First Aid for Babies and Children - Bumps and Bashes

* This is an odd sponsored post! I first noticed Bumps and Bashes when they followed me on Twitter. Eager to know more I started chatting with them, and visited their web page. Bumps and Bashes offer a 3 hour course for parents, whilst focusing on children and babies, they also cover adult first aid scenarios too. I am so passionate about first aid, I think every parent should be taught first aid, either as part of antenatal classes, or in the post natal period. Bumps and Bashes classes are "low impact" on your life, just 3 hours, and you have the necessary skills to save a life. Time and money well spent. 


I have not been paid for this review, but was honoured to be invited to attend a complimentary session to learn more.


I took my inital first aid course at the age of 12. I kept up my skills, doing numerous courses. I have found that I have used my skills on many occasions. First aid doesn't teach you to be a nurse or a doctor, and suprisingly many doctors and nurses don't actually know first aid. I have seen a young GP try to move a patient who had fainted. Fortunately an experienced GP ran down the corridor and shouted instructions. First aid is not about making diagnoses, or being a hero. It's about being present, aware, and maintaining a person in a reasonable state of health until formal medical help arrives.

When Joseph was born I knew he was at high risk of cot death, and also of aspiration (breathing in fluid). I knew he might have apnoeas (episodes of cessation of breathing in his sleep). Before leaving the unit, our unit Sister made sure all parents had learnt resusciation. It was terrifying. I had used my first aid skills on many occasions but now I was facing the real scenario that it could be my child that I may have to resucitate.

And yes, one night, Joseph stopped breathing. We'd had a lot of trouble getting him to settle at night and the neonatal outreach sister had suggested we put him to sleep in his pram. One night I heard a thrashing, then it stopped. I flew out of bed, instinctively I knew something was wrong. I scooped into the pram, fished Joseph out, and put him in the recovery position on my arm. He vomited everywhere. I was never so grateful to be covered in baby sick. He had aspirated and choked.

I knew what to do, I had been well prepared. And this is why I believe first aid classes are so important. If something happens to your child, you want to know what to do. Being well versed in first aid gives you confidence.

At the class I attended with Bumps and Bashes, I was impressed at how much time we had to practice each manouvre, and the number of dummies available. Instruction was friendly, informative, with plenty of opportunity to ask questions. The paediatric first aid booklet we were given was easy to read and I'm going to keep mine in my kitchen, alongside the helpful list of numbers. Who would have though of putting your own address on a form near your tea and coffee supplies? Think about it, friends who pop around may know your house as the "brick place on the corner with the lavender bushes" but not the address. If you are giving CPR to your child you don't want to be stopping to give someone your address to call the ambulance. Genius.

Classes are held in Manchester and Cheshire. Classes can also be held in your own home.

And the cost, just £34 per person. I think its money so well spent, and will give you skills that could save a life. 

My Tips for Surviving Financially in the NICU

I'm an Aussie, I'm blunt, I am not afraid to talk about money and I'm not afraid to ask for help. I think sometimes people in the UK are willing and want to help but their reserve holds them back, and at times like these sometimes we have to break through that and put it aside. I am not talking about asking for money, even I wouldn't do that, so bear with me as I share my tips for surviving financially whilst your baby is in hospital.

Essential Administration

I hate saying this because it just seems so wrong, you've had a traumatic delivery, your baby is in hospital, and I'm talking about paperwork. Get these things done early and then its done and you can concentrate on your baby.

1. If you haven't already done so, obtain your MATB1 and hand it to your employer. As mentioned in my last post your maternity leave will commence immediately. Without the MATB1 your employer probably will suspend your pay, mine did. My midwife did not issue MATB1 certificates til the 28th week of pregnancy, I delivered at 27, and she was on holiday. Your GP can issue a MATB1 however.

2. Make sure your employer is aware of what has happened. Paying maternity leave is not discretionary, its law, that once your baby is born that is what your employer must do, some, however, may have a discretionary fund or give you a little help.

