The Mum Reviews

5 tips for a healthy recovery after having a baby

A guest post by Raunak Karim, who blogs for psysci, a psychology and science blog that examines the latest research in mental health and explains how findings can impact and improve people’s lives.

The new baby is here! Panic stations engaged. Do we have everything ready? Is he or she a healthy baby? What does the baby need us to do right now?

Wait! Stop.

We all get so focused on the new, little life that we often forget mum also needs some TLC after having a baby. Having a baby can be one of the most physically traumatic experiences for a woman to go through. Bits stretch and tear, things elongate which really shouldn’t and don’t forget the soup of hormones that churns through you before, during and after the birth. However, these five simple tips will go a long way in helping you have a healthy, happy recovery.

Hydrate

Dehydration can seriously weaken an already fatigued body. To the mum who’s just completed the physical marathon of childbirth, hydration is so important. The body’s fluid levels will be severely depleted postnatally, and are likely to diminish further as lactation begins. To restore fluid levels, plain water should be readily consumed, and diuretics such as caffeine avoided where possible (although sometimes your need for caffeine might be your top priority!). Increasing your fluid levels will help alleviate constipation issues and work to ensure sufficient fluid levels are retained when lactation begins.

Nutrition

Along with adequate and quality fluid intake, careful selection of nutritious meals are vital for a healthy recovery. Protein-rich foods and foods with high fibre content should be sought, along with a good multivitamin rich in B and D groups. Prior planning is recommended to prepare and freeze meals before childbirth and have them readily available for when you’re weak and in need of good nutrition. Good nutrition is imperative for both breastfeeding and formula feeding mums, in order to recover from the childbirth ordeal.

Sleep

Sleeping has phenomenal restorative properties for both the mind and body. Getting adequate sleep is vital for new mums, especially as the baby blues and interrupted nights may be just around the corner. It is recommended to sleep at the same time baby sleeps in order to keep up the quantity of hours you need to heal and handle the pressures of having a newborn baby. Of course that is not always possible, but remember that if your baby is sleeping, it doesn’t mean you should be doing the washing up. Don’t be afraid to ask visitors to look after the baby while you sneak off for a power nap.

Rest

Obviously, sleep might not always be ready and available for new mums. Instead, plan to rest. Ensure you have adequate time off work or study and don’t feel tempted to fill those days with jobs and tasks. Take the time to rest and recover from childbirth, even if it means sitting in your armchair all day long with baby in your arms. Rest is vital for a healthy recovery, and allows you time to form a strong, lasting attachment with your baby.

Ask for help

It was once said that it takes a village to raise a child. Well, if not a village, it certainly takes help! To ensure you have a healthy recovery, physically and emotionally, don’t be too proud or embarrassed to ask for help. Childbirth takes a huge physical toll and an even bigger emotional toll on mums. Pain, swelling, limited movement, fluctuating hormones and postnatal depression may all be factors in your recovery. There is nothing more important for your recovery than acknowledging these factors and asking for help.

Yes, it is important to focus on baby’s needs. He or she, after all, can’t do much independently in the early days! But you also need to remember your needs are just as important. You need to do everything possible to ensure a speedy, healthy recovery so you and baby can get on with getting to know one another.

Sunshine Blogger Award: Sweet stealing and spelling

I was invited by the very lovely Anna Brown to participate in the Sunshine Blogger Award. It’s a nice little tag post where someone asks you 10 questions, which you then answer and nominate 3 more bloggers to answer your own 10 questions. It’s a nice way of shouting out to other bloggers you like and learning more about them.

1. If you could visit any point in history for just an hour where, when and why?

Okay this is overly sentimental, perhaps, but give me a break – I’m still in grief mode. I would go back to Florida in Summer 2003, when I was living with my grandparents. I would sit my grandma down and ask her all of the questions I never got to ask, and tell her the things I never got to tell her.

2. What film does everyone else love that you think is totally overrated?

Does it have to be a film? Because the thing that really fits this question for me is Breaking Bad. Everyone thinks it’s so great, right? I tried really hard to watch it, but it just sets my teeth on edge. I had nightmares about the episode with the bathtub. If you’ve watched it you’ll know what I mean.

But I do like that joke that went round, about how if Breaking Bad took place in the UK, the whole story would never have happened because the NHS would sort him out for free and he wouldn’t need to sell drugs.

