Author: Kadi Leppik

We tend to think a lot about how pregnancy and the baby’s arrival will change our everyday life, our relationships with close ones and with our partner, and this can keep going on and on in our minds like a broken cassette.

I work with babies, whole families and with soon-to-be mothers, so I can definitely understand what it means to have a newborn in the house. I can only say that every family is different and until the baby actually arrives we can only guess how it is going to be.

Denise Van Outen has released this book in which she very simply but sweetly writes about pregnancy and how she went about her everyday life. I definitely recommend this book to be read already before planning for the baby as it gives you a glimpse to what is to come and will prepare you both mentally and physically. It also advises not to shy away from offering help to your friend who already has a baby and to take time to arrange your life exactly how you would think it would be during your pregnancy. Move more, eat well, learn to take time for yourself and plan what you definitely want to do before pregnancy.

You must’ve heard before that pregnant women have to eat for two – I mean who hasn’t? Not many know that this is actually a myth! In reality your body only needs around 200-300 extra calories daily during your last 3 months of pregnancy.

How often you should exercise, what to eat and how much to sleep, how to arrange your work schedule and how to break the news that there is a little ‘teapot’ on the way?

To all of these questions and a lot more you will find answers from the book Bumpalicious – how to relax and enjoy your pregnancy.

A couple of weeks ago I promised to share some useful information from a book called The Diaper-Free Baby by the wonderful Christine Gross-Loh. First things first, I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude towards the book’s author as this book is incredibly interesting and very informative. The author starts off realistically and is very logical and down-to-earth when giving out suggestions and tips for parents.

She agrees that you can start potty-training the baby from day one, for example by holding the baby over a sink or a different basin depending on what you have at hand. And it may happen that the baby does his or her thing which is the start of this training. When the baby is a couple of weeks old, you more or less know when it is time for the baby to pee or poop and you can arrange to have the baby without a diaper as fresh air can also help the baby to relieve themselves. Please be patient and flexible if you do wish the baby to be diaper-free. Maybe you decide to do it once a week or during nights, or maybe you find it’s the easiest to catch the baby’s pee and poop in a potty after a car drive. It completely depends on the baby but you will learn to tell the cues. Please do note – do not potty-train if you are tired or if it is unacceptable for you for any kind of reasons.
Although, in many countries it is concerning that children are put in diapers even when they are 3 or 4 years old. These are countries where the parents do not do enough research or do not have access to the right information. They also may not wish to understand or do not know that potty-training does take time as the baby has to get used to it. If the child is already 3 or 4, it is very stressful for the child to be put on a potty one day as they do not have any previous exposure to this. I also know a couple of children who have kept in their need to poop until they were put in a diaper for the night. And this is when they let go of everything they had kept in during the day – imagine that! Additionally, even seeing poop can create stress if the child has never seen it before. Let me mention that this child will be extremely unhappy for the next half an hour and I can tell that from my own experience.

In conclusion, this book teaches parents how to potty-train, how to understand the baby’s body language and learn to see the cues of the baby’s needs.

If you have decided that you are not going to buy the widely-used diapers sold at every supermarket, that is totally alright as you can always ensure you have enough of other alternatives you wish to use (like cloth diapers). You will just have to be mentally prepared for this.
I would also like to share my experience in regards to potty-training. Taking into consideration the tips from the book that are mentioned above, then I have also been potty-training babies from the day one by holding them above a sink before bathing. Additionally we have always kept the potty where the child can see it. If they are a little older, it is also a good tip to take the child with you to the bathroom when you go, and to take the potty in there as well so they can sit on it while you do your business. Sometimes it can happen that the child does their own thing as well in the meantime. If the child walks, runs and eats independently, I have started with the actual potty-training where the child is out of diapers for the whole time they are awake. I do ensure that I have at least 5 or 6 pairs of exchange clothes for the couple of hours we spend outside the home.

Let me tell you a little story. We were in daycare one day and I was sitting on the floor cross-legged, the child I had been recently potty-training came to sit on my lap and suddenly there was such a rush to get them to the bathroom immediately. First time I didn’t catch this cue and that meant the child had to spend the whole time in wet pants until it was time to go home. For me it was rather funny and the little one understood as well that something did not go well. When I was finally able to change her out of her wet pants, she put her hands around my neck and apologised…to which I of course responded with assuring that everything is alright and that it was not a problem.

From here I would like to point out that potty-training is a very sensitive process. You should not be angry with the child, make any remarks or make them feel lower in case of an accident and if the clothes get wet. Consider if you would like to receive such remarks if this was to happen to you. This child is your mini version and she likes and dislikes the same things as you do. You have to be supportive and say that everything is alright, that clothes can always be washed. Do not show your disappointment as the child is going through a process of getting to know themselves and this takes time.

