Tagged: UK

Pregnancy, Birth & Babies

How do you know if you’re suffering from post-natal depression?

This post has been going round in my mind for the longest time, and I’ve ummed and ahhed about whether to write it or not over and over again, as it is deeply personal and revealing, and very few people, if anyone, know this whole story. But recently I’ve read some very honest and open blog posts about fellow bloggers’ experiences with pregnancy, childbirth and life with a new baby, all of which I have found very useful, so here goes.… Read more

France vs UK

What makes me an expert on France and the French?

If you are a regular visitor to this blog you’ll know that I often write about France and the French, comparing it/them to the UK and the Brits, and various people have asked me what makes me such an expert on the subject, so here goes:

I am bilingual and have a French (and Spanish) degree; I studied French culture, society, history and politics as part of my degree.… Read more

Pregnancy, Birth & Babies

Killing my baby with BLW

6 years ago I was a first time mother to a 5 month old baby girl and living in the south of France. I didn’t have a clue how to even begin weaning, so I looked online and discovered Baby Led Weaning (BLW), it sounded perfect – no making up tons of purées, and none of this letting my food go cold while I feed the baby.… Read more

Parenting & Family

You have to be skinny to be pretty

I have two daughters, the eldest, L, is 6 years old, and this weekend this is what she came out with. Once I picked my jaw up off the floor I asked her where she had heard this, but she didn’t remember hearing it in any one place which therefore implies that she has not come across this idea just once.… Read more

Kids

Top tip for cheap activities with kids in London

When we first moved back to the UK from France we were staying with my parents who live quite close to Windsor, so I suggested to Hubs that we take L to Legoland for the day. Fortunately we didn’t actually mention it to L because when I went online to look at prices I was shocked to see that it would cost us around £100 just to get in, we would then need to add travel costs, parking costs, lunch etc.… Read more

Pregnancy, Birth & Babies

Is Gaylord a suitable baby name for the UK?

Naming baby number 1 was a relatively easy business – a couple of years before L was born, friends of ours had a baby girl and we fell in love with the name they chose for her, and jokingly asked if we could steal it if we ever had a girl, they agreed and when L was born it was natural that she had that name.… Read more

Pregnancy, Birth & Babies

What is the etiquette when wearing a “Baby on Board” badge?

For this pregnancy my commute involves travelling on the tube (London underground) into central London every day. After years of commuting in bumper to bumper traffic jams or on completely unreliable trains (anyone ever heard of French strike action?!?) on the French Riviera, this is my best commute ever. I have a 7 minute walk to our local tube station, an 18 minute direct tube ride on the northern line, and then a 10 minute walk to my office the other end.… Read more

Pregnancy, Birth & Babies

Does toxoplasmosis exist in the UK?

Apparently toxoplasmosis is a huge danger during pregnancy in France, but not in the UK.

What exactly is toxoplasmosis?
According to Wikipedia it is “a parasitic disease…the primary host is the felid (cat) family…those with a weakened immune system, such as…pregnant women, may become seriously ill, and it can occasionally be fatal.”

Interestingly most people I have discussed this with in the UK have never heard of it, and it’s certainly never discussed during antenatal appointments.… Read more

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