Stay pure

The weather's changing and dare we say it, thoughts of that piggy flu and other seasonal nasties are coming to the forefront. If you're a laidback type of gal, your defence system might come down to regular handwashing and perhaps a bottle or two of anti-bacterial spray.

But if you're a bit of a germophobe, you're probably looking for something a little more proactive to tackle those hidden horrors. You should be impressed by the Purespace Sanitizer, a unit for storing and sanitizing personal items. This clever piece of tech kills 99.9999% of all known viruses and harmful bacteria including those linked to flu, heart disease and diabetes.

The Purespace Sanitizer stores up to 6 manual and electric tootbrushes at a time. It also holds baby bottles, pacifiers, nail scissors, jewellery, razors and other similar tools that could carry and spread germs. For more info including where to buy, visit the Purespace homepage.

So fresh and so clean

Having just come back from our recent trips to Africa and France to a post-heatwave, somewhat gloomy London, I thought I'd maintain a little holiday cheer with a few posts about most useful travel products.

When you're abroad, keeping yourself and more importantly your kids clean and fresh can be a challenge when sometimes even the local water is tainted. You might even resort to using your own spit on a handkerchief (even though you remember how much you hated the feel of your mum's saliva on your face as a child).

Enter MomSpit, the ingeniously named no-rinse cleanser for hands and face, for use on anybody aged two and above. With its witty caption 'Inspired by the original', MomSpit serves to freshen up grubby cheeks and paws, easily removing anything from mud and sand to dried food and drink.

It comes in several flavours, such as the delicious Fig & Green Tea, equally yummy Lemon & White Tea or plain and simple Unscented. When there's no soap or sink available, wash up with just a squirt or two of this magic foam. The residue is slightly sticky at first but fades to a softly moisturising feeling that certainly beats the drying out quality of those alcohol hand rubs.

MomSpit comes in a range of dispensers that are small enough to fit in your hand luggage, baby bag or even your clutch. So put your tongue away and pick up a spit kit from these clever mumpreneurs. Trust me, your kids will thank you for it. Visit the MomSpit web site for more details.

Mother's help

Every mother dreads it: the non-stop crying, fussy and gassy phase that's known as colic and can make your bundle of joy turn you into a bag of nerves. Nobody can explain what causes colic exactly but when it happens the first thing you'll want to know is how to make it stop.

The First Years Colic Massage Pad, by Learning Curve, is a natural solution that some parents describe as a godsend. This battery-operated pad uses a circular motion, white noise and soothing vibrations to keep baby on an even keel. Spread it across your lap or over your shoulder and lay your little one on his tummy to help ease and maybe even release some of that gassy pain. The First Years Colic Massage Pad is soft, easily washable, portable and available at Babies R Us. More info at the Learning Curve web site.

Yummy mummy

In the hectic days after the birth, every new mother needs a helping hand - especially in the kitchen. When you spend what seems like every waking minute with baby attached to breast or bottle, it can be easy to forget or hard to find a moment to feed yourself.

What you really need is a New Mummy's Yummy Gourmet Box, a fabulous gift idea from Babes with Babies. This consists of 20 hand-made, healthy frozen meals by award-winning company Chef on Board, delivered to your door. The gift box contains two helpings of such tasty dishes as Beef Lasagne, Coq Au Vin, Moussaka and Luxury Fish Pie and contain no artificial additives or strong spices to affect the little one if you're breastfeeding.

Chef on Board can also cater to any special dietary requirements including fare specifically for vegetarians. Get a gourmet box for one of your expecting buddies or just treat yourself by special order from the Babes with Babies web site.

Stroll baby stroll

After all that Xmas browsing for the hubby, I'm still in gadget-finding mode. I just stumbled across this fab piece of tech made specifically with new parents in mind.


The Strollometer is basically a pedometer for the pushy set. It's the world's first wireless speedometre designed to fit any pushchair and aimed at encouraging you to make the most out of your daily stroll.

