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Baby BuBu has a baby carrier to suit everyone’s needs.  Our range is increasing and we are delighted to introduce two new brands: Wallaboo and Baby Sense to the already comprehensive collection of baby slings and carriers.

If you are looking for a sling style carrier then look no further than the new fun and funky Wallaboo Cotton Sling – available in vibrant colours, this sling is suitable for use from birth and can be adjusted easily for both mum and dad. Only £36.99 this sling is guaranteed to make you and baby stand out in a crowd! (Wig optional!)

The Baby Sense sling is a super practical and has been designed to encourage parents to carry their babies in the optimal foetal position – only £29.99.

We also have a great selection of front carriers – from top brands Wilkinet and Samsonite.

As baby gets a little older (and heavier) a Hippychick Hip Seat may be the answer to supporting your little one. Specifically designed to address one of the root causes of adult back pain, the seat provides a firm shelf for the child to sit on and supports their increasingly heavy weight from underneath. Only £36.99 and available in 7 colours.

And remember the T.I.C.K.S when using a baby carrier:

• Tight
• In view at all times
• Close enough to kiss
• Keep chin off the chest
• Supported straight back

For many of us, this is the worst recession we can remember. We are all tightening the purse strings. It appears that we are shunning nights out. However, we are not sitting in front of the television, we are spending a little of that extra time in bed!

The demand for pregnancy tests has risen dramatically over the last two years and this trend continues in 2011. Tesco has also noticed that its sale of condoms has dropped over the same period. So, if your shape is changing, your waist is fast disappearing and your boobs are about to hit mega proportions, don’t reach for that tent sized t-shirt or your partner’s joggers – stop right there - if you are a stylish dresser and want to maintain that style throughout your pregnancy, there is hope & help!

Whether you’re battling morning sickness, tiredness or simply having a problem finding clothes to fit and suit you, read on. You can maintain your style at this special time by investing in the right maternity wear and wearing the colours that suit you and highlight your gorgeous pregnant glow.

Why do I need good fitting maternity clothes?

During pregnancy the volume of blood within your body increases by a huge amount. You need increased amounts of blood and your baby needs more as it grows. If you restrict the flow of blood through your body with ill-fitting clothing you are likely to swell in all the wrong places! This will make you feel uncomfortable, lead to hot flushes and hinder your enjoyment of your pregnancy.

Remember, your baby needs room to grow and your body is going to grow to accommodate it. Be realistic, most of us grow more than the average celebrity mum!

How should I choose my maternity clothing?

In the first few months of your pregnancy, you will be able to wear your usual clothes. Select tops that have a bit of stretch in them and wear your jackets and cardigans open.

As your bump begins to grow and you find that your usual clothes are getting tighter, an easy and flattering solution is to choose properly designed maternity clothes. Generally, stick to the styles and size you wore pre-pregnancy. Good quality, properly designed maternity clothing is made this way. Baggy is not best! You may be inclined to cover everything up as you grow but fitted clothing will be far more flattering and really show off your bump!

Maternity tops with lycra/elastane in them are great for stretch and will help to flatter your shape. They will look smart for work worn under a jacket.  For casual wear, try tops in soft fabrics that are fitted over the bust and flow over the stomach. Teamed with your best maternity jeans your casual tops will help to make you look and feel great.

A dress is a maternity must have. A wrap dress will drape in all the right places and can be worn for the office or provide a backdrop for glamorous accessories ona special occasion!

Once a hair band or safety pin holding up your jeans & trousers will no longer suffice, invest in a quality pair of maternity jeans/trousers. Many of these have a wonderful hidden elastic panel to allow wear throughout your pregnancy. Be sure to avoid drawstring waists on jeans.

A trip to a reputable lingerie shop for a fitting is essential every 5-6 weeks. Your bust will be changing size and you must ensure you are fitted with the correct underwear. Wearing the correct underwear is key to ensuring your clothes fit well and look as they should.

Why not treat yourself to a shopping trip at Bumpalicious Maternity. It stocks a full range of gorgeous maternity wear. They will even come out to your home so that you can try the clothing on.

