mama-la-mode

Friday, 13 November 2009

Mama-la-mode Bump & Birth Directory

The Westover is a new concept in healthcare providing members with unlimited access to its GPs and partners with a team of specialists including dentists, nutritionists, gynecologists, dermatologists, life coaches and fitness gurus. The Bump at The Westover provides a full range of medical, antenatal, and parenting services and support with their prestigious group of consultants and therapists specialising in women and children’s health. We love the Bump’s devotion to mothers during this exciting time in their lives and, more so, we love the experts blog that aims to calm the nerves of those of us who like be informed on every little detail (yes, we’ve raised our hands too!).

The Westover has arranged for Mama-la-mode customers to recieve a discount on membership. Get 12 months of care for the cost of 10 months - Simply ring 020 7243 7090 and quote reference 'MamaLaMode01' for more information!

Baby Premier

Baby Premier offers a high standard in private maternity care for women, with locations on Harley Street in London and throughout Britain. They have large offer of ultrasound examinations including 3D and 4D scans, so that parents can get a sneak peek at their baby before its arrival. Via their numerous clinics they gurantee a friendly and helpful atmosphere for expecting mums.

Harley Street Centre for Women

The Harley Street Centre for Women offers specialist care in pregnancy, childbirth, gynaecology and clinical genetics in a private, relaxing setting. With their offer of state of the art scanning services, including 4D ultrasounds that show details of your baby, and a beautiful welcoming clinic, the HSCW is more Spa than clinic!

London Ultrasound Centre

London Ultrasound Centre is a private scanning clinic for women in the heart of Britain’s private medical district in London. They provide a full range of ultra-sound examinations for all women, including the ever-popular Cocoon 4D ultrasound scanning suite for those who can’t wait to see what their baby looks like!

The Portland Hospital

Mothers-to-be who choose The Portland Hospital for their maternity care can rest assured in the confidence that they will receive the highest quality specialist treatment for their pregnancy and birth.We highly recommend this private hospital forits attention to details and its luxurious treatment of their patients. With its offer of numerous paediatric specialties, your baby is assured all the attention it deserves!

Fetal Medicine Centre

The Fetal Medicine Centre is a wonderful clinic that provides truly exceptional care for pregnant women by doctors who are specially trained in ultrasound scanning and fetal medicine. All profits from FMC are directly donated to the Fetal Medical Foundation, which funds research and training in fetal medicine, so each visit you give something back!

The Birth Centre

As a private midwifery practice, the Birth Centre offers expecting women an alternative experience during childbirth. Perhaps you find the thought of giving birth in a hospital too clinical, and maybe the thought of a birth at home makes you feels too exposed - that's where the Birth Centre comes in. It has been especially designed for your comfort and safety in labour and birth, and remains the happy home of happy birthdays!

Thursday, 12 November 2009

Denise Van Outen Pregnant with First Child

Congratulations to the gorgeous TV presenter Denise Van Outen (35) who announced this week she is pregnant with her first child.
Denise who married her partner Lee Mead (winner of Any Dream Will Do), is said to be delighted and 'can’t wait to start their family.'

The pair met on the BBC Talent show searching for the next West End star where Denise was a member of the judging panel and ended up falling for Lee after he won the prize role in Joseph's Technicolor Dreamcoat with his rendition of Any Dream Will Do

Thursday, 5 November 2009

Winter Staples & Parking Mad, by Marina Fogle

The combination of the weather finally cooling and my stomach finally expanding has made choosing what to wear every morning this week particularly hard. There’s really no doubting I’m pregnant now - good when I get shunted to the front of the queue at the bank; bad if I’ve got nothing that fits.

So it’s back to basics. I’ve invested in one of every colour of Homemummy Rouched Bound Vest tops. They flatter my bump and are way long enough to cover its vast expanse.

And then you get to play with whatever goes on top. A selection of good cardigans is essential and thanks to this season’s trends, you don’t necessarily need to stick to maternity styles. My favourite is this Christopher Fisher Tie Cardigan which is the perfect piece throughout pregnancy and beyond. The tie, ties just above your bump giving it definition without making it

look too big. It’s also not too bulky so you can easily wear it under a coat as the weather cools. Then when your baby is born and your tummy is not yet flat, the ties hide what needs hiding.

Another good trend is for long cardigans. I’ve got this Long Sleeve Stripe Cardi from Hobbs which is great over my skinny paige jeans or my beloved MLM leggings. It buttons up over my bump and keeps both of us toasty warm.