3. If you were a cocktail what would your ingredients be and what would you be called?

This is a really hard question! I’m no mixologist! Can I be a drink that already exists? I would be a bourbon sour, because it’s classy and complicated but not up itself. Also, it’s American but slowly becoming more accepted in the UK.

4. What five items are always in your handbag?

Besides the obvious wallet, keys, etc., I assume? Too many pens, an emergency sanitary pad, headphones, lipstick and business cards (two types – one for blogging and one for my day job).

5. If you had to lose one sense, which one would you choose?

Hearing because I think you probably lose the least amount of quality of life. You can still drive, see where you’re going, look in the mirror (I’m vain like that), unlike if you were blind. I love to eat so I don’t think life would be worth living without a sense of taste, and your sense of smell is linked to taste. And life without touch would be very lonely. I’m already losing my hearing anyway, I think, from listening to too much loud music as a teenager.

6. Have you ever broken the law? Details required unless a court case is pending.

When I was about 12, I stole some sweets from a store because I really wanted them and didn’t have any money. I felt so guilty that I went back the next day and left the money on the counter before running away. I’m such a rebel, right?

7. How do you de-stress?

I could probably make an argument for running or even blogging, but let’s face it: it’s wine.

8. If you could only eat one meal and drink one drink for all eternity without negative repercussion what would they be?

Does that mean I could only ever eat that thing, or just that I could eat as much of that thing as I want? Anyway, I reckon it would be a spicy chicken tikka masala with some vegetable sides, pilau rice and naan bread, with a Strongbow cider. If it’s a full meal, I would require poppadoms with chutney beforehand and cupcakes for afters. Really moist and spongey cupcakes with lots of icing on top – American ones, not stodgy British ones.

9. If you could choose a week away with your partner/children to ANYWHERE IN THE WHOLE WORLD or a week away solo to the place of your dreams, which would you choose? (and where’s the place of your dreams?)

There are so many places I’d like to go, but my big dream is to go to India, with a mixture of sightseeing and relaxing on a beach in Goa. A week might not be enough. I would either go with my partner and not my kids, or maybe take them when they’re much older than they are now.

10. Tell me three things that make YOU wonderful.

I’m honest, loyal to my friends, and good at spelling.

I’d like to invite 3 blogger friends of mine to participate next:

Hayley at Mission: Mindfulness – the blog
Catherine at Miss P Meets World
Heather at Shank You Very Much

And here are your questions:

What fictional place would you most like to visit?
What’s the farthest you have ever been from home?
If you could have one day where there would be no consequences for doing socially unacceptable things (not necessarily illegal – just rude), what would you do?
Who would play you in the movie of your life?
What is one song that would HAVE to be on your life movie’s soundtrack?
What is the number one thing on your “bucket list”?
What is your favourite conspiracy theory, that you really hope is actually true?
Would you rather travel to the past or the future, and why?
What is your favourite word? Mine is defenestrate.
Name 3 things you are grateful for today.

The slow runner’s guide to surviving a 10k, and why you should try it

I did it! I ran the London Vitality 10k! I’m pretty amazed that I managed to run the whole way without stopping, albeit slowly. My time was 1 hour and 16 minutes, which is slightly faster than the time I’d predicted for myself. It’s amazing to be successful at doing something that you never thought you could do.

The tips I shared before the race, about how to deal with your nerves and get ready to race, definitely helped me on the day. A few other prep things helped as well:

I woke up extra early so I didn’t have to rush getting ready. I faffed around the house packing my bag for the day, and made myself a scrambled egg muffin for a good protein and carb-rich breakfast.
I turned up at the race venue early too.
I waited at the start so that I was in the front of my start wave. It was fun being at the front, plus I didn’t have to worry about passing people – they all had to pass me instead!

During the race, I had a few strategies to keep me going:

I decided not to wear headphones and instead was mindful of my surroundings. It was a wonderful atmosphere, running among London landmarks, and there were so many people cheering, lining nearly the entire length of the course. Strangers cheering you on is a great motivator!
My main rule for myself was to just keep running. I knew if I stopped and walked a bit, it would destroy my mojo.
I repeated mantras in my head when it got tough: “Just keep running” and “Slow and steady wins the race” were what worked for me.
I made sure to get water when it was offered, which I’m sure helped keep me from keeling over.

The finisher’s t-shirt and the rather attractive medal were a nice part of completing the 10k. But the thing that made the experience amazing was the way I proved to myself that I could persevere with something I found very difficult.

In the days after the race, I’ve been finding it easier to make better choices for myself in daily life, because I’ve proven to myself that I have willpower.

Should I sit and have a coffee or clean the house? I ran a 10k! House cleaning presents no challenge to me!

Not to say there aren’t times when coffee would be a better choice. I’m just saying that reminding myself of what I can achieve when I put my mind to something, helps motivate me to do the work I need to do.

You might think that running is not for you. But I’m here to tell you that unless your GP has told you not to, it’s worth at least giving it a try. A few years ago, I would have said that I can’t run. Hated it. Said my big boobs would give me a black eye and no sports bra was up to the job. Said I had weak ankles. But now look what I’ve done!

So please forgive this somewhat NOT humble bragging post, but I am usually better at noticing my shortcomings than celebrating my achievements. I hope that my small triumph will inspire you to have a go at something that scares you, and then celebrate when you succeed.

I ran the London Vitality 10k in support of The Children’s Society. They waived the entry fee in return for my blogging, but I still fundraised £280 to support their work helping vulnerable children in the UK. My JustGiving page is still active if anyone else would like to donate.

How to deal with feeling nervous about your first running event

As my regular readers will know, I’ve been training for a 10k charity run since February. The big day is now upon us, in just 3 days. I feel relatively confident about my training. I’ve been working hard at it, and though I decided not to attempt the full 10k in training, I know I can do at least 8k at a decent speed. By decent, I mean at least slightly faster than walking.

However, as I started considering the practicalities of the big day – what to wear, what to bring, what to eat – I found my stomach tying into knots. I’m pretty worried that the whole thing could go catastrophically wrong in one way or another. One thing I’m worried about, which has happened to me for big events in the past, is to be so excited and nervous that I get an upset stomach.

Running and bad stomachs are not a good mix!

So I decided to reach out to some of my fellow bloggers for advice, figuring some of them must have done a run like this as well. Their answers were all really useful, and just hearing their reassurance has made me feel a lot more confident about the whole thing.

So I thought I would share the advice, for anyone else who might be feeling a bit nervous about their first big running event too.

I find that the nerves end up turning into that edgy excitement feeling and can spur you on in a race. Drink plenty of water and do a fun warm up to help reduce the worry. Once you get going you will forget it all and you will love it. Everyone will be in the same boat but that’s why there is usually a fab atmosphere at big runs.

– Emma Reed

Imagine yourself doing the run over the next few days and it all going perfectly. Good luck with the run!

– Happy Mummy

I was nervous about my first 10k last summer and then the Great North Run but I just kept remembering the medal lol.

– Just Average Jen

I was nervous doing a half-marathon, but remember you WILL NOT be last – by a long shot! I think it’s easy to assume you’ll be the “least professional” runner – it’s never true. Be proud and let your achievement carry you. Remember where you started and how far you’ve come. You got this!

– The Mumatron

Go somewhere quiet and just breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth slowly for a few minutes. Visualise yourself soaring across that line and the feeling of pride you’ll have when you complete it. (Because you will!😊)

– Pink Pink Bear

The build up is absolutely the worst bit. I’m always a mess at the start line and it takes me a mile or so to find my groove. Don’t try to beat the pack and go out too quickly. Just find a steady rhythm and lose yourself in the atmosphere. Then show off your medal at the end. 😊

– Mouse, Moo & Me Too

Before a race I pick a mantra and repeat it in my head whilst breathing deeply. Usually something like “I can finish this race” or “I’m strong and confident”. Good luck, remember to run your own race, forget about what everyone else is doing and remind yourself how badass your are for running 10k!

– Clare’s Little Tots

So to sum up:

Use your nerves to motivate you
Enjoy the atmosphere
Stay hydrated
Don’t worry about your performance – just do your best
Don’t worry about anyone else
Think positive
Use positive visualisation and mindfulness techniques
If all else fails, focus on the medal/bragging rights, etc.
You (probably) won’t be last (although someone has to be … but it’s no big deal)

Having these points in my head has made me feel 100 times better. Now I have a plan, all I have to do is pack my bag and figure out how to put that timing tag thingy on my trainers.

I’m running the London Vitality 10k and blogging about it to raise money for The Children’s Society, which helps vulnerable children and young people in the UK. If you would like to support me, please go to my JustGiving page.