Most of all, be true to yourself, do not compromise your style – your pregnant curves are something to be embraced; show them off. Be glamorous, be sexy, be colourful, be Bumpalicious.

Visit www.bumpaliciousmaternity.co.uk for a fabulous range of stylish maternity wear. Enter code BumpBuBu for 15% off your first order.

Great advice from Geraldine at Let’s Breastfeed:

Wouldn’t it be great if we could have our meals perfectly prepared to these specifications, taking into account calorie requirements and adjustments to warmer or cooler climates to ensure we remain hydrated?

Well, without much input from you, your body gets to work and produces meals to these specifications and higher at each breast feed.

Many new mums I speak to are concerned that they are not producing the right kind of breast milk to meet their baby’s needs. This is very unlikely and often all that is needed is a slight tweak here or there, to their feeding pattern.

I am surprised when these concerns arise even when babies are gaining weight well and piling on weight each week. The concern then becomes one of overfeeding. So, the question I pose is whether breastfed babies can be overfed and whether it is necessary to control their milk intake in order to prevent them from becoming too podgy?

It is well documented that breast milk is packed with benefits and one of the benefits of breastfeeding, is that your baby is able to decide when she has had enough milk. You may have been told that over-feeding a breastfeeding baby is pretty difficult, however it is possible, especially when mums have a fast flowing milk or quite a lot of it. Usually babies learn to cope with a fast flow or a high volume of milk, so it is not a problem.

Whilst not knowing how much milk your baby has actually had at one feed may leave you feeling a little uncertain when she pulls away from the breast after a very short feed, but evidence in the form of wet and dirty nappies and weight gain, will quickly reassure you that she knows what she needs and she will ensure that she gets it, provided she has access to the breast.

Soon your confidence will grow as you watch her more closely and respond to her cues. This is better than being guided by a chart on the back of the tin, which may suggest that your baby needs more than she really does. (if bottle feeding, give your baby short breaks after 30-40mls and allow her to decide if she would like more or not.)

Even if your breastfed baby seems to be piling on more weight than necessary, be reassured that studies comparing breastfed and formula fed babies, found that breast fed babies became ‘leaner’ sooner than formula fed babies.

Breast milk being tailor made to suit your baby’s individual needs, is more readily absorbed and therefore her tummy will empty sooner on breast milk feeds than formula feeds. So it is not surprising that a breastfed infant will want to nurse more frequently than a formula fed baby. Don’t restrict her feeds to reduce calories, she will only take what she needs.

Remember that you provide so much more than food to her. Suckling at your breast comforts and calms her, provides all the nutrients she needs and quenches her thirst.
If your baby is bringing up milk after feeds and your GP is happy that she is well and healthy, she may just be taking in more milk than she needs (maybe you have a fast flow or a lot of milk).

If your baby has unwittingly taken on more milk than she needs, it is not unusual for her to bring up the excess milk. Provided she seems comfortable once she has brought up milk, there is nothing to be concerned about.

If you are still feeling a little unsettled, speak to a breastfeeding counsellor about whether you are interpreting her cues correctly. It can be tricky to distinguish different cries in the beginning and this can lead to mums offering the breast more frequently that she needs.

Defend infant feeding support and National Breastfeeding Week from UK Government cuts

The UK Department of Health is planning to scrap its Infant Feeding Coordinator posts and its support for National Breastfeeding Awareness Week.

Please send a message to the Secretary of State for Health asking him to reverse this decision, not least to save taxpayers money at this time of limited budgets.

Many countries have similar posts as part of their commitment to the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding and the Innocenti Declaration. This work is being stopped in the UK to help cut the country's budget deficit, but will lead to medium and long-term costs to the health service and growth in health inequalities. The National Health Service spends millions of pounds every year treating some of the extra illness amongst formula fed babies (according to NICE, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence).

The Department of Health was not only promoting and supporting breastfeeding; it was working to help mothers who bottle feed. Please go to Baby Milk Action and complete the form that will be forwarded to the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley.