Month: June 2009

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Baby Stretch & Play Yoga Classes E3, E8, W1U

I teach baby yoga classes called ‘Baby Stretch & Play‘ in East & West London, and I also offer private sessions.

Help your babies development have fun and get fit together! Classes are fun and lively, they provide babies with physical and mental stimulation through a variety of gentle exercises, movements, rhythm and song. It is a lovely way to relax and play together, as a mum baby yoga helped me form a stronger bond and gain deeper physical awareness of my baby.

Classes also include yoga-style stretching for parents and some to help postnatal mums re-gain some fitness, so please wear loose clothing and be prepared for a giggle and to sing a bit! My classes are best suited for babies of 12 weeks to pre walking. These sessions include a 2 min neck & shoulder massage for mums at end of class.

Baby Stretch & Play Yoga Sessions 
Mondays 11-12  Stretch Yoga Studio, 6 Ada St, Hackney, E8 4QU ‎
Prices : 4 week Course £50 and there after you can come as a drop in for £10
All bookings in advance, drop in please text to book a place.

By appointment at Boniface Osteopath Clinic, 2 Spanish place, W1U

Private individual sessions and private group bookings available across london, please inquire

For information and bookings call Suzie: +44 (0)7721 610 574
email: suzie@soothe-me.com
www.babyclasseslondon.com

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Birth plans

I was talking to another new dad this morning and it’s just obvious to me now that no matter what your birth plan is, you just have no idea what’s going to happen. They wanted to go to the birth centre first to try the ‘natural’ thing, but after a series of freak events – and horrible midwifes! – they ended up more stressed than ever and in the hospital. Shame, as it seemed to ruin their experience and run up to the actual birth. They didn’t feel that anyone was listening to them, mum was upset and stressed and dad felt angry and helpless.
A lot have people have said to me now to stay at home as long as possible and go into the hospital at the last minute. Luckily I still have a LONG 6 and half months to think about it!

Other links:
UK Midwifes
Doulas (birthing helper/partner)

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Epidural before contractions?!!

Work has eased off a bit this week so can start blogging again. Not that I have that much interesting to say as it’s all a bit non eventful. Not that I’m complaining. Im 14 weeks now. No sickness still. More energy, and I think my stomach even looked a little flatter!? No cravings. Apart from nectarines.

I woke up last week feeling pretty normal again. Although in the evening I do double in size. Definitely ready to start yoga again. (gonna check out the prenatal class at Yoga Place). Not lovin bingo wings or fat back. Am loving my soothe-me bump n boobs oil tho. thank you sooz for making me an extra big bottle! Using it daily all over body and even on my face now. It’s lush.

So, more interesting facts from my friend… You should try to not put on more than 2 stone during pregnancy, and a friend of a friend had an epidural before she even had any contractions. She lives in South Africa. Can you do that here??!

Some useful links
NHS (Weight put on during pregnancy)
Goodtoknow website

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My meal planner – comments welcome!

Here is a weekly meal planner (evening dinners only) for those who want to give it a go…

Monday: Pasta, pesto (check salt content is not to high) , Asparagus stalks (steamed), toasted Cashew nuts and/or steamed Haddock, spring onions, red onion, Spinach. (Pesto – Asda do a good one in their ‘Extra special’ range it has half the salt that the Bertolli one has).

Tuesday: Sausages, Steamed leeks n cheese sauce, roasted potatoe with mixed herbs (cut up small to make saute size ones), roasted halved pepper, roasted chestnut mushrooms.

Wednesday: Brown rice with mixed herbs added & some Nandos peri peri!, a pre-cooked chicken, or could be chicken breasts, Corn on the cob.

Thursday: Easy homemade chicken n leek pot-pie with herby scone topping. (Recipie can be found at end of planner).

Friday: Vegetable (and or any meat you like) Curry Balti and Jasmine or Brown basmatti rice.

Sat & Sun – Freestlyle!

Please let us know what you try out!

CHICKEN POT PIE:
What you need: Chicken (we use left overs from our whole chicken from the day before), 1 leek, a few carrots,1 onion, 6 to 7 mushrooms, mixed herbs, seasoning. (you can add bacon to or quorn for veggies.
TOPPING: Chopped fresh parsley, veg stock, 1 mug full of self raising wholemeal flour, quarter 250g bar of butter, milk or water to mix. An oven proof dish.

Start cooking: Fry the chopped onion, leek, carrot, until soft, add bits of chicken (left from yesterdays whole chicken), add mushrooms. Take a heaped tea spoon of flour mix into a little water then add to half a pint of veg stock, pour this into pan and stir in until it thickens a bit, if to thick add a bit more water to pan. Taste test and season to your requirements. Pour into pie dish. Turn on oven to 200/180/gas 7? (guessing as i have electric)

Topping: Chop parsley and add to flour, mix in (can use dried mixed herbs instead), chop butter into cubes, rub into flour with fingers until looks like light bread crumby texture, mix in aprox 60ml of milk or water with a metal spoon or palette knife. Mixture should now be good to hand mix into a dough, (Note: add more fluid if its falling appart, add more flour if its all sticky), knead a little then squish into shape of your pie dish, place onto chicken mixture, you can paint/pour/brush over a bit of milk to help it to brown. Put into oven until you see topping starting to brown (about 15mins).
Serve with peas, green beans, portatoes – the choice is yours…

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Mandarin playgroup

Playgroup for 6months to 2.5 yrs old every Tuesday morning at Bow Quarter E3. They will have singing, story-telling and playing all in Mandarin, led by a mum from Taiwan (native Chinese speaker). £5 per session. For any further information & to book call Wanda: +44 (0)7944 968 356
Nearest tube Bow Road, Bow Church DLR, Buses: 25, 276, 448
Click to view a map
Also details on our website soothe-me.com

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Swimming lessons

Really great swimming lessons for babies through to toddlers, brilliant for building confidence and for having a fun thing to do each week with your little one. Find out more at water babies. All classes around East London and North london. My little boy is super confident in the water now and its one of the best things we do with him.

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A weekly meal plan, good or very boring?

At this time in my life I am on a very tight budget, with not much work around for freelancers and with having to look after my 11 month old son any extra pennies I can save is a grand thing.

My friend told me once that his sister has a weekly meal planner, its up on her fridge. To me at the time this seemed very dull, if not a bit anal. Why would you want to have such structured meals? No room for creativity, fun or spontaneity, just quite b o o o r i n g really. Well thats what I thought I thought, until i came across an article about family meals, it sounds like having a predictable weekly meal plan really could make life on a budget much easier. Well, we are all allowed to change our minds aren’t we…

…i’ll let you know how I get on.
(And please share your own results!)

Links: Family meal planing, easy recipies allrecipes.co.uk, for veggies, Tesco will work it out for you