This mini computer calculates everything from your daily mileage and average trip speed to the temperature outside--so you can keep baby perfectly cool or warm while you work up a sweat. The Strollometer makes a great gift and is the perfect accessory for your strollercize workout. Visit the website for a list of online retail partners based in US and Canada (many will ship worldwide).

Soothe a fever

Tis the season of coughs and sniffles and one of the most worrying times for any Brand New Mama. If you've got an infant who's under the weather, you'll want to be certain he has a fever before reaching for the Calpol. But how to get your poorly little wriggler to stay still long enough for that oral, armpit or rectal thermometer to get a precise reading?

Grab yourself one of these nifty Digital Soother Thermometers from Bruin. It looks and feels like a regular pacifier but will glow red when a fever is detected. It can be used in both celsius and fahrenheit and has a memory feature to recall previous readings. Soothing for baby and simple enough for the most sleep-deprived mum, these Bruin Digital Soother Thermometer can be found at Babies R Us stores or online.

Bottoms up!

When it comes to your favourite tipple, the jury's still out on whether light drinking or total abstinence should be de rigeur during pregnancy. If you've decided to play it safe but don't want to feel like the party pooper over New Year's, you can still enjoy a glass of bubbly with some sparkling (non-alcoholic) cider or whip up your own concoction.

Fizzy water with apple or cranberry juice or a splash of ginger ale for a little kick work well. For more inspiration, scope out Preggatinis. This book by professional mixologist Natalie Bovis-Nelsen a.k.a. The Liquid Muse is crammed with baby-friendly cocktail recipes for every stage of pregnancy. So skip the Cosmo for a Cosmom and toast in the New Year without guilt or fear. For a taste of The Liquid Muse check out her blog or get the book at Amazon.

Water Sport

One of the stands that caught our eye at October's Baby Show in London was selling something called the Baby Sport Water Bottle Teat Adaptor. The name is pretty self-explanatory but we'll break it down anyway: basically it's a little gadget that attaches a standard baby teat to any 'baby-friendly' water bottle. It creates a watertight seal and saves you having to boil and cool your baby's water before you head out the door.

The product is 100% BPA free and will work with almost any brand of low mineral water bottle suitable for babies from 5/6 months e.g. Spa, Aqua Pura, Evian, Highland Spring and Volvic. The BabySport adaptor is ideal for travelling abroad and will help keep your baby safely hydrated in countries where the tap water is dodgy. Find out more at the Baby Sport web site.

Track your Cycle

If you’re trying for a baby or simply looking for a little help with natural family planning, the Institute for Reproductive Health at Georgetown University have an innovative and might we add, stylish solution. CycleBeads are a string of 32 colour-coded beads, each representing a day of your menstrual cycle. You simply move the black ring over each bead to count through from the first day of your period to help you track your most fertile days.

In studies, CycleBeads have been shown to be more than 95% effective when used correctly. Brand New Mamas like that CycleBeads give women another option in the often dicey area of birth control, they come with no side effects and they look pretty cute with this summer’s tribal-global fashion. Find out more at the CycleBeads web site.

We dream of genii

Pregnancy and sleep go together like, well, new babies and sleep. It’s hard enough freeing your mind of the thousand and one thoughts that run through your head as soon as you find out you’re knocked up. But finding a comfortable position as your bump grows proves to be a Herculean task.

What you need is a good maternity pillow like the DreamGenii Pregnancy Pillow. Winner of the Practical Parenting Pregnancy Product of the Year 2007, this pillow manages to support your bump, back and knees without taking up all the space in the bed and enraging your partner. It allows you to lie on your left side encouraging maximum blood flow to your baby and stops you rolling onto your back (not the best position for baby). Even better, after the birth you can use the pillow as a comfy nursing cushion. UK customers can pick one up at Mothercare; for a list of other stockists visit the DreamGenii site.

Yummy Tummy

Watching your bump grow is one of the joys of pregnancy. But watching the stretch marks that sometimes grow along with your belly can deflate your new mama pride. If you’re itemising goodies for an upcoming baby shower, don’t forget to put a little something for mama on your wish list.

