First Time Mum's Chat Helen Thompson

When I teach parents how to massage their babies I always urge them before massaging their little one to be extremely cautious when it comes to their choice of massage oils.

So I was very excited this week when I interviewed Ruth Casper, who is a qualified aromatherapist and reflexologist. I made the most of the opportunity and quizzed Ruth on various topics including essential oils and when it is safe to use them.

Ruth also shares information including:-

* 3 things to look for when assessing the quality of essential oils.
* What to ask essential oil vendors/suppliers to ensure their product is of good quality and suitable.

I know from questions that I regularly receive from parents that many find storytelling challenging. In this episode I spoke with Arona Gibbins, a mum of 5, who has a wide ranging background including teaching. Arona's background also includes training in the Rudolf Steiner approach to education.

Arona shares some great ideas around the use of language and literacy and how to encourage children and parents to develop their imaginations and storytelling.

Our discussions included:-

* Spontaneous ways to read to your baby and encourage their language skills.
* Ways to communicate with your baby in a fun and interactive way.
* Ways to encourage their participation in storytelling.
* Tips on how to engage them and encourage their creativity.

When it comes to bottles, there is a lot of debate around the best bottles for colic and reflux and parents are always asking me for recommendations.

It's been a while since I did any research on what's available, so this week, I spent some time looking at 10 popular bottles for colic and reflux. I then refined this down to a final list of 5 that stood out for me and in this episode I go through the pros and cons of each of them.

You will hear my thoughts on the following bottles:-

* tommee tippee bottle
* Mam Easy Start anti-colic bottle
* Philips Avent bottle
* Playtext Baby VentAire bottle
* Doctor Brown's baby bottle

As a parent, one of the most important milestones you will face is how to potty train toddlers. Potty training is a huge step for any child and for their parents and often feels like a hard task.

It causes a lot of stress for parents and there is a lot of peer pressure to potty train toddlers quickly.

In this episode I answer the commonly asked question "at what age should I start potty training?" and I share a number of tips to encourage teamwork and compassion whilst making it a time for fun and play.

For first time parents, childcare is a hot topic with a number of possible options available.

In this episode I discuss the pros and cons of finding a nanny vs daycare. The topics discussed include:-

* what to look for when choosing a child care centre
* what to look out for when choosing a nanny
* what kind of questions you need to ask a nanny or a childcare centre when you are evaluating them.

If you're breastfeeding then what you eat is incredibly important! After all, getting this right will give your baby a great start in life.

It is also really important when it comes time for them to start on solids. There is often a misconception that introducing your child to healthy food is expensive.

In this episode, I interviewed Lydia Nuttall, a food and lifestyle consultant who is passionate about all things food and nutrition.

Lydia has tons of great ideas on healthy nutrition for babies and she also shared some excellent tips for those who are concerned with the expense of eating well.