Mancunian men spend most time on phone to mum

With Mothers’ Day fast approaching, a mobile phone comparison web site decided to carry out some research to see how often men ‘phoned their mums.

The results: Six out of every ten hours spent on the telephone by men from Manchester were to their mothers.

The top ten cities are:

1. Manchester, 58% of all time spent on phone is calls to mum
2. Leeds, 54%
3. Newcastle Upon Tyne, 52%
4. Portsmouth, 51%
5. Birmingham, 46%
6. Liverpool, 46%
7. Swindon, 42%
8. Grimsby, 41%
9. Aberdeen, 39%
10. Bradford, 38%

While the bottom five are:

1. Glasgow, 4%
2. Luton, 5%
3. Coventry, 5%
4. Oxford, 6%
5. Cardiff, 7%

Of course the results aren’t conclusive. Maybe men in the lower-ranked cities spend a lot more time on their phones overall, thus reducing the proportion of time spent talking to any one person (including their mum).

Perhaps some men spend more time in face-to-face communication with their family.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that this is a subjective result, with the men who took part in the study being asked to calculate the average time spent on the phone to their mum as a proportion of the entire time spent using their phone over a one month period.

Managing Director of rightmobilephone.co.uk, Neil McHugh said, “As someone based in the South I was amazed at the results but maybe it could be because us southerners spend more time face to face with our mums than on the phone to them.”

Photo by DavidDennisPhotos.com

“Mummy friends” are best, finds new poll

Eight out of ten mums relied upon the support of “mummy friends” they made while pregnant or as a new mum, while four out of ten are still in contact with those mums up to ten years afterwards, according to a new survey by What’s On 4 Little Ones.

Over half of new mums made friends with others at mother and baby groups, while antenatal classes and introductions from other friends came in joint second place.

“I made some of my best friends when I was pregnant with my daughter Alice. Five years on, many of these are still firm friends and I’m sure we still will be when our children are having children of their own!” said Sam Willoughby, founder of Whats on 4 Little Ones and winner of the Practical Parenting Business Mum of the Year award.

“Taking part in local activities gave me the chance to meet other mums, share tips and advice and make lasting friendships. Plus Alice had the chance to have fun, meet other children and learn new skills too.”

New CD aims to boost confidence and understanding of breastfeeding to UK mums

We’ve already reported on the UK government’s initiative to encourage UK mums to breastfeed their babies, due to the low proportion of UK mums who start or stick with it for the minimum recommended 13 weeks (and ideally six months).

A new resource has come on to the market that might be helpful for some mums. The Breastfeeding Companion CD has been created by Natal Hypnotherapy and includes both practical guidance and relaxation and visualisation techniques to increase confidence and ability to breastfeed successfully.

Positive testimonials suggest that the techniques work. To promote the CD, Natal Hypnotherapy has also published ten top tips for successful breastfeeding:

1. Pick up on and respond to your baby’s cues to feed. Ignore the clock!

2. Accept that your baby’s need to breastfeed may not always be connected to being hungry – it may be for comfort, because they are tired or they simply want to have a snuggle.

3. Feed regularly during the night. Successful feeding is based on a healthy supply and demand cycle. If your baby does not feed for many hours your body does not get all the signals it needs to get ready for the next feed and so production decreases.

4. DO NOT expect your baby to be guzzling milk in the first few days. Babies do not need anything other than a tiny amount of colostrum (first milk) so do not need “topping” up.

5. Give yourself time to get to know your baby and to trust your baby’s needs.

6. Babies have growth spurts – sometimes they need more feeding than other times – that is OK and normal.

7. Trust! Trust your baby – no baby was ever born with a pre-planned desire to upset or annoy. They simply feel what they feel and alert you in the only way they know how. Trust your body – milk production has nothing
to do with the size of your breasts but is all to do with the cycle of suckling and milk production. If your baby suckles often and frequently, you will make the right amount of milk.

8. Look after yourself – drink loads of water and eat really well. It is one of the few times in your life that you can eat loads (of the right stuff!) and know that it is all good for your baby.

9. Enjoy this time – it is for such a short time. Even if you are tired and worn out, think of every feed as a blessing and one to be cherished and enjoyed.

10. Get help and support. Accept any offers from others to help with the daily cooking and chores! If you are having any difficulties or simply want to talk, contact your local breastfeeding advisors from La Leche League or the NCT.

The CD can be picked up from Amazon.co.uk or via NatalHypnotherapy.co.uk.

UK government supports “From Bump to Breastfeeding” DVD

Expectant mums across the UK will have access to a new breastfeeding resource thanks to a collaboration between the Department of Health and child health charity Best Beginnings.

The From Bump to Breastfeeding – following real mothers’ stories to find out how DVD gives positive and practical information to encourage mums to breastfeed and help increase breastfeeding rates across the UK.