Have you ever done a physical challenge event? How did it go? Do you have any tips to add?

The perfect day out at Pub in the Park

I have to admit that I’ve never been a prolific festival-goer, although I have enjoyed the few I have been to. The most notable one was a hard rock festival in rural Finland during which I lived in a soggy tent, never showered, and lived on yoghurt and gin for 3 days.

Now I am a parent and nearly 40, I am officially too old for that stuff. So where do you go when you’d love to soak up some festival atmosphere, but you’re not up for tents, wellies and gin?

The answer is new festival, Tom Kerridge’s Pub in the Park, featuring Michelin-star taster meals, an artisan food & drink market, live music and cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs. The festival ran 19–21 May at Higginson Park in Marlow, and was hosted by celebrity chef Tom Kerridge, famous for his Michelin-starred gastropubs. For a little more about the background about Tom and the festival, check out my Pub in the Park preview post. This post is dedicated to telling you about my visit to the festival, and why you want to be first in line for next year’s one.

I had tickets for the Saturday afternoon session and I had planned to bring my husband and children, but that didn’t quite work out for various reasons. I was lucky to recruit a friend to go with instead, and had an amazing child-free day. However, the place was absolutely chock full of happy children. Under-5s went free, and there was face painting and a pop up picture house there to keep them entertained. So you could certainly bring your kids if you want to; I just didn’t.

Arriving

Getting to Marlow is a bit of a faff to be honest, because it sits on a branch train line from Maidenhead and the total journey takes about an hour from London Paddington. And then we couldn’t get on the train at Marlow because it only had about 3 carriages and it was stuffed to the gills. Apparently, there was another festival in Cookham on the same line competing for train space with us. It would be great in future if both festivals cooperate with the rail company to improve transportation on that line. We ended up taking a cab from Maidenhead, which wasn’t too bad.

Once we made it to Marlow, though, it was smooth sailing. The town itself is beautiful and a joy to visit. There were loads of people pointing the way to the event and lots of signs, so you couldn’t really get lost. We sauntered into the park and waited for a very short time while listening to a local choir perform.

Then Tom Kerridge made a short speech to welcome us all to the event! We chased him down afterwards and got selfies with him, which was amazing. He was very gracious about posing with everyone who stopped him.

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Drinking

My friend and I made a beeline for the beautiful giant teapot where they were selling Pimms.

What a fabulous idea for an event stand, and apparently you can book this teapot for your own event. I think it’s a newish company, so check it out on Instagram @greatbritainevents if you have a need for a giant teapot that serves Pimms. I need to come up with an excuse.

There were also stands serving all manner of other cocktails, each specialising in a different spirit – whisky, gin, rum, etc. You could also get a good old-fashioned pint at the Rebellion Brewery tent, and I was impressed with the quality of the Rebellion Blonde I tried.

Another alcohol-related highlight was the Glenfiddich masterclass we attended. Mark (@singlemaltmark on Instagram) took us through three different Glenfiddich whiskies: the 12 year old, 15 year old and IPA.

Mark was refreshingly unpretentious about whisky, saying there is no single right way to serve it. Add water, ice, drink it straight or stick it in a cocktail – whatever makes you happy. He chatted to us about the history of Glenfiddich as a company and it was great to learn that, despite it’s international reputation, it is still a family business that produces all of its products in Scotland.

He also taught us how to prime our palates for tasting whisky. On your first sip, you swish it around in your mouth and then breathe out from your nose before swallowing. You need to try it – completely changes how your next sip will taste.

Eating

One of the really unique aspects of the festival is that you can buy small portions of Michelin-starred food for just £5 per portion. I had planned to EAT ALL THE THINGS while I was there, but actually there was so much to do that we only got around to try two different stands. However, my tasters were certainly memorable.

I went first to Atul Kochhar’s Sindhu stand. The Sindhu restaurant serves Indian food at the nearby Compleat Angler hotel. Atul Kochhar has two Michelin stars and is more well-known for his restaurant Benares in London. One of my ultimate culinary goals is to go to Benares, so I grasped at this small chance to catch a taste of Kochhar’s cuisine. I had the Aloo Tikka Chaat, which was so beautiful to look at that it almost seemed a shame to eat it.

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The lightly-spiced potatoes offered a modest but satisfying crunch at first bite, revealing a fluffy interior. The combination of tamarind and coriander chutneys, yoghurt and pomegranate seeds gave you sweet, sour, tangy, juicy, crunchy, crunchy and fresh all in one go. Who knew a small paper bowl could give you so much.

