Bits and bops
On Thursday, 26 March, South Africa entered an unprecedented lockdown. That was also the day that I was 37 weeks pregnant. As a Pediatrician I wanted to know all the facts about the Covid-19 virus and how it may affect me and my kids, as a Mom, I just wanted to know how we are … Continue reading Pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding in LOCKDOWN
At 36weeks pregnant I have been reading a lot about the possible effects of the Covid-19 virus on my pregnancy and our precious princess that is on the way. Thankfully the minimal research that is available currently show that the effects are mild and minimal. Remember that this is a brand new virus, and the … Continue reading Pregnancy, Newborns and Corona
Playdough and littles never gets old. It is such a lovely tactile and sensory experience and there are so many different ways to use it. I have never been a fan of store-bought playdough and I always make my own. It lasts longer and I find the consistency more pleasing. It is really easy to … Continue reading PLAYDOUGH FUN
This week we finally did our very special maternity shoot, but another very important to-do in my pregnancy was to get a pertussis vaccination and I am glad that I can now tick both off my list. I had to ask my gyne about it and the pharmacy had no clue why I wanted this … Continue reading Vaccinations in Pregnancy
Before I started specialising I worked in a family medicine practice and saw mostly children. When the complaints were “fever, crying, runny nose, lack of appetite” I was almost relieved when I saw a red eardrum because I had something to blame for the symptoms that I could treat! But is it always necessary to … Continue reading Middle Ear Infections
When babies and toddlers fiddle and pull on their ears we often wonder if they have ear pain. As a doctor-mom I have the advantage of having access to an otoscope and can take a peek to ensure there are no problems. Babies can fiddle with their ears as part of discovering their body-parts, as … Continue reading Ear pain in children
Iron deficiency anaemia occurs when the iron stores are so empty that there is not enough iron to make proper new red blood cells. The new red blood cells are thus fewer, smaller and paler and cannot carry oxygen effectively. Your body will always prioritize the available iron to first be used in the red … Continue reading Iron Deficiency Anemia & Treatment
This is a topic that I have been avoiding for a while because there is so much conflicting advice and evidence available. I started giving our son iron supplementation from 6months but because it tasted horrible and stained all his clothes and he struggled with constipation, I stopped at around 10months. After attending the European … Continue reading Iron deficiency
Egg Cartons, can you ever have enough? This is a house hold item I NEVER throw away. There are endless play opportunities you can use them for. I have a cupboard of recyclable items and I whip them out when I quickly want to put an activity together. I am going to focus our play … Continue reading Playdough Activity: Egg Carton Play
Eczema is a chronic disease and sadly it is not (yet) curable. It is however possible to control the symptoms. The aim is to get the acute inflammation of the skin under control (usually with topical steroids added to your normal regime), and then maintaining a healthy skin barrier by keeping the skin hydrated. It … Continue reading Eczema – Part 2 : The management