Recent statistics (2005) show that, while over three-quarters of mothers started breastfeeding their new-born baby, a third had stopped within six weeks. Those numbers also drop significantly when looking at the younger age group – for mums under 20, just half were breastfeeding their baby.

Produced by Jacqueline Smith, the 35-minute film features nine women who chart their expectations and concerns as they prepare for motherhood.

The Department of Health recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to the age of six months, with continued breastfeeding, alongside other food and drink after six months. That’s because breast milk gives babies all the nutrients they need for the first six months of life and helps protect them from infection and diseases, such as gastrointestinal infections, ear infections, urine infections, eczema and obesity in later childhood.

Dawn Primarolo, Public Health Minister, said, “The DVD will appeal to all women who are having a baby as it follows ordinary women on their breastfeeding journey and addresses hopes and concerns that are relevant to all. The DVD demonstrates breastfeeding as the normal and natural way to feed a baby and will support mums to continue to breastfeed and help them give their baby the best start in life.”

Best Beginnings founder & CEO Alison Baum said, “Only with accurate information and practical support can there be real choice for families about how to feed their babies. The DVD will enable more mothers across the UK to have the information and reach out for support so they can enjoy breastfeeding their babies for as long as they wish.”

More information is available at the Best Beginnings web site.

Breastfeeding – a father’s perspective

Breastfeeding is widely considered to be the best start for baby, not only providing nutrient-packed food but also forming a bond between mother and child. In this interesting article, Stuart Hutchings shares a father’s perspective.

Breastfeeding is the most natural thing to do. It is one of the most important things that you can do to give your child the very best start in life and it is likely to be the first most important decision a mother and family will make about their baby’s health and upbringing.

We may all possibly be aware of the major benefits to mother and baby that breastfeeding confers.

But it does take commitment from both mother and family.

Possibly one of the biggest issues is that breastfed babies often spend more time ‘at the breast’ than formula fed children do whilst being fed; this is purely because bottle-feeding is functional (the activity only provides food). Breastfeeding however provides food and nurturing. It is common for the baby to snuggle up to mother and fall asleep whilst feeding in this comfortable, secure environment (this intimacy leads to bonding which is a very important aspect of breastfeeding). For this reason I personally thought for the first six months that our new baby did not have a face! I only ever saw the back of his head! This leads on to more practical matters such as making sure mother and baby are comfortable for these periods and as happy and secure as you can make them both. Although this can mean a lot of ‘nurse-maiding’ it is wise for dads to remember that they are part of a team giving baby the best food, on tap, when he or she needs it. It comes out of the breast ‘ready to serve’ and is tailored to the baby’s age and nutritional needs. There are also no bottles to worry about, no formulas to mix, you don’t have to worry about sterilising everything, getting the temperature right, and, baby’s poo even smells better!!

Breastfeeding is not just the best source of food but also a good source of comfort and security. Mother’s bonding with her child can start here, if it has not already happened during pregnancy; breastfeeding is the most natural way of bonding. The eye-to-eye and skin-to-skin contact that breastfeeding requires strengthens the attachment and bonding between mother and child. Breastfeeding helps mother to get to know and understand her baby. It is an important step in building a trusting relationship that extends well beyond baby years; it is not just the best source of food for a growing baby but the ultimate in terms of safety and security. There are some emotional adjustments to be made. Family members may become jealous of the intimacy and attachments that occur between mother and baby through breastfeeding. From a father’s perspective, one sometimes has to wrestle with one’s feelings for baby, as this new-comer muscles in on what was your sole territory. But this time is very important for mother and baby, and it is often easy to forget that a family’s job is to care for and support mother as well as baby. The help required from family members is very important but the most important is the care and support from dad. He can provide physical and emotional reassurance, he can head off discouragement and negative criticisms from other family members, and he can make mother comfortable whilst breastfeeding with such simple things as providing food and drinks, or even helping with the household chores or with other siblings.

Sleeping can also be an awkward time. If you do not want to sleep with baby in the bed, the cot should be placed in close proximity so that mother can virtually ‘do it in her sleep’. But here breastfeeding can be a major benefit to other family members because they may not be woken in the middle of the night. Mother simply attaches the baby and satisfaction is guaranteed!

There are other lifestyle modifications that are required for breastfeeding:

• Having the right clothing to allow easy access for baby
• Being willing to stop your routine for unplanned feeds
• Continuing with a cessation of drinking and smoking
• Watching what drugs or medications are taken

There are many other reasons that breastfeeding should be the first choice food for babies.

Just remember breastfeeding can be good for baby, mother and family – breast milk is perfectly formulated to meet your baby’s nutritional needs and…

It’s what breasts were designed for!

Breast really is best.