To finish off, potty-training only happens in cooperation where the child and the parents understand each other – the child learns about their own body and the parents will learn to be more patient.

Wishing you a wonderful learning time and lots of new discoveries!

Does it sound familiar – you are sitting at home pregnant, waiting for your loved baby to be born when slowly your friends start disappearing one by one and you start to feel very lonely.

Keep in mind that everything is good for something and if your old friends are not interested in going out for a walk, then maybe you should consider making friends with others who understand you more, who you can share your happiness and concerns with.

Nowadays technology makes our lives very easy – starting from different apps and ending with online baby groups. Although these may not be the most efficient things to go for. There is another option that is the easiest and usually the most effective for when you are looking for new friends.

Go out for a walk with your little one (even if it’s still in your belly!) and please do feel free to talk to another mom out on a stroll, even if it is to understand if you two would match. You can always ask if they want to go on another walk next time around and yes, it’s that simple!
After you exchange numbers, you can send a message in a day or two and offer them to join you for a fun activity (if they have not contacted you yet). Do not be persistent though, if there is no response then obviously she was not the type of a mom you would connect with. As a note, it may be the case that their child has fallen ill and they forgot to reply – that can happen to the best of us – so you can send another message in a week or so. And if there is no reply then, that means that stroll was a one-off thing. Of course you can try to make new connections through baby exercise sessions, swimming lessons, daycare groups and so on, which are usually close to kindergartens or sometimes even next to a school (some in London). For me these places have been the top spots where to find new friends. You can easily see if you two match – and at some point I was already having lunches and cups of coffees with them.

Why is it important to socialise after the baby is born?
You will most definitely have a specific day outline and it is nothing better than to leave the house for a couple of hours, to be in a different environment with people who understand you the best. You can share your tips and you can even learn new things on how to take care of your own baby. All the groups where I have been to for the past many many years, they have only given me positive experiences and it also gives you an opportunity to give away the things you do not need anymore to other moms.
The main thing is – do not give up!

I have a very informative article for you today. This also explains why I ensure that all parents know that no one else should be allowed to kiss their baby!

Even parents themselves can only kiss the baby on top of the head or on their toes. It is actually important for the mother to kiss the baby on top of their head while breastfeeding as it is a way for the mother’s body to collect information about which kind of milk to produce. And if a child happens to be a little sick, then the breast milk will be the child’s ‘medicine’.
But once again, no one can kiss a baby on their lips as this may cost the child’s life!!! http://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/18/health/baby-dies-of-meningitis-from-herpes-virus/index.html

If your family used to travel a lot before the baby, there is no need to stop doing so. For this, I would like to give you a couple of small tips to ensure that the baby will have a good night’s sleep in times like these. First things first, before the baby is born it would be a good idea to invest in a good travelling cot.

What does this mean?
Travelling cots are good beds to use during travelling which you can assemble and de-assemble easily, and it would be a good idea to purchase one that can be used by grandparents as well if needed. The lighter the better, the smaller you can pack it into, the better it is. If you plan to stay at someone’s house for a day or two, try to make everything as homely for the baby as possible – for example the scents in the room, the lighting and the room temperature. Definitely keep in mind that a room where animals have slept, or where someone smokes, are not suitable for a baby. As babies are numerous times more sensitive to scents than us, you should ensure and ask how and for what that room has been previously used for. If the room has dark curtains but at home your room is rather light, then draw back the curtains enough so that it would have the similar amount of light as at home. If you have dark curtains at home, then I would advise to invest in portable darkening blinds that can be easily added on the window.

How to neutralise scents in the room?
Take a spray bottle and add some water and lavender which you can spray around in the room. This is an effective and a fast solution that neutralises all scents. The optimal bedroom temperature is between 16 and 20 degrees by Celsius. The baby’s body is sensitive to temperature so please do not overdress the baby for sleep. If the bedroom temperature is a little too chilly, then the baby’s body temperature will rise, while if it is too hot, his or her body temperature will not adjust. If the child is a little older, then you can take pictures of your home that you can show later when away. It is also a good idea to let them play for a while and to let them get accustomed to the room they will be sleeping in. If you do not have a separate travelling cot for the baby because the house you are staying at already has a bed, then use a t-shirt that you have worn during the day and wrap it around the mattress. This will ensure that the baby can smell something familiar and this will help him or her to adjust. If you do have a small music box at home, then it would be a good idea to take this with you as well. Additionally, if during the day you usually iron or vacuum at home, you can also record these everyday sounds which you can play in an unfamiliar place.

