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Pandemic Motherhood Getting You Down? It's Not Just You.

Dad worked such long hours
“Dad worked such long hours... how did you do it alone for so long?”

Mum tilted her head and thought a while.

“We had an excursion each day. We did the groceries or met someone at a park, went to playgroup and swimming. And we had excellent neighbours.”

I thought of the weeks and months we’ve spent staying home. The parks we visit early before the crowds. Play dates postponed for the slightest of sniffles. The groceries done by click and collect because babies don’t wear m…

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What now? Information for breastfeeding mothers and lactating people who test positive for COVID-19

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With case rates in Australia through the roof I figured this was something I might need to know about, and you might too.

****This blog provides general information only and does not replace medical advice or conversations with your care providers. All information is true and correct to the best of my knowledge as at 4/1/22 and all sources listed below were accessed on this date. Always seek medical care if you are concerned about your or your child’s health.****

 

 

Is it safe to keep feedi…

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Using a travel cot? Check your little sleeper is safe this holiday season

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Planning on using a portable cot this holiday season? Here are some things you should know:

The most recent Australian/New Zealand standards (AS/NZS 2195:2010) for portable cots were set in 2010. Worryingly, these are OPTIONAL for manufacturers.

The mandatory standards (AS/NZS 2195:1999) were set in 1999, and do not specify the use of breathable fabric at all relevant zones around the sleep surface.

This means cots that are retailed as “meeting Australian standards” can still be a suffocation…

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What’s the deal with Omicron?

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First detected in South Africa in November 2021, it’s quickly becoming the dominant strain of SARS-CoV-2 (aka coronavirus)  in the world. Here‘s a primer.


What’s different about Omicron?

 

Compared to the original strain of the virus, Omicron has around 50 mutations. Of these, 30 are on the spike protein. Ten are on a key protein called the ACE2 receptor which makes Omicron more likely to infect people. It also replicates itself in the body faster than previous versions, so we become infect…

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If you're buying me a Christmas present...

beside table
“What’s on your bedside table?” the interviewer asked me.
I wracked my brains and eventually remembered.
On my table was a book by an author I loved. Despite my good intentions, it had sat unmoved, dust-covered and guilt-inducing for many months.
“Read me,” it had whispered every night. Eventually, when many nights had passed lying beside but not touching, it had fallen silent like a jilted lover and become part of the furniture.
I am in the season of motherhood whe…

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I tried so hard to get my child to take a comforter

comforter
I tried so hard to get my child to take a comforter. It was a square piece of fleece blue fabric with white stars and a satin yellow underside, with a toy head sewn to the centre that may have been a giraffe or perhaps a spotted horse or maybe even a cow depending on who was looking at it.
I wore it inside my shirt, held it between us as we breastfed, all the things you’re told to do to make a “lovey” loved by association.
I took it on holidays and lamented that I was the one des…

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The Christmases my body ached for a baby.

infertility
I remember the Christmases my body ached for a baby.
The way I felt less than festive entering the party as the only non-pregnant or childless woman.
How my voice choked when a man told me I was “the luckiest lady there” because I could drink as much as I wanted.
The flash of panic across the toy shop assistant’s face when she asked how old my children were and I snapped back that I didn’t have any.
The anger I felt when another person asked if there was a baby comi…

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Parents, when you don't know what to say, try this.

what do i say
Sometimes parents ask me “What do I say when my child does xyz?” They don’t want to yell but don’t know what to say instead and get stuck in old patterns.
To those people I say “How can you know what to say before you’ve listened?”
Every behaviour is an attempt at communication and connection, however misguided or seemingly irrational.
Turn your feet and body towards them. Soften your stomach. Uncross your arms. Crouch down to their eye level, maybe sit on the floor with t…

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I 100 per cent get how tired you are right now

sleep deprivation
“Oh, the sleep deprivation. I 100 per cent get how tired you are right now.”
So says the bearded tradie I’ve never met before, who is currently in my kitchen attempting to fix our under-sink plumbing.
It’s just after 8am and I am on the couch nearby in my pyjamas, bleary-eyed, feeding my squirming toddler.
We’ve been up together since 4am, except for the not-sure-if-it-was-worth-it nap I wrangled between 7.15am when hubby got up to get ready for work and 8am when…

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Seven Minute Bluey Parenting Challenge

bluey

Every episode of Bluey is seven minutes.

When you think cartoon dogs are doing better at parenting than you, remember you are only seeing them parenting for seven minutes across a day.

Sometimes being “fun” is the last thing we want to do, but we can totally do seven minutes.

Set a timer to be totally child-led and phone-free for seven minutes.

Maybe 14 if 7 was too easy, or 21 if you’re feeling brave.

When you know there’s an end point, it’s easier than you’d think.

Give it a go - Chilli and Bandit g…

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