3. Register your baby's birth. I know its hard, especially if your baby is poorly, however the sooner you get this done, the sooner your baby will receive child benefit and child tax credits (if you are eligible). This sounds mercenary, but it is important to get sorted out, and it can take quite some time for it all to go through.

4. Particularly if away from home, contact your utility providers, loan and mortgage providers if you think there might be issues with repayments. Keeping in touch early will help prevent issues later on.

5. If you can, get a trusted friend or relative to help manage your mail and bills.

Cover all bases

1. Check if you have any medical insurance policies. A lot of people have cover through work or their partner's work. Now in general childbirth is not covered, however c-sections are, and if you've had a section you may be entitled to cash benefit for every night you have stayed in an NHS hospital. If you add your baby to your policy they may be eligible too.

2. Speak to your hospital. Some units have family workers who can help, if not, there will be a general office. Some hospitals offer help with parking costs, meals and other incidentals, its worth asking.

3. Consider applying for  Disability Living Allowance (DLA). DLA is payable once a child is over 3 months old. Not all premature babies will be eligible (I didn't submit an application for Joseph as he would not have been eligible). If your baby is on oxygen or supplementary feeding it is likely an application would be successful. DLA is then reviewed on a regular basis. Don't worry about "stigma" these days people are not "registered disabled", this money is there to help when a child/adult has additional needs beyond what is expected of a child/adult of that age.

4. Look into local and national charities such as the Family Fund, that can help with additional expenses.

Every day cost cutting

1. The biggest costs when a baby is in NICU are food and transport. Make sure if using public transport you are getting the most appropriate ticket. Give your local transport information line a call and check. With food, I found that cutting a lunch was the best thing to do, but a little tedious. Our corner shop used to pack me a lunch for a fraction of the cost of the hospital cafeteria.

2. If a neighbour or friend asks what they can do to help, ask them to make you lunch, or drive you to hospital, or cook a meal for you.

3. Accept all offers of help, and don't be afraid to ask for it. It's a tough time emotionally, financially and physically, and people may not realise just how tough it is, especially if you have your Polyanna face plastered on, as I did.

4. Consider on-line shopping. Personally I spend a lot less on line, as I don't "browse" the aisles. I found when Joseph was in hospital, I could get my shopping delivered late in the evening, when I knew I'd be home.

5. Keep track of reward points balances. I managed to "lose" £50 of Tesco points as I didn't give a hoot when Joseph was in hospital, they were saved on line and last 3 years so all was not lost, but these sort of things can really help when money is tight.

Money's Too Tight to Mention - Finances and the NICU

Money is such a hard thing to write about. When you have a baby prematurely, obviously you are very grateful that your baby is alive and well and is in the best possible place. However emotionally, physically and also financially it's a tough time. This a very UK based post, as the issues with finances and the NICU are very different for those families in the US, who may not get paid maternity leave and also may incur very high medical bills as well.

The first obvious problem with finances when your baby is born prematurely, is that legally maternity leave kicks in as soon as the baby is born. It seems naive of me now but I had no idea. I actually thought work would continue to pay sick leave until my certificate ran out. In my case I was on Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) only, which was considerably less than my normal salary, and it had started 2 months early.

The second problem is that paternity leave in this country is ridiculous, two weeks pay only at a very low rate, somewhere around £100 per week. We felt that we wanted to save this until Joseph was coming home, so Corey took a week's annual leave when I was in hospital, and then went straight back to work. This was a cause of great stress to me in particular, as I felt completely abandoned.

The third problem is that hospitals are not cheap places. Whilst some provide parking to long term patients, many do not. For me, whilst parking was available (if you could find it), there was no provision for public transport assistance unless you were on benefits. The fact that SMP is less than income support and is, to all intents and purposes, a benefit is not taken into account. Most hospitals will cover expenses whilst you are "rooming in". Typically rooming in occurs at the end of your stay. In our case Joseph was in 76 nights, and my costs were only covered in the last 2 nights, and that only amounted to meal vouchers. Alarmingly the vouchers only covered certain items, fresh fruit not being amongst them.

