babyurbeautiful

I'm now nearly 40 weeks pregnant, due on Saturday 18th, and I must say that what with Christmas and looking after my 2 year old I am absolutley shattered.

When I get into bed at night it takes me ages to get to sleep because my back and legs ache like hell! I'm guessing that most pregnant women also feel like this.

Unfortunately, Paracetamol is the only oral painkiller safe to take during pregnancy, and even then experts advise taking the minimum dose for the shortest time possible. (See NHS website). Personally, I won't even take that I would rather try to suffer through it just in case.

This Deep Freeze Patch may be the answer!



I'm actually wearing three patches right now (shoulder blade, lower back and lower leg muscle) as I am having terrible aches and pains in my back and legs, and I am loving them! They feel really soothing a tingly cool, and afterwards the pain really does ease off.

Cryotherapy (cold cooling pain relief therapy) provided by the Deep Freeze range is safe and simple-to-use in pregnancy. Cold is particularly useful for muscular pain as it reduces swelling and inflammation, which is known to stimulate nerve endings which can increase pain. Like an ice pack, but more convenient and easy to use, Deep Freeze works by lowering the temperature of the skin and underlying tissue which helps numb nerve endings and reduces both pain and swelling.
 “The extra weight of having a baby on board, changes to posture and your centre of gravity and the muscle-relaxing effect of pregnancy hormones can all individually lead to discomfort. Put them together, and add a demanding toddler or job, and it’s no wonder 75% of women suffer lower-back pain during pregnancy,” says mum-of-two Dr Catherine Hood, an associate specialist at St George’s Hospital, London.

The Deep Freeze range of cold analgesia products are simple to carry around and don’t require cooling before use. It contains menthol, aloe vera and water in a hydrogel layer which slowly evaporates to produce prolonged cooling relief for up to three hours. The slim patch is peeled off the backing and slapped onto the skin where it sticks and stays in place and easily and can be worn under clothing. Deep Freeze Cold Patch also provides effective relief for swollen ankles, a common pregnancy problem.

RRP is £1.55 for a single patch and £5.10 for a pack of four patches.


Buy from www.boots.com or www.superdrug.com

CB

Tints of Nature
Available from www.tintsofnature.com from £8.99
or in UK call: 01590 613490


I haven't really dyed my hair since getting pregnant with my first baby, just in case of any chemicals getting to the baby during pregnancy or breastfeeding. I am now pregnant again and still nursing, so still being extra careful but felt I needed a 'lift', so was looking for a really natural hair colourant.

Tints of Nature is a hair colourant that is as natural and organic as possible with the lowest levels of PPD pigments (p-Phenylenediamine an organic compound used in over 99% of all other permanent hair dyes and a known irritant) and no harsh chemicals. Tints of Nature colour contains up to 60% certified organic ingredients, natural extracts and contains no harsh chemicals and below minimum EU regulation quantities of PPDs (2% or less of the product depending on the colour shade) so is apparently one of the safest and healthiest ways to colour your hair.

However, the NHS recommends not using hair colour during the first eight weeks of pregnancy and not during the first month of breast-feeding. (The NHS issues guidelines on use of hair colour for pregnant and breastfeeding women can be found here: http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/949.aspx?CategoryID=54#close).

I tried the semi-permanent colourant in Medium Chestnut Brown, which is quite similar to my natural colour. This is supposed to last 6-8 washes. I would say it lasted about 4 before fading gradually back to natural.

Before:

After:




I found it easy to use: it is a thick cream which you rub into your hair. It smells really nice and natural, no chemical smell, and doesn't stain the skin if you rub off any smudges quickly. My hair afterwards wasn't too different from my natural shade, maybe slightly redder, but the grey was gone (nice one!) and it looked nice and shiny.

My only grumble was that it coloured my bath water when my hair got wet for the few days after dyeing, and it also came off on my bath towel (although this wasn't a permanent stain).

The boyf took three days to notice I had coloured my hair! Not sure if that's just because I am preggers and have loast all sex appeal or because men just don't motice these things!

I would definitely try the permanent next time.

CB

During my last pregnancy I avoided wearing any nail polish at all, (and thus also using polish remover), to avoid any risks to my unborn baby. I am now pregnant again and still breastfeeding, but feeling very unglam, so wanted to look into alternatives to traditional nail polishes that are safe for mums-to-be and nursing mothers.

In 2006, some companies removed the top 3 nasties from their polish when lobbied by some consumer groups. However, these have still been found to be present in many nail varnishes. These 3 are dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene and formaldehyde. Phthalates like DBP have been  associated with developmental and reproductive effects, and cancer in lab animal testing. Toluene, a solvent, is apparently a neurotoxin (risky for unborn child) and respiratory irritant. It can be inhaled and absorbed through the skin and nails. It could also be listed on the label as “toluol” or “phenylmethane.” Formaldehyde (used  mostly as a hardener) has been named as a carcinogen. According to some sources, solvents such as butyl acetate or ethyl acetate which are still widely used, are also nasties (they are flammable liquids!), although I understand butyl acetate is derived from fruit.

Here are some of the top 'naturals' available in the UK:

Konjac Natural Baby Sponge



The Konjac Baby Sponge is made only with 100% Konjac plant root mixed with volcanic spring water from the Island of Jeju, (Korea), so there are no chemical nasties. This is great for delicate baby skin, especially if sensitive or for eczema sufferers. A naturally moisture rich plant fibre, the net-like structure of the sponge gently massages skin leaving it clean and refreshed with no need for additional cleansers or soaps.


My first question was how green and natural are these?

Apparently the spring water is naturally filtered by the volcanic rocks, so is particularly mineral rich and very pure. The Konjac plant is from the potato family and grows native in Asia. The plant is also farmed for food; the root is ground down to make very fine food grade flour. For centuries this flour has been used to make noodles, as a thickening agent in foods, and in dietary supplements for its high fibre and vitamin content. To make the sponge, The Konjac Sponge Company mix the flour with the water, then ferment the flour, having poured the mixture into moulds. Once fermented, they steam and bake the sponges.

After use you just rinse sponge and hang to dry using the string attached. Due to the sponges being biodegradable they apparently begin to show wear and tear after 1-3 months so the drier they are kept between uses the better.

Also another great green and eco feature is that after use they are compostable!

I found this very soft and gentle on bubba's skin, although a little slippery to hold on to when she wriggles around to get away from me! I would definitely recommend this over an artifical or sea sponge any day.

There are various different types of sponge in addition to the Natural Sponge. The different clay sponges treat different skin problems with the added clay. I decided to use the bamboo charcoal one:

Konjac Bamboo Charcoal Sponge



I chose this one because it is meant to be good for oily skin prone to spots and outbreaks, so it's great for my hormonal pregnant skin.

The Bamboo Charcoal contains activated carbon and various minerals that enhance absorptive ability, perfect for removing excess oil. Bamboo Charcoal is also a natural antioxidant so it helps to fight acne-causing bacteria.

I have been using this for a week now and I really love it. It is gently exfoliating, and very soft, not like a sea sponge or synthetic sponge. My skin looks really glowing afterwards and feels lovely and soft.

Apparently you can use it to remove make-up but I prefer to remove mine then use this afterwards instead of facial wash.

This is a great natural, safe alternative to foaming cleansers and exfoliators for pregnant and/or breastfeeding mothers.

The Konjac Round Sponges are £6.99 and stocked in Harvey Nichols and Selfridges as well as www.konjacspongecompany.com 

CB