We also went to The Coach stand, which is one of Tom Kerridge’s pubs. We had all 3 of the tasters on offers there. The chalkboard will communicate this more eloquently than me:

The ham hock terrine was beautifully presented, fresh and tasty, but not particularly more special than any ham hock terrine I’ve had.

The venison chilli was slightly more interesting, with uncompromisingly tender flakes of venison in a rich but not-spicy sauce. The best bit was the toasted “rice cream” at the top, which I suppose is the equivalent of sour cream on a normal chili, but it was made of fluffy cream clouds with a slightly sour tang, followed by the satisfying crunch of the tiny bits of – well, let’s face it – rice krispies. I’m going to try putting rice krispies on top of my chilli at home.

But the winner out of the three was the smokey sausages & beans. Among its menu companions, it sounds the least original, but it was the stand out dish. A rich tomato-ey sauce, abundant in tender sausage slices, was infused with the pickle-y flavours of the chilli & lime salsa that delivered more than a little chilli kick and a mouth-watering vinegar tang. I could have eaten a much, much bigger bowl of that.

Shopping

There was an amazing artisan food and drink market at the festival, and we worked our way around eating and drinking all of the free samples we could handle. We were so impressed at the friendliness of the vendors and the quality of products on offer. We struggled to decide what things were worth bringing home.

I ended up with 2 pints of bitter from Chiltern Brewery (@chilternbrewery), some garlic & chilli pork scratchings from the Isle of Wight Garlic Farm (see previous post referring to that place), and a three-pack of BumbleBee Cider (@bbcider), which is the best cider I’ve had ever since a friend made his own in his basement – and I’m not being facetious, that basement cider was amazing. It was light and not too fizzy, striking a perfect balance between sweet and sharp.

Being entertained

As if all this loveliness wasn’t enough, there were also celebrity chef demonstrations and live music. We saw Atul Kochhar cook some coconut seabass and crack jokes. When asked what spice he couldn’t do without, he said, “my wife”.

And Monica Galetti was her usual cool and witty self (I was far back in the crowd for that one, plus think I’d had too many “samples” by then and don’t remember what she cooked).

And then to top it all off, we saw Toploader. You know, the band who plays “Dancing in the Moonlight“, which if you’re anything like me, holds many pleasant student union memories. We couldn’t stay long enough to see their whole set, but I was really impressed by their style – some pretty credible rock music was coming from that stage.

The verdict

Seriously, if you like food, if you like celebrity chefs, if you like drinking in fields and listening to music, there is nothing about this festival you won’t like. It had all the party atmosphere, but with lots of classy content added in, for the more “mature” festival-goer. I was lucky to get free tickets in exchange for this review, but I guarantee you I’ll be paying for tickets to go again next year. You should too.

My toddler drew on the wall so I Stickerscape-d it

I increasingly consider myself a lifestyle blogger, but I’m not sure I really qualify. Because lifestyle bloggers are supposed to have beautiful homes, right? And I don’t. We moved into this house over 10 years ago now and have never painted the walls in the lounge.

We were so busy working and socialising before we had kids that we didn’t really think interior decorating was a priority. Now that we do have kids, who force us to stay in staring at our walls, we are wishing we could spruce them up a bit. But it is utterly pointless. The other day, my toddler took a dry erase marker to the wall. And dry erase markers do not erase off of walls.

Wall drawing.jpg — Here is his masterpiece. What do you think it is? Maybe an expressionist jellyfish.

I find decorating to be annoying and expensive, and the last thing I want to do is go through all that just to have my freshly-painted wall drawn on by a 2 year old. So when Stickerscape contacted me to ask if I’d like to review one of their Thomas and Friends wall stickers, I had a lightbulb moment …

I could use the sticker to cover up my toddler’s wall drawing!

Thus improving the general ambience of the room without having to do any actual decorating. And he is Thomas-mad so I figured he’d be pleased with my scheme.

I chose one that had pictures of all the different Thomas and Friends trains with their names underneath. I thought it might help me keep track of which is which, as I’m a horrible mother who doesn’t know my Gordon from my Percy. It’s also good because you can either use the stickers all in one sheet as they come, or cut them out and put them on different places according to your preference. I decided to go with the former, because otherwise I would put them on all wonky.

