parents who manage to get an extra bit of kip could boost their income by up to 11 percent, according to a new study from the world-famous London School of Economics. Economists Joan Costa-Font and Sarah Flèche have found that sleepless […]

8 years ago

And it’s so simple.

8 years ago

Is your biological clock ringing? Are you ready to welcome the pitter patter of tiny feet? Do you think it’s time to expand the family? To help you answer those questions, we’ve compiled a list of the signs that you have babies on your mind. These are 11 signs that you’re getting broody… You have […]

8 years ago

Yum!

8 years ago

Parenting teens has never been a walk in the park.

8 years ago

Brought to you by the new travel vaccination service at Boots Ireland. Travel season is among us and it’s true, we’re only delighted. Now if you’re FAR more organised than we are, you might just have a little trip of a lifetime planned for summer, an island getaway up your sleeve or a rainforest trekking […]

8 years ago

A  study has revealed that couples who drink together regularly have much happier relationships, and therefore stay together longer. The research used 4,864 married people for the study, all of whom had been in their relationships for over 33 years. Asked questions about their drinking habits, the results proved that men were more likely to […]

8 years ago

Just when you think you might have the baby days sussed, toddlerdom greets you out of the blue – usually in the form of a tantrum that happens right in the middle of your weekly grocery shop. That bouncing baby you were cradling only yesterday has, it seems, blossomed overnight into a beautiful little actual person. […]

8 years ago

These soothing ice lollies are perfect for teething tots, regardless of the temperature outside. They’re easy to make too, especially if you’re already whipping up batches of baby food. Simply fill ice lolly moulds with your homemade puree, then freeze. There are loads of different flavours you can combine, but if you need some inspiration, here are three delicious […]

8 years ago

How knackered are you on a scale of one to ten, with ten being losing the mug of coffee you just made and finding it in the fridge two hours later? If your baby’s frequent waking has turned you into a sleep-deprived, grunting mombie then check out our six things that might be waking your […]

8 years ago

Brought to you by McDonald’s. Enter ALL the happy faces because school’s out and it’s time for two weeks jam-packed with activity! Now comes the part where we begin to wonder how we’re going to keep them entertained. Well, here are just a few ideas sure to keep them occupied, giggling and having fun all […]

8 years ago

Once you have an agile gymnast toddler in the house, attempts to climb out of the cot can become a dangerous new pastime. Most smallies will make the milestone move to a big boy or girl bed between the ages of two and three. Children with older siblings may be even more eager to get […]

8 years ago

Unless you want her to bite your head off…

8 years ago

Genius.

8 years ago

Sleep is precious for parents but let’s face it, it also tends to be sparse. Which is precisely why we’ve put together a list of little tips – taken from scientific studies, advice pieces and personal experience – that helps you to wind down after a long day. While we can’t promise that your night won’t […]

8 years ago

I was your stereotypical pregnant girl on her first pregnancy. A total cliché. Days and nights were spent pouring over the pregnancy books, the week-by-week pregnancy guides on websites – that’s when I wasn’t running to a pregnancy yoga class, or a one-on-one session with my hypnobirth instructor! I did it all, read it all, was consumed by […]

8 years ago

Do you have a fussy eater in your house?

8 years ago

‘Wow! I can’t BELIEVE how good you look.’

8 years ago

He talks a better game of rugby than George Hook, knows the nuances of the offside rule like no other, and shouts “ahh c’mon ref!” on a regular basis. Sound familiar? Here are ten clues that you might be a sports widow: 1. No sport is left unwatched: F1, hurling, golf, rugby, handball, darts (yep, […]

8 years ago

In today’s tech-obsessed world, it’s more important than ever to make sure our little ones are getting outside to run around in the fresh air. Taking up a new sport is the perfect way to keep them fit and healthy, and what better game to choose than our national sport? Watching your little girl pick up […]

8 years ago

Experts found a 101 percent increased risk for allergic asthma.

8 years ago

Pet dogs provide valuable social support for kids when they’re stressed, according to new research. Darlene Kertes and her colleagues from the University of Florida have tested the popular belief that pet dogs are stress-buffers who provide social support for children. For their study, published in the journal Social Development, the researchers recruited approximately 100 pet-owning […]

8 years ago

The heavy head, the wretched coughing and a streaming red nose – there is nothing glamorous about being struck down with a bad cold. Many cold and flu remedies we pick up in the pharmacy can be both costly and full of sugar. Yes, sometimes you can’t beat a natural remedy when it comes to […]

8 years ago

If you’re pregnant and nauseous, you’ll feel anything but glowing. In fact, the only thing that’s blooming is your need to chuck up lunch.  Although the exact cause isn’t known, a rapid increase in hormones including hCG and oestrogen is probably to blame for the morning sickness (which is a misnomer given that nausea and vomiting can […]

8 years ago

With the number of home-schooled children in Ireland having almost doubled in recent years, we asked two parents what it’s really like to educate your own kids. New figures released by the Child and Family Agency Tusla have revealed a significant rise in the the number of children being home-schooled in Ireland, rising from 699 children […]

8 years ago

It all started circa 1992 with a sex education book called Girls Talk… The problem was, as the sisterless daughter of a single father, I didn’t have any girls to talk to. I only had THE BOOK. That was OK because The Book appeared to have all the answers. Unfortunately, I was so chronically mortified […]

8 years ago

Nowadays there are early home pregnancy tests and blood tests that your GP can do, but have you ever wondered how they determined a pregnancy in days of yore? Well, some of the ‘tests’ were pretty out there. Here are some of the strangest ones: 1. The Onion Test Be warned, you may never look at […]

8 years ago

For about half of every week, I wear real, clean, grown up clothes, and may even venture so far as to shovel on a face of makeup. Those are the days when I’m in work, at a ‘do’ or in serious danger of bumping into an ex-boyfriend. On the days where I have school runs, play […]

8 years ago

We’re officially over it.

8 years ago

Childhood bullying may lead to long-lasting health consequences, including heart health, well into adulthood. A study has tracked a diverse group of over 300 American men from the age of seven through to their early thirties and the findings indicate that both being a victim of bullying and being a bully are linked to negative health outcomes […]

8 years ago

There are very few things a parent dreads more than pulling an all-nighter with a sick bubs. And it’s not about the sleep deprivation – which is hard – but that feeling of helplessness that you can’t make them better. Every part of your being wants to be able to make them happy and healthy […]

8 years ago

When you’re in the midst of child-rearing madness taking on the responsibility of a pet can be the last thing you want or need. But if you are considering another family member make sure you’ve asked yourself some serious questions before you take the plunge… Walking a dog, cleaning fish tanks, tending to crying kittens, and […]

8 years ago

I may as well come completely clean. Or not, as my house is never completely clean; because I’m a hoarder. I should clarify that I’m not quite at the climbing over stacks of newspapers, keeping my poo in a jar kind of hoarder but I wouldn’t rule it out in twenty years. I am surrounded […]

8 years ago