How To Prepare Your Baby's Immune System for Winter

How To Prepare Your Baby's Immune System for Winter

No comments

Disclosure - This is a collaborative post

The sniffle season is coming. Weather patterns are shifting from warmer to cooler, and as kids return to the classroom, exposure to bacteria and germs increases. Wellements is a company dedicated to childhood health and wellbeing, and as the seasons shift, parents need to find trustworthy products to help them combat common winter illnesses.

Boosting your little one's immune system is a top priority as the autumn sets in. With a robust immune system, your child has the ultimate biological defence against common colds and viruses, but how can you help bolster your child's system?

Baby Foods That Boost Immunity

Your child's diet is the ultimate baby immunity booster. The foods you choose to give your little one can tremendously impact their overall health. Some foods you should include in your little one's diet are:

Whole-fat plain yogurt

Blueberries

Sweet potatoes

Avocados

Brown rice

Whole fat plain yogurt is a fermented food, meaning it is rich in probiotics. Probiotics are good bacteria in your child's digestive system. When the good bacteria outnumber the bad, your little one is less likely to experience digestive issues. Also, a healthy gut microbiome regulates immune homeostasis, meaning less risk of illness or infection.

By including a mix of healthy fats (avocados), whole grains (brown rice), and fruits and veggies, you ensure your child's body has all the essential nutrients it needs to thrive and remain healthy and strong.

While no diet can entirely eliminate the risk of illness, it can reduce overall risks. Also, people with a healthy immune system tend to recover from common illnesses more quickly than those without.

Supplements for Your Baby's Immunity

When looking for signs of health in your little one, look for signs of strong immune system. The most apparent symptoms of a healthy immune system include:

Sound sleep

Happy disposition

Quick recovery from cold and flu

Rapid wound recovery

Supplements can contribute to a healthy system, even for children. Ensuring your child takes a daily multivitamin is one way of helping build their immune system. Also, providing a probiotic supplement can bolster the gut microbiome, which plays a significant role in immune system support.

Before you put your child on any supplements, consult their pediatrician. While you should follow general dietary guidelines, every person is unique. A doctor can help you determine the specific needs of your child. A physician can also help you identify quality supplements or ingredients.

The summer is ending, and the autumn and winter will bring sniffle weather. As a parent, you want to do everything you can to boost your child's immune system, ensuring it is ready to fight off the predictable germs and bacteria of the seasons.

The best way a parent can contribute to a child's healthy immune system is through diet. Choosing nutrient-dense foods helps ensure your little one's system receives all the necessary vitamins and minerals to function correctly.

Sometimes, even with a balanced diet, children need a little extra nutritional support. Dietary supplements, like multivitamins, can help. Talk to your child's doctor if you suspect vitamin deficiencies or wish to improve their overall health.

Michelle

Read More

Facts About Female Fertility | AD

Facts About Female Fertility | AD

No comments

Disclosure - This is a paid collaboration.

One of the first questions I get asked when I talk about the boys is "That is a big age gap." It is a huge gap, 11 years to be exact however not everyone is fortunate enough to fall pregnant as soon as they start trying. We were lucky with big J, the pregnancy happened naturally but after having him we then faced 11 years of trying before we finally had a healthy baby in our arms. 

Fertility is a vastly complicated aspect of human anatomy and unfortunately often considered quite a taboo subject. For that reason, young people aren’t really taught enough about fertility when they’re in school and therefore don’t know how to maximise their chances of a successful pregnancy in the future. After all, the way we treat our bodies can determine whether or not we are able to conceive a child, especially by natural means. I have teamed up with an IVF fertility clinic in London to share four fantastic facts about female fertility to help us girls understand what’s actually going on inside our bodies and help us prepare for pregnancy, either now or in the future. 

A Woman Loses 3000-5000 Eggs Per Menstrual Cycle

When a female baby is born, she has the most eggs she’ll ever have; around 1-2 million! Eventually, this egg reserve runs out as a woman loses many of them during each menstrual cycle. Once a woman is around the age of 35, her fertility rapidly declines, which makes it a lot more challenging to conceive a baby naturally. Many women choose to freeze their eggs when they’re still young to preserve their fertility, so that they can have a baby in the future, when they feel more prepared. A man’s fertility also declines as he ages, as their sperm loses its quality. In fact, around 30% of infertility cases are due to the male party. 