Second advice I can give you, is to use the top part of the baby buggy where the baby can sleep comfortably (not the car seat!). I also advise to take to take the top part of the buggy off and place it on the floor to ensure that it will be safe and secure. To ensure that the baby will have a comfortable sleep away from home, I can advise to practice beforehand by letting the baby do his or her lunch naps in the travelling cot. Try also to ensure that the similar amount of naps are being taken inside and outside of home. This will ensure that everything will go by smoother and the baby is able to adjust to the unfamiliar surroundings faster. This way you can be more relaxed as well rather than trying to soothe a crying baby.

Keep in mind that darkening shades and roller binds in the bedrooms should not have any strings or chains which is extremely dangerous. Keep in mind that darkening shades and roller binds in the bedrooms should not have any strings or chains which is extremely important to keep in mind for the child’s safety. I currently use darkening blinds found below.

Many families discuss everything they can think of beforehand, one of these things is bathing a baby and clipping their nails. For some reason it seems that the dads have some superpowers and do extremely well in these two things. Quite often this becomes their part of the daily routine when taking care of the baby.

If you have a new addition to your family, then please do not worry about getting a special bathtub for the baby and all those fancy accessories that are not necessary at all.

If you plan to save some space in your already tiny bathroom and you either have a bath or a shower, then one option is to arrange a bath support (as shown on the picture), which is made of soft silicone. This can be placed both in the bath and in the shower, making bathing an easier and a more comfortable experience for the baby and for the parents as well. No more worrying that the baby could slip from their hands and this bath support would ensure a less stressful bathing session for both the baby and the parents.
Be creative – you can also use any smaller tubs which have higher edges or a small bucket – these things usually found in own homes can work perfectly.

The most comfortable option for the baby of course is not using any of the above, but to take the baby with you to the bath or under the shower. On this occasion I do have to stress that this shouldn’t be done alone, it is necessary for someone else to be present to hand you the baby and to take them away due to slippery surfaces. But please do keep in mind that this does give the baby more time they can spend against your skin.

What should be the water temperature?
I would advise around 37-38 degrees by Celsius.

How often should baby be bathed and what to use?
Babies can be bathed every single day. Good time to do so is before dinner, more or less around 5-6pm. To ensure that this will be a smooth process and as least stressful as possible for the baby, before bathing I would advise to breastfeed the baby for about 5 minutes or give him or her around 30ml of baby formula milk. For washing the baby, you do not have to use any products. If you breastfeed, you can add around 20ml breast milk to the bathing water. This neutralises the water and makes the baby’s skin soft. You can use just water on its own as well as the baby is not in contact with bacteria as bigger toddlers are. If you do produce milk in larger quantities, you can add some to your own bath water as well – you can feel the difference immediately.

Why bathe every day?
If you make this a part of your daily routine, the baby will know that after a bath everything will be calm before sleep. Additionally, playing around in water is comforting and adding a baby massage on top of the bathing experience makes you want to take a nice relaxing bath as well.

How long should be the bathing process?
Sometimes it can take 30 minutes, another day 10 minutes – it’s totally up to you and the baby.

When and how to clip nails?
Quite recently I was asked how to clip baby’s nails, because when looking at the hospital bag list you are given, you can find scissors on there. Actually the baby’s nails are so soft that they break on its own. If you do wish to clip his or her nails, then using special clipping scissors would be the best – safety first!. Keep in mind that you should not clip it off too close. This does require you to be cautious, especially before the baby is given tetanus vaccination shot. More information about the tetanus vaccine can be found from the following page: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Tetanus/Pages/Introduction.aspx Tetanus – NHS Choices
http://www.nhs.uk
Information about tetanus, a rare bacterial infection, including how you get it, the symptoms, how it’s treated, and the tetanus vaccination.

Another thing I have noticed is that in hospitals they give you gloves or advise to pull socks over the baby’s hands to avoid the baby scratching himself or herself. I would advise against this as actually it is very important that the baby can place their hands into their mouth as a way to learn about their body and to calm themselves.

Most of June passed by in the atmosphere of love and weddings. And no, it wasn’t me getting married!

Quite some time ago I wrote on my Facebook page that I had been asked to attend a wedding in order to arrange and organise the work of other nannies. This was to ensure that children would not run around in the church and that the parents could enjoy the full wedding experience without being stressed and worried about their children. It was also under my responsibility to take care of all the work related to them later on at the party and during the dinner.

This was an extraordinary opportunity for me to do something new! Even my dress and heels were selected out as rather simple, to ensure that I would be able to react fast in any situation, not having to think about whether my feels were too high.