For a bit of evening sparkle, I love this sequin Juicy Couture cardigan. Again it would go over my mlm leggings with a pair of sky high heels (provided my husband is around to cling to and there’s no walking involved).

I had to pop into Sainsburys the other day, literally just for a second. It was one of those days, raining; I was running late and of course had forgotten to buy tarragon for dinner. In a black mood, I nipped into the car park and there was a mother and child space that enticed me into it. As I stepped out of my car, a man in a yellow jacket approached me and asked “Excuse me madam, where is your child?” to which I replied “I think it should be perfectly obvious that it’s in my uterus”. He didn’t really have an answer to that. Ha! No-one messes with a pregnant woman…

Tuesday, 3 November 2009

It's a boy!

Congratulations to the lovely mama-la-mode fan Coleen Rooney, who gave birth to her first child on Monday 2nd of November! Coleen and husband, England footballer Wayne Rooney welcomed baby boy 'Kai Wayne Rooney' into the world nine days after her due date at Liverpool Women’s Hospital. A Rooney spokesman said ‘Wayne and Coleen are thrilled with the wonderful new addition to their family life,’

Here at mama-la-mode we will miss her chic maternity style, but can't wait for her yummy mummy wardrobe....

Thursday, 29 October 2009

Mummies be informed, by Marina Fogle

It’s a sad week for me. All is well with my baby but I finished my course of ante-natal classes. I somewhat poo-poohed the idea when it first came to signing up; I’d read a hell of a lot of books and coming from a medical family I knew everything, surely? A friend finally convinced me to sign up to Christine Hill (Christine Hill Associates 020 8994 4349), an obstetric physiotherapist who runs ante-natal classes in Chiswick and in September I trundled along, convinced I’d learn nothing new.

As our group of ten mummies-to-be sat there, nervously surveying each other, Christine announced “You’ll all be best friends. You may not think so now, but I guarantee you’ll be on the phone to each other constantly when your babies all arrive”. And thus our journey started. The weekly two hour sessions covered everything from what happens to you anatomically and emotionally, to what kit is essential for your new baby, via pain relief, breathing techniques and how to deal with your mother-in-law.

Christine tells it how it is – she’s very no-nonsense and the one thing you’re guaranteed to get is a straight answer. Little things like, she believes very strongly that you have to get into hospital within an hour of your waters breaking. They will quickly monitor the baby and if all is okay and you’re still in the early stages of labour, send you home again. There is a small chance that the baby could be restricting the umbilical cord and if this is the case, it needs to come out as soon as possible. Lots of hospitals discourage you from coming in at this early stage, but Christine advised us that if you ever want to be seen, just tell them that you can’t feel the baby moving. They’ll then see you straight away.

We talked to a doctor who explained all about medicalised deliveries, and a breastfeeding specialist who convinced us that if done correctly, sore nipples and mastitis can be avoided. After eight sessions, I not only feel confident about giving birth and looking after my newborn, but I can’t wait to feel my first contraction. And even better, Christine was right. Our group of girls are as thick as thieves. Charlie, ‘our’ first baby, was born a week ago, and we all shed a little tear when we heard the news….

National Childbirth Trust (NCT) www.nct.org.uk

Wednesday, 28 October 2009

Mama-la-mode is not affected by the postal strike...

Just a note to let you know that mama-la-mode is not affected by the postal srike! All our orders are shipped by Fedex without fail, and therefore will be with you wihtout delay!

Monday, 19 October 2009

Best Buggy Buys

Choosing how to transport your child can be as time consuming as choosing a car, especially when it appears that there are as many different types and brands of buggies as there are types of cars! Do you go for a timeless classic? Or the trendiest most technological go faster buggy? Or does who's pushing what matter most in terms of celebrity style? Needless to say it is best to choose a style that will work best for you and your baby, taking into consideration your lifestyle and how your buggy will accommodate / navigate your daily needs.
If you live in a fifth floor apartment, you would probably be looking for something lightweight and collapsible. Do you plan to use it for more than one child? In this case you will probably be best to look for something more robust & classic. Are you an avid walker who plans to take baby on power walks through different terrains? If you are, a three wheeled pram with hard wearing wheels and easy maneuverability is ideal. Your choice of buggy is a personal decision, but here at mama-la-mode we have picked a few of our favourites to help you to choose wheels that work for you....