BMI Can Affect A Woman’s Chances of Conceiving

BMI either underweight or overweight can prevent you from conceiving. For example, extreme exercise and dieting can prevent a woman’s menstrual cycle and therefore make it impossible to get pregnant. Eating fatty foods can lead to high blood pressure and other diseases, like diabetes, which can make conception difficult. You should try and aim for a healthy BMI of anything between 18.5 and 24.9. 

Some STIs Can Lead To Infertility

Gonorrhoea and chlamydia are the two most common sexually transmitted infections in the UK. Cases that are left untreated can cause various other problems, including infertility in both men and women. For instance, chlamydia can leave scarring in the fallopian tubes which prevents the egg from travelling to the womb. If this has happened to you, you might want to consider IVF, as it essentially bypasses the need for viable fallopian tubes. 

Smoking During Pregnancy Can Cause Harm To The Baby

There are lots of potential health risks associated with smoking while pregnant. In fact, it can even cause fertility issues for the child when they grow up. Other issues are things like low birth weight, preterm birth and defects of the mouth and lip. If you need help with quitting smoking, don’t hesitate to contact your GP. 

When I was younger I just assumed I would grow up and have babies whenever I was ready but as we know this just isn't the way it works. Understanding your body and making small lifestyle changes can really help. 

Michelle

Read More

What To Expect When Having A Covid19 Test

What To Expect When Having A Covid19 Test

No comments

So we managed seven days back at school before we received a phone call to say little J had been coughing in class and that we needed to pick him up. Little J seemed fine in himself however he was coughing. We had two choices. We could try and get a Covid19 test to rule out Covid, or we would all self isolate for 10 days and hope he improved during that time. Luckily we managed to get a test the next morning and received our results the morning after confirming a  negative result. 

We were all quite nervous getting the test as we didn't know what to expect but it all went well so I thought I would share what to expect when having a Covid19 test. 

When Should You Book A Test

If you have coronavirus symptoms, you need to get a test done as soon as possible. Ideally you need to get the test done in the first 5 days of having symptoms for the test to be most accurate. 

The main symptoms of Covid19 are a high temperature, a new continuous cough or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.

Booking A Test

Trying to get a test is proving quite difficult at the moment depending on where you live. You need to visit the gov.co.uk website to book a covid19 test. You need to be prepared to answer lots of questions and once completed you will be offered a choice of walk in or drive through test centres. Most tests are available from 8am-12:30pm.

After Booking Your Test

You will be emailed and also sent a text to confirm your test details. You will need to bring the QR code and photo ID with you when you arrive at the test centre. 

Arriving At The Drive Through Test Centre

When you arrive at the test centre you stay in your car and leave your windows closed. You will be asked to confirm your identity by showing your QR code, photo ID or text message. They will also check your car registration.  Once your identity has been checked you will be shown where to go. 

Staff will be there to show you which way to go. We reached a cabin and a man told us to wind down our window just enough for him to slide through the grey plastic bags. Each bag was open with contents inside, numbered with a bar code and receipt attached. We were told to keep the contents inside the bag until instructed to open. 

 

We joined the queue of cars and waited to enter a numbered tent which we drove in to once it was our turn. 

A staff member approached our car window and confirmed our names and checked our car registration again. He told us we would be performing the Covid19 test ourselves and that he would give us instructions on how to perform the test on adults and then on children.

Performing The Test

Once you are ready to perform the test you open up your plastic bag. 

Inside is a tissue and some anti bacterial hand gel. You must blow your nose before the test and use the hand gel provided to clean your hands afterwards. 

Next you will open up the swab. At our test centre we were told to swab each of our tonsils for 5 seconds each and then use the same swab up one nostril for 10 seconds. This seems to vary at test centres. 

Swabbing the back of the throat isn't a nice experience especially if you have a strong gag reflex but if you can try and not let the swab touch your tongue. 

