Tag: help

family in nicu

How Can You Support A Family With A Baby In NICU?

Posted on by Emma Reed

It can be difficult for people to know what the right things to say or do when a family welcome a baby prematurely. I must admit that before we had William I was pretty clueless about the ins and outs of NICU life and even though I have known of couples who have had a baby pre-term it felt as though if I asked lots of questions I may have seemed as though I was prying and I didn’t want to offend by asking the wrong thing. Now I have been in those shoes I know what a scary, lonely time it can be and for me, I found talking helped. I think we can all be a little too polite at times and perhaps if we spoke about situations a little more we could all offer and receive more help and support.

So, what does a family with a baby in NICU need and how can you provide that support? Continue reading “How Can You Support A Family With A Baby In NICU?” →

dog on a blue chair

Go Fetch: Helpful Solutions To Common Dog Problems

Posted on by Emma Reed

A dog is a great companion and loyal friend, but as any canine owner will tell you, there are challenges and problems that come with having a pooch in the home, no matter how adorable they are. Here are some common issues dog owners face, and some helpful tips to resolve them.


Your dog’s bark is worse than his bite

That’s not true of course; it’s only a saying. However, hearing your dog bark constantly can be a nuisance for you and your neighbours. Short of soundproofing your walls and investing in a pair of noise-reducing headphones, what can you do about it?

Tip: Figure out why they are barking. Once you understand why you can do something about it. They may be begging for your attention or could be distracted by other animals outside, as possible examples. You should try and focus your dog’s attention on something else, or use these training tips to teach your dog to be quiet. Continue reading “Go Fetch: Helpful Solutions To Common Dog Problems” →

mental health awareness week- tips to achieve good mental well-being

Mental Health Awareness Week- Tips to help achieve good mental well-being

Posted on by Emma Reed

When you have suffered with your own mental health for a number of years you begin to learn what can trigger a bad mood, what can bring on anxiety, what can make you angry and the patterns that often emerge. I personally find that spending a long time alone can make me miserable and low, one bad event will outweigh several good ones and upsets from friends/family/husband can linger for far too long. By recognising slight changes Continue reading “Mental Health Awareness Week- Tips to help achieve good mental well-being” →

album cover of belightful music

How We Have Been Tackling Bedtime With Belightful Music

Posted on by Emma Reed

As you are probably aware by now, Jake does not sleep well. The issues vary from refusing to go to bed, getting up several times once we have put him to bed to waking up at a variety times during the night. There is no rhyme or reason, the health visitor could not solve the issue by changing meal times, varying his food or by introducing a gro-clock and as he doesn’t do it at the same time every night so it isn’t a habitual issue. I have tried every trick in the book, even resorting to Continue reading “How We Have Been Tackling Bedtime With Belightful Music” →

baby's front teeth- teething

Identifying Teething Symptoms and Learning How To Cope With Them

Posted on by Emma Reed

Teething was the bane of my life. Jake started to show teething signs at 6 weeks of age and started to cut them at 5 months. People may tell you they are too young but this isn’t true, did you know that a baby can be born with teeth?! His earliest teething symptoms were the typical dribbling and chewing but as each new tooth rumbled we began to identify others, some of which were a little bizarre. I talk about 22 teething symptoms in my book but for this article, I have picked just a selection which should help you to identify and learn how to deal with the ones you may well be seeing in your baby. Continue reading “Identifying Teething Symptoms and Learning How To Cope With Them” →

my sister and me. Endometriosis blog

Endometriosis: Looking in from the Outside

Posted on by Emma Reed

When my sister began to have abdominal pain four years ago my immediate thoughts were actually the same as the doctors in a+e; possible urine infection, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, kidney stones, appendicitis amongst a few others. After ruling out all on the first list she was eventually (finally – it takes a while) left with a diagnosis Continue reading “Endometriosis: Looking in from the Outside” →