The fourth, and very real problem, is that babies are not always accommodated near home. Take the Andersons as an example. This family are from Manchester, they were on holiday in Scotland when their baby arrived at 27 weeks. So far from home, the baby is not stable enough to be moved, so they are stuck in Scotland, still with household expenses at home, and also mounting costs whilst living away from home. This situation happens so often, I have heard heartbreaking stories of people being stuck abroad, with minimal insurance, and often in dire financial straits which can take years to sort out.

In some cases a baby may be born at the local hospital but then transferred if there is insufficient bed space, or if they have needs that cannot be met at the local hospital. This can result in additional cost, and families being separated. If there are other children at home, there is also the cost of looking after these children if mum/dad are out of the picture supporting the baby.

I think there is sometimes a reluctance to talk about money and the NICU, and sometimes people get defensive or even offensive when discussing this. I recall when Joseph was in hospital and I was complaining that whilst new born nappies often go on 3 for 2 offers, micro nappies never do, I was told off. I was told I should be grateful I had a baby to by a nappy for. Over 2 years on that comment still really hurts. Of course I am grateful but why should we have to pay a premium because we have small babies.

What I am getting at, is that if your baby is born prematurely, or poorly, there is a financial inequity compared to if your baby is born at term, and I think its time we talked about it and brought the issue out into the open.

Tomorrow I will blog about my tips for surviving financially and encourage you all to share your experiences.

My Biggest Peeve - Britmums Blog Prompt of the Week

I'm a fairly happy, positive person, and bubble along through life. Things do annoy me from time to time, but I tend to get over them pretty quickly.

However thinking about this week's prompt "My biggest peeve is ___________" got me thinking. What things really peeve me? What really gets my goat? What's one thing that I wish people would not do?

It's litter. I hate it. In Australia, from a young age, we are conditioned not to litter. Put your garbage in a bin. It's not difficult, they are everywhere. We regularly tidy up other people's litter too, we have a responsibility to our planet, to our native birds and animals, to keep things clean.

England never ceases to amaze me with its capacity to litter. I have lost count of the beaches and "beauty spots" I have visited that are overwhelmingly over run with rubbish.

I have to say, I partially lay the blame at councils. In our area we now have 4 bins in every garden. We are expected to have at least one small bin on our worktop in our kitchens. We will have two, one for cooked food and one for raw stuff that goes into the compost bin.

However, apart from the town centre, there is a distinct lack of bins. And the ones that are there are rarely emptied. Often, by the red dog poo bin on my regular walk to the supermarket, there are piles of bags full of poo. And as for the person who never bothers, and covers their, presumably dog, poo in leaves, well shame on you. Put it in a bag you moron.

I have seen young kids chuck rubbish in my garden, and then they have the gall to get upset when I tell them off. It's my garden! I have enough cleaning and tidying to do without having to sort through other peoples' detiritus. Don't do it!

So that's my peeve, rubbish, people not taking responsibilty for their own mess.

And our council's appalling double standard, littering my garden with bins, but failing to provide public ones.

Sort it.

Erb's Palsy Awareness Week

October is a busy month! There are many awareness weeks in October and in fact I know of two causes that use the whole month, Infant and Babyloss Awareness and of course Breast Cancer Awareness. and I want to do a few posts about them in the coming weeks. This week is Erb's Palsy Aareness Week. I love and adore facts and was surprised to learn that Joseph Stalin had Erb's Palsy, as did Kaiser Willhelm II of Germany. Martin Sheen also has been affected by this condition.

I've mentioned in the past that I am part of a community of parents on line. One of the mummies that I am friends with is Laura, her son Zeke was born at term, a few months after Joseph. She is, this week,
busy raising money to help the Erb's Palsy Week. If you have even a couple of pounds to spare, please make a donation. For more information and support, you can contact the Erb's Palsy Group.

At first I was oblivious to what Laura had been through, her son Zeke was born with Erb's Palsy. I have to confess, that at that time I had never heard of it. As I heard more of the story of his birth, my heart went out to them. Sometimes we are conditioned to think if your baby is born term, everything will be fine. It is not always the case.