We recommend the Tummy Honey 3-Piece Gift Set which includes not only prevention butter and stick but also a fading cream to help zap those pesky marks. All Tummy Honey products include a powerful cocktail of skin-loving ingredients like Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Emu Oil, Vegolatum (plant-based alternative to petrolatum), Aloe Vera and Vitamin E. Go on, give your tummy a little honey. Available online at Due Maternity and selected retailers.

Easy queasy

Probably one of the worst aspects of early pregnancy for many women is morning sickness – that unsettling feeling ranging from mild nausea to uncontrollable vomiting. Although I was one of the lucky few who didn’t suffer badly, the mere sight of certain foods made me gag and I soon realised that ‘morning sickness’ can actually last 24 hours.

Common advice includes drinking ginger ale, sucking on ginger lollipops or sipping on ginger herbal tea (apparently ginger helps alleviate symptoms). But if you’re not down with the flavour and you still want a natural remedy, you could opt for a sniff of QueaseEASE. The handy purse-sized tube contains a unique blend of essential oils (peppermint, lavender, spearmint and yes, ginger) designed to cure all sorts of nausea including morning sickness and motion sickness. There are no side effects and you can use it as often as you like. Simply remove the cap, inhale deeply for a few breaths and let the oils work their magic. Available via the web site Soothing Scents.

Mamalingual Dictionary: Kegel Knievel

Kegel Knievel (noun) 1. a woman who rides her pelvic floor muscles like a motorcycle stunt professional (origin: Brand New Mama 2007)

Even if you've never read Cosmopolitan magazine or tried to hold back your pee when you're bursting, you cannot make it through pregnancy without discovering the joy of Kegel exercises. And rightly so. The general wear and tear on the muscles attached to your pelvis caused by carrying and releasing a baby can lead to untold future problems from urinary incontinence to uterine prolapse. Like any major muscle group, the pelvic floor muscles can be strengthened and toned through a series of repetitive contractions. By learning to isolate the right muscles and doing regular practice, you'll soon be flexing like a pro. As this Babycenter article explains, becoming a Kegel Knievel should improve circulation, help speed healing after childbirth and prevent unwanted leaks. And both you and your partner will enjoy the fringe benefits.

Evel Knievel photo via Evel 1

New Pregnancy Checklist: Baby Yourself

Nobody may be able to tell you're pregnant yet, but that doesn't mean you're not feeling the pressure. Growing a baby is exhausting work from the outset and the first 12 weeks leaves most women feeling drained. One of the most important things you can do is to take regular, relaxing breaks to keep both mind and body on an even keel.

Indulge in a Pregnancy Pampering Kit from Earth Mama Angel Baby that includes morning wellness tea and a bottom balm to counter any haemorrhoids-in-waiting. Mama Mio offers sensuous massage oils and a list of spas that provide their deluxe Mama's Touch treatments. Bumping Brits can splash out on Nurturer's personal services including anything from biking waxing to household maintenance. If you're in New York, don't miss out on the brand new Peppermint Reflexology technique at Maternal Massage and More.

Photo via Maternal Massage and More

New Pregnancy Checklist: Stop Fuming

It stinks. It kills. It rots your teeth, causes wrinkles and burns a hole in your pocket. And you still can't put it out. But if you won't quit the cancer sticks for yourself, do it for your unborn child. Smoking is linked to a host of problems for the foetus including birth defects, abnormal lung development and stillbirth. Read the March of Dimes foundation's fact sheet for a quick anti-nicotine fix. If that doesn't shake you up, see the pregnancy and smoking section at Why Quit. For direct help in kicking the habit, visit the US Surgeon General's consumer guide.

And don't think that just because you're a non-smoker, you're off the hook. Second-hand smoking can also affect your baby, so try to avoid smoky areas. Persuade those around you - especially your partner or housemate - to stop puffing in your presence. If you're timid of tongue, this slogan t-shirt should get your message across loud and clear.