Feeding Rooms - All is Forgiven!
Okay, I admit it – feeding rooms can be handy and useful. Up until recently I dismissed them as being a waste of space and would not use them as a matter of principle; why should I be ‘locked’ away to feed my baby when I have a legal right to breast feed in public and would much rather do so than sit alone staring at a blank wall for 15 minutes (or much longer).
However, my husband and I were grabbing a quick cuppa in a supermarket cafe on our mega Christmas shopping day, when our little one needed a change of nappy. So off I went to the changing room come feeding room. During the change my son started to wriggle and become unsettled and I knew hunger was looming. I hurried to get the task done as quickly as I could but he was crying very soon and, spotting a chair in the corner, I made the decision to feed him there and then rather than struggle past all the Christmas shoppers to get back to our seats in the cafe.
This turned out to be a very good decision on my part. Firstly, compared to the cafe’s ‘greasy spoon’ style chairs this was like sitting on a throne, with an arm on which to rest my arm and a padded cushion under my bottom. Secondly, as my son had a bit of a cold and stuffy nose he kept coming up for air and coughing and spluttering at regular intervals, not a great advert for breastfeeding. Thirdly, there was much noise and distraction in the cafe. As he is sometimes easily distracted during a feed these days it prevented any embarrassing exposure when he stopped to look at around at what was going on and meant he could eat his lunch in peace.
I still do not intend to use a feeding room on a regular basis, but on the odd occasion they can be quite handy!
Baby Sign Language
I attended a post natal workshop today which included a session about Sing and Sign. Baby signing is a relatively new idea and one that is gradually gaining in popularity. It is based on the premise that babies understand a lot from a very young age and have a desire to communicate. But as their speech develops much later that their comprehension this can cause frustration for the baby and his carers. However, their physical development is further advanced, meaning they are able to sign before they can speak.
Babies as young as 6 months can start learning to sign. The benefits of signing include being able to understand your baby better, enhancing early vocabulary, building confidence and self-esteem, and stimulating intellectual development.
Sing and Sign is a UK franchise that teaches baby signing through songs, making learning fun. They run weekly classes with each session being themed around an activity, such as meal time, bath time, bedtime etc. The company also sell a range of DVDs and videos to enhance and reinforce the signs and songs at home.
You can find out more on the Sing and Sign website and I’ll post a review after I have been to my first class in January.