Once you are ready choose one nostril and push the swab as far up as you can until you feel some resistance. 

Once finished remove the swab and place in the liquid filled tube inside the bag. The swab is to big for the tube so you have to snap it at the line on the stick. 

Ensure the lid is placed on the tube tightly and wrap in the soft pad provided and place in the clear bag.

All your rubbish goes in to the grey plastic bag just make sure you remove your receipt beforehand that is attached to the bag. 

If a child is to be tested and is under 11 you will need to do the test for them. The process is exactly the same however we did not swab the back of the throat inside we had to swab both nostrils for 10 seconds each. It was harder to gauge when the swab was high enough but I just used my own judgment and also the look on little J's face. 

Thats it. You are done and the member of staff will scan the bar codes on the bags and link them to your name. They will do this through the window. 

You then drive to another tent where you will place your swabs in one bucket and rubbish in the next. 

What Happens Next?

Most test results will be delivered via text and email within 24hours however you should allow up to 72hours. 

Everyone in the household should isolate until the results have been received. 

Once you receive your results you must follow the appropriate guidelines based on the outcome of the test. 

The experience wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be and it's so important to get tested if you have symptoms. It can save lives. 

Michelle

Read More

Tips On How To Keep Your Teeth Looking Clean and Healthy

Tips On How To Keep Your Teeth Looking Clean and Healthy

No comments

Disclosure - This is a paid post and contains gifted products however the idea for this post, opinions and photographs are our own. 

As a family we all know how important it is to look after our teeth. We have always brushed our teeth at least twice a day and teeth brushing is a huge part of our morning and our bedtime routine. As the boys get older we have made sure that they understand that whilst brushing their teeth is important there are other ways to keep their teeth healthy and looking clean. Here are our top tips on how to keep your teeth looking clean and healthy.

Brush Your Teeth At Least Twice A Day

It is really important to brush your teeth before bedtime and at least once more throughout the day. Brushing your teeth before bed helps to prevent plaque build up and tooth decay. 

Floss 

It is recommended that anyone over the age of 12 should floss daily to help remove any plaque build up or food that has been stuck in-between their gums.

Make It Fun

If little ones don't like to brush their teeth you can make it more fun by playing a song while they brush, or buying a character branded toothbrush or toothpaste. We use a 2 minute song that we play while we are brushing.

Eat A Healthy Diet

Whenever you eat or drink you are at a risk of tooth decay however eating a balanced diet which includes fruit and vegetables can help to keep your teeth healthy.

Choose Your Drinks Carefully

Sugary drinks can be harmful to your teeth and can cause tooth decay. If you choose to have a sugary drink then it is best to enjoy these at mealtimes.

Also certain drinks such as tea and coffee can stain your teeth so it is important to visit your hygienist  who can clean your teeth to help prevent staining. You can also choose products to use at home that can help whiten your teeth. We use Colgate Max White which is enamel safe and can be used daily. It is whitening product that boasts removing up to 100% of surface stains.

Change Your Toothbrush

It is recommended that you change your toothbrush at least once every 3-4 months. We have just changed our toothbrushes recently and you can instantly notice the difference.

Visit Your Dentist

Visiting your dentist every 6 months for a checkup is so important. It allows the dentist to check not only your teeth, but your gums too.

Looking after your teeth is not only important for your health, but can make you feel more confident in yourself.

Michelle

Read More

Supplements That Can Help You Break Through A Weight Loss Plateau

Supplements That Can Help You Break Through A Weight Loss Plateau

No comments

Disclosure - this a collaborative post

If you’ve been on a weight loss journey, you probably know that hitting a plateau can be one of the most frustrating things. You’re eating right, exercising regularly, and yet the scale just refuses to budge. Weight loss plateaus happen to the best of us, and it can feel like no matter what you do, you're stuck at a standstill.

But don’t lose hope! There are some supplements that might just help you push through this roadblock. By giving your body the nutrients it needs to optimise fat burning, boost metabolism, and support energy levels, the right supplements could help you move forward on your weight loss journey.

Read More