Children’s health and poverty in the UK

As both a mother and Social Sciences student, I have found the State of Child Health Report 2017, which was published today, concerning. Poverty in the UK and how it affects the issue of children’s health is something I have been studying this academic year and found very interesting.

Although it’s encouraging to read that we are better than the US, how and why is it that we are worse than a lot of other European countries? We have the fifth highest rate of infant mortality in Europe which is extremely worrying and this is much higher in deprived socio-economic groups. As I glance at Autumn asleep peacefully next to me, I feel quite angry that not more is being done to prevent these small, beautiful, innocent babies from dying.

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12 things that have changed since I became a mum

Lots changes once you become a parent, even if it takes some reflection to realise what. Today I’ve stayed in all day; although I felt like going for a walk with the pram, the grey skies, fog and cold weren’t particularly encouraging me to go outside. As such, we’ve spent the day indoors, providing the opportunity to do some household chores. It was as I put my sleeping baby down for a nap on the sofa that I thought “Yes! I can do some washing now!” and then I pondered “Wait, when did I get excited about doing laundry?

Then I wondered “What else has changed since I became a Mum?” How many of these are true for you, too?

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Our first sensory room adventure

Today has been quite busy, we had a baby group to attend at 10am this morning. Last time, Autumn slept through the entire thing. Naturally, this time, she decided to be awake and in constant need of something. Afterwards, we went to the supermarket to stock up on food, which was just as well as I’ve had the munchies today! She hates hats and spent a lot of the time in the supermarket whinging because she was wearing a hat and then whinging because her frustrated wiggling was making her hat come down over her eyes!

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