Mother & Baby

When I discovered I was pregnant with my first child at 19, I was really happy but terrified. I didn't know anything about babies. I checked out the baby magazines at my local newsagents and the one I chose was Mother & Baby magazine. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made.

Mother & Baby is well presented and a brilliant read. It is split into sections for pregnant mums, baby, toddlers, best buys, and mums, which makes for a really ease read. This magazine covers from early pregnancy right up to toddler age. The magazines has great graphics and photos and is colourful and bright. I still read it and my sons now one.

Mother & Baby costs just £1.99 which is an absolute bargain for the peace of mind this magazine gives you. Most months, there is a free gift as well. I have had a free hat, rattle, soft toy and little advice books. It is a monthly magazine and a subscription costs less than £25 for a year. If you don't take this option Mother & Baby is available at all good newsagents i.e. Martins

The Bump to Birth Section
This section deals with things literally from bump to birth so you can enjoy your pregnancy. It gives you tips on how to beat the dreaded curse of morning sickness. There is a section where people can write in and ask a trained midwife any question. This is very helpful if you have any worries as your problem will usually appear at some point during your pregnancy in the magazine. There is also diaries of women at different stages of their pregnancies. Women give their experiences of pregnancy and labour. There is loads of advice about different pregnancy problems. The section focuses on different subjects each month but if you buy the magazine regularly, you will have the full range of advice and info.
I found this section really informative while I was pregnant. My fears were reduced because I had all the information in front of me which in turn, made my pregnancy less stressful.

The Baby Section
This section deals with you and your newborn. Each month they focus on a different aspect of your babies care. There is advice on toptailing, correct way to hold your baby. This also deals with the continuing development of your baby. There is advice on coping with a newborn and how to spot postnatal depression.There is also lots of health advice and up to date medical information on stuff like jabs and spoting signs of illness. I found this invaluable as a new mum. There is also a brilliant cut and keep section on first aid skills which I still have pinned on my wall at home.
When my son was born, we found out he was tongue tied. Having never really heard of this before, I checked my back catalogue of Mother & Baby and found an article focusing on tongue ties. It was very informative and out my mind at rest.

The Toddler Section
This section gives you loads of information on development of toddlers. There are always yummy recipes for you and toddler to try. Theres advice on coping with the usual toddler problems like tantrums, sleep problems, potty training etc. It gives you really sensible advice on how to deal with these.

Best Buys
They focus on different products each month from various stages of development. This section gives you an idea of whats the best value and whats not. Very helpful if you can't decide what car seat to get or what wipes to use etc.

Mums Section
This section includes loads of tips from other mums and gives you a chance to meet other mums through their find a friend service. There is advice on how to get back into shape and deal with any family problems. There are diaries of women at various stages of pregnancy and motherhood. This is really helpful as you can compare your experiences and learn from theirs.
There is also a page for dads with advice from real life dads and the problems they may be facing. My partner loves this.

There are also loads of giveaways and competitions each month and the back of the magazine is always full of different baby related companies ads. So whatever you are looking for you will be always able to find it.

This magazine helped me through a difficult time and its such a good, fun read I still look forward to it each month.