The sticker comes rolled up in a poster tube, and then wrapped rather attractively in crepe paper. You unroll it and there are some instructions included.

The stickers have a plastic backing and transfer paper on the front. So you have to stick them to the wall carefully as you peel off the backing, let them rest for 5 minutes, and then carefully remove the transfer paper. Before and after you stick it, you need to use a plastic card to push the stickers into the transfer paper and then onto the wall. Luckily, I recently lost my Oyster card and then found it after I’d already gotten a new one. So I had a spare card just lying around.

Now, I have to tell you … I have really poor motor skills and am extremely impatient. My husband tells me off because I can’t open the Cheerios box properly – I always rip part of the box lid despite trying not to. Bad things happen to most of the packaging I encounter.

So I can assure you that even the most cack-handed among us can apply one of these wall stickers successfully. I was sure I would end up with at least one bit sort of ripped in the middle, or for the whole thing to go pear-shaped. But it didn’t. It’s really quite good.

And if you have a wall you actually care about, the stickers peel right off without damaging it as well.

Because of the sort of sticker I chose, it doesn’t totally cover up my toddler’s drawing. Some might argue it draws attention to it. But for me, it just makes a dingy wall into a cheerful happy little playspace. And my little one was so chuffed with it that he stood still and looked like a little angel for the picture.

I should also add that we have used wall stickers from other companies before in the kids’ bedrooms. Stickerscape is definitely better than the ones we used before, for two reasons. First of all, the licensed content. Not all sticker companies have the likes of Thomas, Peppa Pig and In the Night Garden stickers available. Secondly, the price. The smaller wall stickers all come in less than £20, and in my experience that is very good value – especially for recognisable characters.

So, if you’re doing up a nursery or child’s room, or you just want to cover something up, take a look at Stickerscape. They should definitely be your first point of call for wall stickers.

Stickerscape is currently offering 20% off on their new Thomas & Friends collection. Use Thomas20 at checkout. Expires 4 June 2017.

Disclosure: I received the sticker free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

#EatSleepBlogRT – 21 May

Welcome to Week 9 of #EatSleepBlogRT! It was a really busy week, as you will see from my host post, but I really enjoyed reading all your posts as a way to unwind on Friday night. I’m a little late adding this post and Zoe’s post is missing this week due to her wifi being gone for her impending move. Life never stops being interesting!

The winner of Top Post is Lisa Pomerantzster, “Swimming upstream. The world can be a pretty mean place sometimes, but it’s nice to be reminded that it’s right to keep on standing up for ourselves.

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Top Tweeter was Laura from Five Little Doves (@fivelittledove5). And incidentally I really loved her post this week about CBeebies Land. I’d been wondering if it was worth going and she makes a good case.

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Nicole and Zoe

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#EatSleepBlogRT – 14 May

Welcome to Week 8 of #EatSleepBlogRT! Thanks for everyone who joined us last week. It was a great group and very hard to choose a top post among so many great ones!

The winner of Top Post was Miss P Meets World, “ “What’s in our baby keepsake box?”. This made me all emotional and nostalgic about the little things I have that remind me of when my babies were very small. They really do grow up too fast. Are you good at letting go of sentimental things to avoid clutter? I definitely am not!

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I’m awarding Top Tweeter to The Frenchie Mummy (@FrenchieMummy) this week. She made a really great effort in tweeting out lots of posts.

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Not Your Average Tuna Salad

In the early days of summer, I haven’t got a lot of salad materials on hand, but the warm days call for cool dinners. This is a recipe I can whip up with cupboard and fridge staples, but adds a fresh, crunchy salad feel to a tuna pasta dish. I start out with veggie spiral pasta, tinned tuna and mayo, but this recipe might surprise with a sweet note of balsamic vinegar and the crunch of raw broccoli.

This is a super-fast midweek gem that satisfies a busy summer afternoon’s time constraints. With twenty minutes to boil the water and cook the pasta, you can prepare the tuna and broccoli in the meantime and throw it all into the fridge before football practice or a trip to the park. My kids surprised me by barely noticing the raw florets when they were first served this dish, and I think it adds lovely texture along with the numerous health benefits of eating raw. If you prefer to avoid mayo, feel free to use your favourite Italian dressing or even yogurt-based Caesar dressing for a tailored taste. Make it your own!

