Category Archives: Pregnancy & Parenting

Cervical Cancer Awareness Week :The dreaded smear

28 Thursday Jan 2016

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This week is cervical cancer awareness week and so the dreaded Smear is top of mind. Let’s face it, nobody likes getting it done but nonetheless it’s so important for all women from the age of 25 and we are lucky to live in a country where there is great free screening.

I was always the worst offender for dodging my smear tests, using pregnancies and every excuse i could think of to get out of it. I even waited until my last day of being 25 to get my first test done. I’m not alone though, i recently learnt that a very level-headed friend gets herself so worked up about it that she has to take valium beforehand.

Over the last few years, i have developed a little routine that has really made the process more bearable and i really don’t dread it as much anymore. Here are my top tips:

  1. Book your free smear in a clinic or GP surgery that you don’t go to,i find the anonymity helps. There is nothing worse than your GP/nurse asking after your Ma whilst she’s scraping your cervix to make the whole experience even more awkward.
  2. Book your test for first thing in the morning and on a day that you are really busy and have lots on. That way you will have it over first thing in the morning, and if you have lots on you will be distracted by all the other things that you have to do after the test.
  3. Take a couple of paracetamol 40 mins before your appointment.
  4. Pop a few drops of rescue remedy on your tongue just before you go into your appointment.
  5. Once the test starts, get your yogic breathing going. Take a really slow deep breaths in through your nose and out through through your mouth. Focus on those nice, loud and noisy breaths and before you know it the test will be over.
  6. Enjoy the nice smug feeling that it’s over and that if the results are clear you are off the hook for a couple of years.
  7. Buy yourself a treat afterwards, i usually opt for chocolate.

If you are overdue a test or not sure when your next one is, you can check and book one easily on www.cervicalcheck.ie .

Go on, just do it and get it over and done with!

Dublin Mummy x

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how NOT to potty train

02 Wednesday Dec 2015

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It took me 14 months in total to potty train my little boy so i have put together a list of all the things that i did,  a list of what NOT to do:

Do not:

  • Ignore all books and do no research and adopt your own made-up method
  • Offer rewards to your toddler for merely glancing at the potty
  • Do not in desperation make up a lucky dip bag for them to choose one toy from everytime they do a poo, and then when they get frustrated  and don’t produce a poo give them a toy anyways
  • Do not put potty in front of telly, wise toddlers will wangle extra telly time without any produce
  • Do not abandon the potty training after a few weeks because you are going on holidays and couldn’t be bothered
  • After successfully getting them to wee in the the potty, do not then compromise and let them continue poo in the nappy for months on end

If you are about to embark on potty training for the first time, best of luck and if you do none of the above then i am sure it will be very successful.

Dublin Mummy x

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Parent and Toddler Groups South Dublin

03 Thursday Sep 2015

Posted by in Family Life, Pregnancy & Parenting

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At a recent development check for my little boy, the health nurse gave me this list of Parent and Toddler Groups in the South Dublin area. I thought that i would share for anyone who might be interested.

Mondays

  • Taney Parish Centre, Dundrum, 10am – 12 noon, Ph: 01 298 5491

Tuesdays

  • Mount Merrion Community Centre, Alex Nolan, 10am -12 noon, Ph: 086 332 4091
  • Oakhill School, Leopardstown Road, 10:30 am – 12 noon, Ph: 086 332 4091
  • St. Patrick’s Church Hall, Harbour Road, Dalkey, 10:30am – 12 noon
  • Evangelical church, Lwr Glenageary Road, Glenageary, 10:30am – 12 noon
  • St. Brigid’s Parish Centre, Cabinteely, 10:30am – 12 noon

Wednesdays

  • Mount Merrion Community Centre, Alex Nolan, 10am -12 noon, Ph: 086 332 4091
  • Oakhill School, Leopardstown Road, 10:30 am – 12 noon, Ph: 086 332 4091
  • St. Paul’s Church Hall, Adelaide Road, Glenageary, 10:00am – 12 noon
  • Community Hall, Foxrock Church, 10:30 – 12 noon
  • Dundrum Library, Upper Churchtown Road, 10:30 – 12 noon
  • Sandyford Community Centre, Baby Clinic 10:30 – 3:00, Ph: 01 295 9149

Thursdays

  • Taney Parish Centre, Dundrum, 10am – 12 noon, Ph: 01 298 5491
  • St. Thomas’s Fosters Avenue, Mount Merrion, 9:30am – 10:45 am & 11:15am – 12:30, ph: 086 332 4091
  • Every second Thursday for mums and young babies & mums-to-be. Held in the home of a Cuidiu member. Contact Liz McGovern 01 285 3179

Fridays

  • Dublin Mummy x St. Thomas’s Fosters Avenue, Mount Merrion, 9:30am – 10:45 am & 11:15am – 12:30, ph: 086 332 4091
  • St. Laurence’s Parish Centre, Kilmacud, 10:30am

Dublin Mummy x

Second baby syndrome

02 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by in Family Life, Pregnancy & Parenting

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I got a rare opportunity last week to have the morning off with just my little man aged 20 months. Childcare broke down and my plan B and plan C were off on hols and so i had to take a day off work last week and it was great. I got to play at being at a stay at home mum for the day.

The day started with me getting the chance to drop my little boy (aged 3) off to playschool, a super rare occurrence. I often feel very envious of all the ladies in their jeans dropping off their kiddies off to school as i battle my way on to the luas for another rat-race day. But today was different, i was be-jeaned and part of the school drop-off gang.

Being a mum of two, i never get to have time just with the youngest fella. So i brought the ball of chubby cuteness swimming for a mother and toddler swim in a nearby swimming pool.

Reilly in his swimcap

Little man looking apprehensive before his big swim

As much i treasured this time with him , i was overcome with ferocious mammy guilt. His older brother was enrolled in water babies as soon as he was 6 months and a big production was made of us bringing him every Saturday (he hated it by the way, only did the one course), but poor baba number two is 20 months old before he sees the inside of the pool.

I also realised with a terrible shock that i don’t know him very well and it felt strange just for us to be on our own together which is really very sad. Sure, i know him as part of a duo with his brother but i don’t know him on his own and as an individual.

Although my stay-at-home day didn’t end up as i had hoped. I am grateful that my childminder had to take the day off because now i know that i really need to work on my relationship with my beautiful little boy and get to know each other better.

Mid-year resolution, give them both more one on one time!

Have you ever experienced second baby syndrome where you feel they are not getting as much attention as their older sibling?

Dublin Mummy x

Blitz that Baby weight- Shifting that last stubborn half stone

07 Saturday Feb 2015

Posted by in Diet & Weightloss, Pregnancy & Parenting

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Nine months on and nine months off! What a load of rubbish. It’s been my experience that it takes the full year after baba arrives to get back to normal and that is if you work at. I know there lots of very lucky ladies out there whose bodies snap back into shape minutes after giving birth but i was not one of those ladies. I had to beat mine off through diet and exercise.  Continue reading →