Thursday 4 August 2011

Am I totally addicted to Nordic design?

My husband thinks I am addicted to furniture from the Nordics!  At this point you'd be forgiven for immediately thinking - IKEA - and you wouldn't be wrong - I have a house filled with IKEA furniture, but IKEA is not the focus of my nordic design lust.  This sits firmly in the children's furniture zone with my design guru - Stokke .  i'm a member of some Stokke pages on facebook and browsing the page this morning at 4am (newborn son decided this is when the day should start!) I decided to share my love of all things Stokke. 
The hardest part of this blog was where to start.   Should I give my review of the Tripp Trapp or the Xplory that I love so much.  Then I realised perhaps I should just tell the story of my family.  As a mum of 3 beautiful daughters and and a newborn son, Stokke have been a part of our lives for the past nine years.  In fact its more than that, my first introduction to Stokke was via my cousin’s Tripp Trapp chair – 14 long years ago.
When I first saw Zoe’s tripp trapp chair I was only 18 years old myself – neither a mother nor someone familiar with all the trimmings needed for a baby.  I did however know what a high chair looked like – and the Tripp Trapp looked nothing like any I had ever seen.  I quickly realised that Zoe loved that chair, she enjoyed sitting at the table with the family without the normal separation of a high chair.  In all honesty I did not really think about the Tripp Trapp in any detail until the birth of my own daughter 5 years later.  When we were looking for a chair for Courtney, the Tripp Trapp came to mind.  Even better, Zoe’s chair was handed down to us to use.  And with the addition of a babyset – it was perfect.  Courtney could be part of the dining experience just like any member of the family and always knew what it meant to sit at the table and eat with us.
When pregnant with our second child in 2005 – I visited The Baby Show in London and became instantly obsessed with the Xplory.  I loved the idea of my baby being up high – closer to me and away from the road.  Before the end of the show I had purchased my lovely new Xplory in turquoise blue.  When Keira was born in April 2006 the Xplory became a vital part of our everyday life.  People would literally stop me in the streets to find out what my buggy was and where I had bought it from.  As the UK went through the Bugaboo phase I was delighted to have a buggy that stood out from the crowd and improved the closeness between my baby and I – even when we were out and about.  In the winter the footmuff seemed so much warmer than anything anyone else had and also so much ‘funkier’ in design.
Our third little angel, Zara, arrived in 2009 and once again the Xplory was king!  We updated the textiles – red this time - and added a cup holder – it felt like a brand new buggy but still my beautiful and unusual Xplory.  Whilst a lot more people had Xplory’s by this time, it was still very much a stop you in the street beauty, but now there was more of a knowing nod between passing mothers and fathers who owned an Xplory, almost like a little club of fellow believers!
Now with number four recently arrived I have decided to indulge myself and have purchased the Sleepi and Care – both of which I have been lusting after for years.  I have to admit my husband thinks I am nuts for so wanting a cot and a changer.  But I’ve told him many times it’s not just a cot or a changer – it’s a way of life for our babies and us.  It sounds extreme but I think once you become a Stokke owner you never look back.  The attention to ensuring the baby’s comfort and wellbeing is at the centre of every design – whilst also pulling off beautiful ergonomic design appeals to me in a way no handbag or Prada shoes ever could!  Well - maybe I can have the Prada as well...

Wednesday 3 August 2011

Happy to be Born into the NHS

I decided to start this blog this week as I am currently on maternity leave with my 4th child.  This position has obviously given me an intimate relationship with the NHS over the past 9 ish months (and indeed 9 years).  So I thought I would start by giving some kudos to the NHS.

Not a day seems to go by without some scare story or another regarding the NHS - and believe me I understand that it has its problems - some of them immense and unacceptable.  But I also think we are incredibly lucky to have a health service like we do.

This is not intended to be a political post - I wont even pretend to know the latest on health policy (or indeed anything at all) but i do know about my own experiences with the NHS.  These have been limited to two types of interaction - ante and post natal care on the one hand and emergency care for my children.  In both cases the service has been exemplery and should be celebrated.  We know that we have far too few midwifes in this country and that maternity units are stretched to their limits. You would never know it though if you walked into maternity at Whipps Cross Hospital.  Yes the unit is incredibly busy but every single midwife and member of support staff has the time to be friendly, talk to you in detail and ensure they are helping you in every way they should.  The consultants are knowledgable, straight talking and put you at ease.  Indeed, whilst the unit itself is a little frayed at the edges - you'd be forgiven for believing the care you are receiving come from the private sector.

Excellent ante-natal care during this last pregnancy was only topped by the midwife who looked after us during my elective c-section.  She was with us from the minute we arrived until well after I was transferred to the post-natal ward.  And she popped by the next day to ensure all was well with baby and I.  She may be one in a million but actually I experienced fabulous care from all the midwives and doctors I came into contact with - for that I will be truly grateful.

There may be many many valid issues with the NHS - but there's a lot of good out there too - and it should be celebrated.