January 2008 Archives

If we have a boy my husband would like to call him Indiana Han. At first I took this as a joke and proof that Mr F is unready for the responsibility of fatherhood.

Lately, though, a strange thing has happened. I've started to like it.

Not the Han bit, obviously; that's a George Lucas hero too far.

But Indiana, Indie for short. Am I mad? Is it the hormones?

I'd like to draw your attention to an intriguing paradox.

Apparently there were around 7,000 babies born at Birmingham Women's Hospital last year. A lot of babies, eh? Gotta come from somewhere.

Yet when was the last time you saw a pregnant woman shopping in Birmingham city centre? Where are they all hiding?

Hmm, I think I have the answer to this tricky conundrum.

ANOTHER week, another piece of research to terrify expectant mums. The latest is that drinking coffee in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy doubles the risk of miscarriage.

Never mind that it's just one study, by one organisation, already the headlines are enough to ensure mums-to-be have supped their last Choca Mochas.

On the plus side, peanuts could now be back on the menu after another study showed cutting out the snack altogether may be responsible for an increase in allergies.

Keeping up with - and remembering - what's OK and what's not OK takes the dedication and memory of a Cambridge mathematics professor.

IN the nicest possible way, being pregnant is a bit dull. No clubbing, no roller coasters, no eating smelly French cheese.

Is it any wonder then a considerable amount of a mum's-to-be time is devoted to the exciting pastime that is predicting the sex of her child.

Why find out at the 20-week scan and deny yourself another 20 weeks of gender-guessing fun.

Here's a quiz for bored pregnant women everywhere...