Erb's palsy is, for the most part, caused by birth trauma. It's an effect of shoulder dystocia, where the shoulder gets stuck on the way down the birth canal, and can result in damage to the arm. The severity varies. Some babies will get better on their own, some require minimal intervention, exercises and physiotherapy.

However, some babies require surgery, often into adolescence. The effects of Erb's Palsy can have lifelong consequences.

As Zeke's story has unfolded I have been so impressed at Laura's diligence, in taking him swimming, persuing his exercise routine, and her exceedingly positive outlook, and Zeke has made a full recovery.

It is so important for us all to remember that birth trauma can affect babies and their families well into adulthood, and importantly for me, the lesson is that regardless of gestation, birth trauma can happen, and we need to support and care for one another, and listen and understand.

Down to London - Oh Mammy's Monday Musical Meme

I've been waiting all day to post this entry into Oh Mammy's Musical Meme. My cousin, just 22, is over from Oz and has been on my computer all day, bless her! I am sure my lap top was happy to be on someone else's knee for a change!

Every Australian kid grows up with a fascination with London. Nursery rhymes like The Bells of Old Bailey, London's Bridge is Falling Down, and Pussy Cat Pussy Cat Where Have You Been get into one's psyche, making London a city like no other.

When I was deciding to move to the UK I instantly crossed London off my list. I didn't want to fall into the Aussie ghetto. But equally I was concerned that the London of my childhood didn't exist, I wanted to keep the mystery.

I had been here about 4 years before I ventured to London. I was shocked that the London of my imagination absolutely did exist. All the icons looked exactly as I had pictured them. London has an energy about it that is unique. I adore London and have been several times now.

The song that epitomises London for me is "Down to London" by Joe Jackson. The video accompaniment was not made by me, but when I found it I thought all my Christmases had come at once.

I bought this album "Blaze of Glory" in 1989. A close friend of mine had just commited suicide. It was my first experience of teen suicide and it rocked me to the core. I still remember many conversations I had with Michelle, and I missed the warning signs. I was 16. What did I know? Does it stop me from reliving those conversations, no it absolutely does not. I hold myself partially responsible for what happened.

The title track is exactly about the suicide of a young person, and I played this album, which is concept album, where all the songs meld into one, over and over again, to try and make sense of my feelings. 

But I digress. "Down to London" is a rare track on this album, full of hope and optimism, and arrogance. Exactly what teenagedom should be. It was with great pleasure and delight that I saw Joe Jackson live in Manchester some 15 years after listening to this amazing album.

So I give you Joe Jackson, with some awesome images of the city that I love.

I'm Back from the MADS!

Unfortunately no pics yet, when will I learn to just give someone my camera and take my pic? Years of living with a useless photographer I guess.

So the MADblogawards are over for another year, the dresses have been worn, the wine drunk and the winners announced. I was so delighted, that although I did not win, the delightful Claire from A Boy With Aspergers did! I adore all the blogs that were in my category, and I urge you to read all the finalist blogs when you have a minute or ten!

The ceremony was fabulous, the Talk Talk Customer Experience centre in Soho was the perfect venue, apart from a lack of chairs, and a number of women in unsuitable shoes, myself included, took perches where they could find them! Next time I'll definitely wear flats!

Unfortunately I hadn't given myself a great deal of time, I arrived in London at 5pm and our carriages were booked for just after 6. I managed to walk all the way to the Radisson Bloomsbury from Euston without getting lost, courtesy of my fancy new phone which has GPS! What did I ever do without it? And swiftly showered, dressed, did hair and make up in record time, and made it with several minutes to spare.

I shared a room with the lovely Michelle from Mummy From the Heart. My only regret was that I had to leave early for commitments today, so didn't get to have enough of a natter!

I am already looking forward to putting some great blogs forward for next year's awards. My advice would be to anyone who thinks their blog is not good enough, to just go for it. I never in a million years expected to be a finalist, and I so enjoyed the ceremony and meeting so many inspirational and fabulous bloggers.