You’ll need:

8oz/220g tinned tuna, drained
12oz/340g veggie spiral pasta (or your favourite pasta for cold salad)
3 tablespoons light mayonnaise (or more to your taste – I don’t like too much mayo)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder (I use a garlic and herb mix with parsley)
½ cup fresh broccoli florets (gently cut the fine top layer of a head of broccoli, keep the rest for soup)
1 cup grated cheddar (finely grated more evenly distributes)
1 tablespoon chopped gherkins or American style pickle relish (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

The method:

Start a medium-sized pot for boiling water. No need for a giant pot – the pasta cooks as long as it’s covered. Add the dry pasta once you have a rolling boil and reduce the heat.

Drain your tuna well and scoop it into a large bowl that will accommodate the pasta as well.

Add the balsamic vinegar to the tuna and break it up very well before incorporating the mayonnaise.

Add the garlic powder, salt and pepper and mix well.

Slice the top layer of the broccoli to get just the tiniest bits for your salad and save the stalks for another recipe (soup is a favourite).

Drain your pasta once it’s al dente and rinse it with cold water to cool it quickly. Toss the pasta a fair bit to drain as much of the water from the spirals as possible.

Add the pasta to the tuna mixture and mix it well before adding the broccoli and shredded cheese. You can stir in your gherkins/relish at the end if you are adding that.

Give the salad a good toss to distribute the broccoli and cheese, but don’t overdo it or it might start to break down the pasta. Add more salt or pepper to taste before covering the bowl and putting it in the fridge until serving. It can be eaten straight away, but tastes refreshing for a hot summer dinner after about 30 minutes. Spice it up with some chili flake, or add more crunch with some bacon crumbles to make this an amazing party salad, too! Hope you like it … simple but surprising!

Don’t feel rushed through your antenatal appointments

I had lots of lovely midwives who looked after me during my pregnancies and the births of my two boys. But I also remember the bad one. She spoke so fast and in an accent that I had difficulty understanding. She acted annoyed when I asked her questions or to repeat herself, and I never felt like she was listening to me.

Every time I saw this midwife, I would leave the surgery in tears. She made me feel so unsupported and so insecure. If I had any worries about my pregnancy, I felt even more worried about them after meeting with her. It made me more timid about asking questions when I saw midwives, because I’d been made to feel that I needed to hurry through the appointment.

Having a problem with your midwife, or simply hearing all the time about how busy the NHS is and how strained midwifery services are, or even just a natural desire not to “make a fuss”, can lead to us not speaking up about our pregnancy worries.

A poll on the Babycentre website showed that more than 60% of women worried about wasting time when thinking about raising a concern, and almost 30% of women didn’t speak up because of it. This could lead to missing a chance to get medical help for a complication in pregnancy.

If things go wrong in your pregnancy, it is never your fault. But, you have a right to speak up and ask questions if you’re worried about anything, and trusting your instincts could lead to a problem being spotted before it gets worse. If you encounter a crap midwife who won’t help you, ask for a second opinion. And don’t let worrying about time-wasting or being a nuisance ever stop you from speaking up.

Tommy’s, King’s College London and Babycentre have launched the ‘Always Ask’ campaign to empower pregnant women to overcome fears about speaking to professionals about health concerns. These short videos aim to empower women to speak up and help them voice their concerns effectively.

The campaign is underpinned by a research-based project led by Dr Nicola Mackintosh at King’s College London. ‘The Re-Assure project’ aimed to enable women to share their safety concerns about life threatening illness in order to facilitate a maternity response. The project brought together women, health professionals, a writer and a digital artist to create an animation that follows a pregnant woman through her pregnancy journey.

The campaign also offers tips for speaking up in pregnancy, which have been gathered from women who took part in the project:

Don’t play it down – take your concerns seriously and others will too
Be specific – say what has changed, even if you don’t think it’s related to your pregnancy
Begin by saying, “I am concerned …”
Ask the healthcare professionals for their name
Make a list of all your concerns
Write down what you’re told
It’s ok to say you are feeling vulnerable and frightened
Before you leave that appointment – consider whether you have asked all your questions and are satisfied with the answers
If you can’t make yourself heard or you don’t agree or you feel uncomfortable, say “Let me think about that and get back to you”
If you are not happy with the response ask for a second opinion.

A good midwife would rather reassure you 100 times than miss a problem ONCE. If you are unsure, always ask.

This post is based on a press release received from Tommy’s. I did not receive any incentive to publish this information.