During the first part of the formal wedding you could see that the children were getting restless and with the smallest toddler, around 2 years at the time, we reached an agreement that everything will be fine if she gets her hands on my lipstick. What happened next, you can probably well imagine as the little princess decided that she needed to apply the lipstick all over her lips. Luckily enough it was a very light one but even then, the little miss did not abstain to voice her opinion when someone tried to take it away from her. At that exact moment, when the groom was asked if he would like to take the bride as his lawfully wedded wife, the little princess screamed NO! Of course everyone had a good laugh about it and the ceremony continued well. Later the party itself was held in a big mansion where the children had freedom to play. They even had a volleyball net installed just for them in addition to bikes and swings, lots of crayons and many activities for everyone who still had the energy to keep going.

Second wedding was held in a completely different atmosphere and for the church ceremony I had arranged water bottles, food, colouring books, crayons and lots of stickers. Everything went into use and children stayed calm. When we reached the party venue, I was pleased to find a separate old stable reserved for children, which had been decorated and made child-friendly. It had a TV, DVD’s with different cartoons, balloons, very nicely decorated tables with some extra space on the other side of the room for mattresses where little ones could take a nap. There were a couple of things I didn’t like, such as the high tables instead of low ones with small chairs. Also, champagne flutes were from real glass, which can be very dangerous upon breakage. I went to check if we are able to exchange these as we were dealing with mostly toddlers but apparently they did not have any plastic cups. Over 5 glasses broke and there was a lot to clean.
Food was served around 9pm for the adults and children the same. I did ask previously if children’s dinner could be served first as most of them would be sleeping by 10pm, but on that occasion it was refused and so children had to stay up until around 11. Many of them hadn’t been able to wait for the dessert and their frustration was evident.

Next day when we all gathered for lunch, I was acknowledged for the great work that had been done and in addition to the appreciation shown in numbers, I received an invitation to pay a visit to the States.
What I would like to conclude here, is that all parties, whether they are weddings or birthdays, children’s food menu should be kept simple – I would strongly advise against 7 course dinners. Let the children run, draw, play football and then you can rest assured that this will be the best party they have ever attended. Here’s a small tip for you that will make it even more special – small plastic champagne flutes and children’s champagne!

Wishing you a season filled with celebrations!

For some reason it’s normal for a new mom to be left with all the responsibility, either because of the uncertainty on how to get the father involved or because of their fear that they are not good enough in the eyes of others.

Actually I would recommend for the new mom to take at least one hour just for herself. So what does this mean? This means that someone else is either outside on a stroll with the baby or looks after the baby at home. Whether it is the baby’s father or a lovely auntie, this time is very important for the mom.

Times have changed and before the baby was born, this beautiful woman had done so many things in life.

When 30 years ago grandparents came down to look after the household and the new mother, or if many generations lived under the same roof and helped out with the daily tasks, then nowadays grandparents are mostly still in workforce or live somewhere far away. In some cases they may even be living in a completely different country.

Even the unlimited access to Internet can be more confusing than helpful as there is too much information out there. Some fresh parents can brag about their baby trying to walk or trying to say mommy even after barely reaching 1 months of age. This creates a lot of questions and stress in other moms whose children do not do the same thing. Quite often this ends with a visit to the doctor’s office where they try to find out if their child is developing as he or she should.

After meeting many moms over the years, we have discussed how they have organised their ‘time for themselves’. And I hear it quite often that for a couple of months until a full year after the birth they do not have this time. Then imagine their enthusiasm when they are telling a story of their first grocery shopping or a walk on their own, alone, and how that seemed to equal to a lottery win!

So, please do allow this new mom some time for herself. What she does with it is completely up to her, but I can promise that after a small break she is more energetic and full of life because she is a happy woman!

Nowadays I get numerous questions from parents all over the world and also provide specialised consultations. And with this thought I have understood that I want to share what I have learned, which is how I have decided to start a blog.

This blog is meant for absolutely every single person who is either planning a family or already has one, whose naughty grandchildren are currently pulling a cat’s tail in the backyard or who are planning to change their field of work (like I did) and start working with babies and/or toddlers. I know that sometimes it can be so hard and overwhelming that you lock yourself in the bathroom and cry your heart out – I can completely understand this, and in this blog I plan to discuss different aspects of parenthood, from preparing for pregnancy to how to stay sane in this world filled with babies and toddlers.

I also plan to share what I am currently reading and share my experiences and thoughts on the topic of family itself and everything it includes.

This blog is especially special and a baby on my own as I also share my day-to-day activities which, believe me, is never boring and is always filled with many mind-boggling things that can be at times hard to comprehend. Additionally, my second passion to travel will be reflected within the posts as well.

I will try to maintain my unique sense of humour and sarcasm, and always promise to give you the whole truth without hiding anything.