Coping with Pubic Pain

The official condition is called Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD) and is thought to affect one in four pregnant women to varying degrees.  The main symptom is usually pain or discomfort in the pelvic region. This will probably be centred on the joint at the front of the pelvis (the pubic symphysis). 

Sufferers can also experience pain in the lower back, hips, groin, lower abdomen, and legs. The severity of the pain can range from mild discomfort to extreme and prolonged suffering. If you have this condition no doubt you’ll have difficulty climbing stairs, problems when carrying out weight bearing activities, difficulties carrying out everyday activities, and even difficulties standing.

The good news is the vast majority of symptoms will disappear after you give birth to your baby.  

But…how do you manage day-to-day, especially if you have other children that need caring for? 

• Brace the pelvic floor muscles before performing any activity which might cause pain
• Rest the pelvis
• Sit down for tasks where possible (e.g. preparing food, ironing, dressing)
• Avoid lifting and carrying.
• Avoid stepping over things.
• Avoid straddle movements especially when weight bearing.
• Bend the knees and keep the legs 'glued together' when turning in bed and getting in and out of bed.
• Place a pillow between the legs when in bed or resting.
• Avoid twisting movements of the body.

We Need Support Belt Testers

Emma-Jane’s maternity support belt supports the abdomen whilst at the same time relieves pelvic pain and backache during pregnancy – and after. The design is unique in that it adjusts at both the front and the back, so that you can find your perfect fit. 

Available in four sizes: 10/12 14/16 18/20 22/24 – we’re looking for five women suffering from SPD to test out our support belt.  If you’re interested in trialling this for us and proving us with feedback please send an email to michelle@peekaboocoms.co.uk along with your size, address and number of weeks pregnant.

App-solutely Incredible!

There’s no doubt that smart phones are amazing, children as young as one or two can operate them with little or no parental guidance, and there are some great apps out there for all ages covering virtually every subject matter.  As little as five years ago, pregnant women were buying books covering all aspects of pregnancy from health to baby names.  Nowadays you can just download an app and you’ve got all you need to know at your fingertips.   Some of the best apps are from Babycentre, Dr Miriam Stoppard, Sprout and BabyBump, but there are also some more weird and wonderful ones out there too.  Check out some of our favourites:

Pimp My Ultrasound – scan a picture of your ultrasound into your phone, then add glasses or a hat to the image and a speech bubble and email it to dad or granny!

Baby Face – Baby Appearance Predictor – every wondered if your baby will have your eyes or your partner’s nose – well you can now find out

iContraction – keeps track of contractions with a simple screen tap that either you or your partner can use.  It also graphs your data and allows you to email it to your midwife or doctor

50 Most Popular Mocktails – a handy list of non alcoholic drink recipes

m-Pregnancy – this one’s for dad.  It provides loads of information about your baby’s development in a man friendly format; for example, it compares your baby’s size to a beer top - perfect for the partner who won’t read your baby books!

Spring Babies

Spring is most definitely in the air.  The trees are blossoming, the lawn has had its first mow of the year and the clocks spring forward on Sunday.  We associate spring with new life; a short drive out of any town and you’ll soon come across fields full of lambs.  

 There’s something quite magical about bringing a new life into the world in the spring or summer, for a start the house isn’t cold when you have to get up at 3am to do night feeds!  Little bodies don’t need to be wrestled into fiddly coats to leave the house, a baby gro and a soft blanket is all that’s required.   

On warm summer evenings you can take your baby on gentle walks, even popping into a beer garden for a quick drink with your partner.  Then there are picnics with new mummy friends, simply finding a shaded tree to sit against to feed your baby whilst watching the world go by. 

Yes, there is the wonderful feeling of new life arriving all around us, now that’s enough to put a spring in our step.

Mum Always Used To Say...

It takes having a child of your own to make you fully appreciate your own mother.  And, as you grow and develop as a mum in your own right, do you have that feeling of 'I'm turning into my mum.'  Fear not.  Generations of accumulated wisdom pass down the female line this way, from mother to daughter.  It's tradition to repeat those phrases and words of wisdom that mum used to say.

These are some of our favourites...

• You'll understand when you have children of your own (perhaps now we do)
• I don't care what other mothers do
• If everyone else was jumping off a cliff would you
• One hour's sleep before midnight is worth two after
• You only need three of anything: one on, one in the wash and one in the drawer
• Always wear clean underwear in case you're run over by  acar and have to go to hospital
• There'll be tears before bedtime
• If a job's worth doing it's worth doing well
• Manners cost nothing
• Crusts will make your hair curly
• How do you know you don't like it if you haven't tried it
• You'll thank me later
• This isn't a hotel you know
• The wind'll change and you'll stay like that
• I don't care who started it - I'm finishing it
• You'll feel better after a nice cup of tea

And remember whoever your God, he could not be everywhere, therefore he created mothers.

Retailer Competition

Our retailers are, quite simply, lovely!  They do a great job helping mums and mums to be find the right maternity lingerie (which naturally is us) as Emma-Jane provides quality maternity lingerie that is ultra-comfortable at a cost-effective price!  

To say thank you to all the people we work with, we have a fantastic £300 worth of Emma-Jane products up for grabs!

We’d like to see how you use our images and videos on your websites and within social media. The best use of Emma-Jane’s images will receive £300 to spend on Emma-Jane products.

Simply post a link showing how you’ve used the images and make a comment describing how they’ve benefited your business on our blog.

We look forward to seeing your comments!

Entry Deadline Friday 23^rd March.