For more extensive information on breastfeeding its benefits and practical implications visit breastfeeding at From Little Acorns Academy

This article is provided by Amazines.com – The ULTIMATE Article Database

Chile: Violent mother beats daughter to death for failing homework

One fatal case amongst hundreds of thousands of appalling cases of child abuse is that of a 26-year-old woman from Chile who beat and kicked her daughter to death because she had not finished her school homework.

Erna Rivera admitted losing her temper, punching and kicking her and throwing her against furniture, according to Mauricio Lara of the police homicide division. The girl died on the eve of her tenth birthday.

The woman’s partner had already been accused of family violence in the previous year, but it’s not known if the case was investigated by authorities.

As if it needed stating, it proves that some people just do not know how to bring up a child, nor handle their own emotions and actions. Of course, we don’t know anything about the mother’s situation, but if she already had an alleged history of violence towards family members, something should have been done sooner to protect the child. Of course, with hindsight it’s easy to say that, but it’s yet another case where tragedy has struck.

(Via Yahoo! News)

UK mums get 23 minutes “me time” per day, dads 4.5 hours: how to unwind

A recent research study by the online games company PopCap (the relevance of which will become apparent in a moment), in association with The Stress Management Society, suggests that British mums get, on average, just 23 minutes of “me time” each day, whereas dads enjoy around four-and-a-half hours of leisure time daily.

I’m sure this isn’t true across the board, but the study suggests that dads get plenty of time to enjoy such stress-busting activities as going to the gym, taking a leisurely lunch hour (they obviously never worked in the offices I did), watching TV, hobbies such as football or golf, or just reading the newspaper whilst going to the loo.

Mums, on the other hand, use the sub-half-hour break to grab a cuppa or a quick swig of wine, smoke a cigarette, or eat a snack. The study suggests that this type of break can actual be counterproductive, because the amount of time and actual activity doesn’t allow for mum to unwind from the daily stress.

PopCap would like to suggest that, as well as physical exercise which can reduce stress levels, pressure, and anger, and activities such as yoga which can stretch both mind and body, a five-minute “cyber-break” with one of their online games can help lower stress levels, by reducing blood pressure, and slowing the breathing and heart rate.

Cathy Orr, European PR Director at PopCap, said, “The disparity in down time between mums and dads is staggering. Even if mums can’t change their quantity of ‘Me time’, they can still positively affect the quality of the time they have available. A recent study in association with The Stress Management Society showed that playing casual games on sites like www.popcap.com for as little as 5 minutes a day has stress relieving benefits. If time-poor mums replace their cuppa with a quick PopCap session, it will help relax, recharge and refocus their minds to face the rest of the day.”

Don’t underestimate the power of a cuppa, though.

Daily Mail columnist tirades against environmentally unfriendly mothers

Though many of us expect nothing less than grossly stereotypical, sweeping generalisations from the writers at The Daily Mail tabloid paper, Liz Jones has pushed the boat out by having a real go a mothers, and children, for being environmentally and socially unfriendly.

Based upon a few negative images she has of parenting, every mother is now somehow in the wrong.

Granted, I am sure there are some disturbed or misguided people who see children as some kind of “status symbol”. They’re sick, but they’re not the majority (at least, I hope not).

She has a rather old-fashioned view of working mothers:

No one is allowed to complain when they are left to pick up the slack as every mum in the office hares out of the door at six on the dot, millions of plastic carrier bags in tow, hell-bent on creating a nappy mountain.

Heaven forbid that she ever meet a conscientious mother who successfully juggles the demands of both work and family life, as well as doing her bit for the environment.

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New UK maternity legislation discourages business from employing women

New research by the software company Citrix Online suggests that over half of the employers surveyed believe new maternity legislation introduced in Britain on 1st April this year is making some managers think twice about recruiting women.

34% of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) were unaware of the new legislation, which includes the extension of statutory maternity pay from 6 to 9 months, and the removal of qualifying criteria so that all mothers are entitled to 12 months of maternity leave.

30% of employers surveyed thought that it would be harder to retain talented women in the workforce, while 26% thought the latest changes would have a commercially negative impact.

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Over half of new mums have gone 24 hours without sleep

A UK survey has shown that over half of new mums have gone for a full 24 hours without sleep. Many have reported a feeling of loneliness as the social life drops away, and some have even started to lose the bond with their baby through lack of sleep.

Around three-quarters (72 per cent) of the women surveyed said tiredness put a strain on their relationship with their partner, causing arguments for half of them.

Sleep deprivation can cause depression and a weak immune system as well as the more immediate problems of irritability and difficulties with concentration and co-ordination.

Almost half (44 per cent) of the 796 mums surveyed for Johnson’s Baby, said they don’t like talking to anyone due to exhaustion, 65 per cent don’t leave the house after asleep less night and nearly one third of mums (31 per cent) suffered loneliness.

More worryingly, for 17 per cent of new mothers, the sleepless nights have had a negative impact on their bond with their baby.

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