Top tips for boosting your fertility and improving your chances of getting pregnant.
Advice on caring for your body prior to conception.
Baby name zone
Your first weeks of pregnancy - from early signs and symptoms to your baby's development in the womb
Your middle weeks of pregnancy - from eating healthily, to what will happen at your tests and scans
Your final weeks of pregnancy - from eating healthily, to what will happen as you approach labour and birth
From exercise in pregnancy to tips on health eating, we've got your wellbeing in mind
From tips for your newborn's shopping list to planning a nursery, nesting and enjoying a healthy sex life
Something wonderful is happening to your body and, quite naturally you?ll want to know as much as possible about the changes week by week.
Follow the highs, lows, changes, and surprises Emma experienced during her first pregnancy from week six right up until she gives birth.
Everything you need to know about being in labour, from early signs to pain relief and plans for dad
Whether you have a vaginal, caesarean, water or home birth we have useful advice and information for you
Emma's diary mums have been there and done that! Read some of their thrilling, emotional and heart-warming stories
From coping with crying to changing nappies, we have advice for every step of your journey with a newborn
Useful information and advice on everything from when to call your doctor, to guidance on your child's immunisation test
Information and advice about premature babies.
Learn how to breastfeed, what dreamfeeding is and find solutions to your breastfeeding problems
Read our month by month guide to your child's development and key stages right up to her second birthday
Babies grow and develop new skills so quickly. See our articles and videos to help your baby achieve key milestones
How to cope with sleepless nights, advice on where your baby should sleep and establishing a good sleep routine
Our dental zone has information on caring for your baby?s first teeth, coping with teething problems and more...
Is your child about to start on solids? Here's some useful weaning and food allergy advice
Need to know the words to the popular nursery rhymes or how to play with your baby's Then this is the zone for you
Check out our useful information on common baby illnesses and accidents and how to deal with them
How to recognise common childhood illnesses and conditions and how to deal with them
Bladder and bowel control will be an important achievement for your child. Follow our guide to successful potty training
Whether your toddler is a fussy eater or enjoys everything put in front of her you?ll find these food features useful
Do you know what toys and games your toddler would most enjoy at her stage of development? Find out here
Topics from technology to tantrums and toddler chores to learning life skills... Plus how to discipline your toddler
Toddlers develop at their own unique pace, read more about what you could expect from your toddler development.
Here we give you advice on everything from sex after pregnancy to postnatal depression and baby blues and how to get back into shape after giving birth.
See our selection of ten of the best products so that you can make the best choices when buying for your baby
With so many products available and so much choice when it comes to buying for baby, it can be difficult to know how to choose. That's why at Emma's Diary we have done the work for you and have information on the best baby products for you, your budget and your lifestyle.
Here we cover everything from the childcare options available to you along with how to register your baby's birth and keeping your child safe when in and outside of the house.
Becoming a parent is an epic event in life, with it comes significant changes in the way you do things, your finances, and how much time you have to spend on your admin.
Although there has been an increase in the number of food allergies and intolerances diagnosed in children, in most cases the reaction to the food is fairly mild. Find out which foods are the most common culprits and how to recognise the symptoms.
An allergic response to a food involves the immune system and symptoms are usually fairly immediate. This happens when the immune system mistakes harmless proteins in a food for dangerous substances. An immune response is set off and the body releases histamine, which is what causes the classic symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as hives and itching. This almost instant response means that real food allergies are pretty easy to spot – when your child’s eyes turn red and watery straight after eating scrambled egg, this is likely to be the culprit! The severity of allergic reaction varies, but most are fairly mild.
However, some of the more serious reactions, known as anaphylaxis, can affect breathing and must be treated as an emergency.
If your child has an allergic reaction to a food, symptoms are usually instant and can affect different parts of the body:
This is an adverse reaction to a particular food that doesn’t involve the immune system. These are more common than allergies, but because symptoms appear more slowly – the reaction can occur hours after the food has been eaten – they can be harder to spot. If you suspect a food intolerance, try keeping a food diary of what your child eats to see if a pattern emerges. Food intolerance, while unpleasant, is never life-threatening.
If your child has an intolerance to food, symptoms are usually confined to the digestive tract and include:
A common childhood intolerance is to milk and other dairy products, known as lactose intolerance. Other foods that may cause a reaction include eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat, kiwi, sesame seeds and nuts.
If you suspect your child has a food allergy, the first thing to do is to avoid giving him the food again. Consult your doctor as soon as possible, as simply withdrawing the food without getting a proper diagnosis could mean he misses out on important nutrients. Your doctor can arrange a referral to a specialist allergy clinic where a diagnosis can be confirmed.
If you think your child may have a food intolerance, keeping a food diary can reveal a pattern of symptoms that can help you to identify the culprit and is useful to show your doctor. Seeing a paediatric dietician is also worthwhile if a food intolerance is diagnosed: lactose intolerant children, for example, will need replacements for dairy products such as soya or rice based milk and they may need calcium and vitamin D supplements.
Once an allergy is confirmed, of course your child needs to avoid eating the food in question, but this may leave you feeling concerned about which nutrients he is missing out on. It’s worth consulting a paediatric dietician who can tell you not only what to avoid (foods can be hidden under other names in packaged products), but also how to compensate for nutritional shortfalls in his diet.
The good news is that while some allergies are usually life-long, such as a peanut allergy, others, such as dairy and egg allergies, are often outgrown during childhood. This is why the specialist will consider retesting your child as he gets older to check if an allergy has receded. If this is the case, he can be gradually weaned back onto the food.