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PostingHow the mouse ran up the clock

HDClock_Small.jpgIf the government ever introduces Sats tests for the under-twos - surely only a matter of time - this could be the toy to have at your disposal. Hickory Dickory Clock (sent to us for review by makers Bright Minds, who specialise in toys that are educational and fun) works just like they say in the nursery rhyme. Mice run up and down, powered by infant hands. Youngest daughter Button (15 months) and I have spent hours - yes, literally hours, a tomato sauce even burnt dry one time - sat on the hall floor with this toy. Button enjoys posting the half dozen mice - all different colours - down the chimney. The mice are small, the perfect size for toddlers to grip. Some rattle, other crinkle. Then she opens a door with velcro fastening to retrieve the mice from inside the clock - and stuffs them down the chimney all over again. The transparent clock face means Button can see the mice as they scuttle down. The clock hands move, clicking as they go. So obvious potential there for an older child learning to tell the time. One reason I like this toy is because it should have a longer life span than many I've bought. It comes with a handle, on which there are black and white abacus-style counters that Button examines. On the back is a mirror, now smeary from licking. The nursery rhyme associations give the toy an old-fashioned quality, I sing the verses to Button as we play; it's sturdy and well-made (though in China, like most toys these days). At £29.99, Hickory Dickory Clock is not exactly cheap, but we have already had a lot of pleasure from it and I'm expecting more. Unlike a lot of the stuff littering our flat, (yes, I mean you, Sparkle World Magazine) the toy looks sensible even when not in use. The carriage clock design means it can sit on a table, without looking like something I haven't yet got round to tidying away. If you are looking for a gift for a pre-schooler who's at the loading/unloading stage, this might not be at all a bad idea.

Posted 06 November 2009 13:32 | Number of comments: 10 | Comments

Button Daughters Fun Mother Play Reviews Toys

PostingComing soon to a park near you....

Have joined a local exercise class that gets a group of new mums running round the park pushing their babies in buggies as they go. There's nothing like that shared sense of us all experiencing the same pelvic sagginess that the classes are designed to correct. In full formation we make quite a sight. As you might imagine, there's no shortage of comments from passers-by, almost all supportive, if also amused. "Holidays are over, girls," shouted one old lady to us, giggling as we trundled past. Another shook her head as she saw us, turned to her dog, then said: "You couldn't make this up." Someone else yelled over: "Well done!" and I wanted to hug her. New daughter (blog name yet to be decided) was delighted with the entertainment provided and grinned her appreciation at me from her cocoon. When all the mothers lay down on their waterproof mats for floor exercises she became a little fretful, obviously worried the power-walkers had taken mummy hostage, since I was out of sight to her up in the buggy. But she settled again quickly when I took her down from her buggy onto the picnic blanket with me. This is one of the areas where a class like this scores so highly - you can combine it with childcare, no need to arrange babysitting or beg a partner to watch the baby. It's obviously weather-dependent and classes are sometimes rained off (though the instructor was saying they'd been out in Edinburgh's January snow a week earlier) but people get round cold weather by running in gloves, hats, thermals and even leg-warmers. Theoretically, I could save money by running around the park on my own with daughter and buggy and get the same benefits, but I wouldn't have the nerve to do it alone and, in any case, it's more fun with other people. Edinburgh park-goers - you have been warned.

Posted 14 January 2009 16:55 | Number of comments: 10 | Comments

Activities Mother Edinburgh Fun Out and about

PostingHelp for pelvic pain in pregnancy

Like many pregnant women, I suffered from pelvic joint pain when expecting both my children, and got depressed being stuck at home all day, in considerable pain, reliant on other people for help with childcare and housework, even a trip to the loo a major expedition.  I couldn't turn over in bed, get up from a chair or kneel down to change a nappy without suffering acute pain. What kept me going was the knowledge (or, at times, faltering hope) that the suffering was finite and I'd be rewarded with a baby daughter at the end of my ordeal. In even more extreme cases than mine, pregnant women have to resort crutches or a wheelchair. And, in rarer cases still, the pain doesn't lift following delivery (although, thank goodness, mine did), leaving women with limited mobility for the rest of their lives.

But there is good news for anyone suffering this problem, (and for anyone who might be considering another pregnancy, but is frightened of doing so after previous pelvic pain). A group of women, most of whom suffered pelvic pain (also known as Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction or SPD) themselves, have set up The Pelvic Partnership. It's a charity that aims to support women and their families, and also let people know the condition is actually treatable - not something that's widely known.

"There can be concern among health care professionals about treating women who are pregnant," says the charity. "As a result, women can be left in pain or immobile. In fact, there is a lot that can be done throughout pregnancy by physiotherapists and others who are trained and experienced in treating the condition. Early intervention can improve the long-term outcome and reduce pain."

The charity has a list of osteopaths, physiotherapists and chiropractors around the UK recommended by its members for treating pelvic pain in pregnancy. It also offers tips and advice on how to manage the condition on a daily basis, such as suggesting women apply for a blue (disabled) parking badge to make parking easier (never my strong point), take analgesia in time to make it work before bed, and avoid certain positions such as lying in bed with their legs straight (which can be hard on vulnerable parts of the pelvis). It has advice on what support's available through different routes (such as occupational therapists, health visitors, benefits agencies, au pairs). It talks, too, about how pelvic pain can affect family dynamics, sex and intimacy.

More than anything, it can be a comfort to know you're not alone in struggling through these painful experiences, especially since pelvic pregnancy pain can isolate women, keeping us stuck on our own at home all day. "Remember that you are not the only person who has SPD - it can help to meet and talk to other women with SPD who are experiencing similar problems. You will find they feel the same," says the charity.

So pay the Pelvic Partnership a visit. Or drop them a line at enquiries@pelvicpartnership.org.uk

Posted 21 November 2008 13:45 | Number of comments: 10 | Comments

Mother Pregnancy Domestic chaos Health Pelvic girdle pain/SPD