Okay so after 2 children I cant say that my stomach is toned and ripped ( but then again I cant say with conviction that it ever was ) but unless you are a movie star with a dietitian and a personal trainer, most new mums dont have the time or the inclination to go through rigorous exercise regimes. Most of us feel lucky just to get through the day, so when I had an email about the Academy for Wellbeing, I was more than a little intrigued.

The Academy 4 Wellbeing is a brand new weight-loss retreat designed to transform lives. They have recognised that many new mums find it hard to get back into shape after the birth of their little ones, however, I am told that the Academy 4 Wellbeing will give guests the skills and knowledge to improve their entire wellbeing; from health and fitness, to nutrition and weight loss.

The Academy 4 Wellbeing is opening its door for the first time in September 2012.  Prices start at £995 for a seven day stay, so its not the cheapest option around but they firmly believe that the lessons you will learn in this week will stay with you for life ..... so if you divide £995 by another 40 years of your life - it equates to less than £25 a year,  which has got to be cheaper than weekly weight loss meetings?

I was given the opportunity to visit the Academy 4 Wellbeing but due to other commitments, I couldnt go (and my wellbeing is cursing me for it), so I am not recommending this on personal experience, nor am I offering any form of endorsement. What I am saying is that it looks like a fantastic kick start to physical and emotional wellbeing .... and what mum wouldnt love the opportunity for a seven day break. So *if* you get the chance to go - please let us know what you think! We would love to hear about it.

For more information log on to www.academy4wellbeing.com 
 

If you are a regular blog reader, you will know that I am blessed with two perfectly (cheeky) daughters who, although were both 10 days early, were born safely and without incident. But what would I have done if that hadnt been the case? During pregnancy, most women just assume that their baby will arrive safely and healthily but for those parents that do have premature or sick babies, what then?

As a parent, I know that I would have wanted all the information available to me so I am therefore pleased to be able to share details of the new national initiative that supports families with a premature or sick baby. The initiative launches on the 19^th June 2012 and is designed to enable every family of a sick or premature baby to be at the cornerstone of their baby’s care in ways that can help to improve health outcomes.  

Here are some details from the press release for you:                                                                                                       

UK-based child health charity Best Beginnings, working with six medical Royal College, UNICEF and more than 15 other organisations, is rolling out a national Small Wonders Change Programme implemented by over 400 nurse, doctor and midwife ‘Champions’ within hospitals throughout the UK to help families of premature and sick babies in the UK irrespective of their socio-economic group, receive the same high quality family-centered care.

At the centre of the programme is the Small Wonders DVD, which is the culmination of two years of intensive work for Best Beginnings and follows fourteen families, charting the real-life experiences the parents faced as they met, cared for, and returned home with their premature or sick baby.  With 80,000 babies in the UK each year born either premature or sick it is designed as a tool to enable neonatal staff to support and advise parents through their baby’s stay, and encourage parents to play a pivotal role in the care their baby receives in ways that have been proven to positively impact health outcomes, interventions and activities such expressing breast milk, responding to their baby’s non-verbal cues and having skin-to-skin contact.

Using the expertise of over 200 experts in neonatal care including consultant neonatologists, representatives of Royal Colleges, specialist dieticians and infant feeding specialists and created in conjunction with 10 hospitals across the UK, the Small Wonders DVD is designed to ensure that parents have the insight, guidance, confidence and support they need, from when they are first told they may be having a premature baby, through those first crucial hours after birth to their baby’s first birthday.  The DVD is split into 12 films each covering a different topic, which parents can select individually.

In addition to being available for free in neonatal units across the UK the Small Wonders DVD is available to purchase for £5 from www.bestbeginnings.org.uk/pages/shop/.

Having been fortunate enough to breastfeed both of my daughters, I know the bond it can give you and this kind of support is invaluable, especially to mums feeling vulnerable after the birth of this gorgeous small person into the world. Best Beginnings is a small charity committed to having a big impact on child health across the UK.  You can find out more about their work and support them at http://www.bestbeginnings.org.uk/appeal/donate-for-child-health 

If you know one person that this may help or be of interested to - please share it with them. This small action can mean a big deal to someone who is feeling isolated or struggling and with most of us never having enough hands to hold a book, a DVD is a great way to share this information.

Wouldnt you want the Best Beginning?  

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If you ask most women who inspires them, some will say an entreprenuer, some will say a famous name and some will simply say their mum. The common theme in almost all of these replies will be women and its clear that women have always inspired other women, so I was delighted and honoured to be nominated for a Women Inspiring Women Award with Damsels in Success.

The event was organised by Lucie Bradbury, the founder of Damsels in Success and whose enthusiasm is infectious. I recently tweeted that Lucie speaks with genuine belief and sincerity and even if you dont "buy into" the Damsels ethos, you cant help but feel her enthusiasm and determination.

The room was filled full of hard working, focused, driven, entertaining (and some nervous) women and whilst the evening was about women, I couldnt help but be captivated by our host for the evening, Richard Wilkins. His mantra is "if you have no money, you're broke, if you have no energy, you're dead" and this is from the man who, in his own words, "lost a fortune and got a life". The evening sparkled with energy and his contribution to the evening fuelled this even further.

Sometimes life can get in the way of your focus and whatever it is that makes you follow your dreams, whether it be a life coach, a networking group, an evening full of inspiring women, its your life and your choices, so do it, be it, live it, love it.

Step into your life, not around it.

Anyone who has read our external blog, will know that we love Frankie & Bennys, so when we found out that a waiter who works at the Frankie & Benny’s restaurant in Widnes has a five-year-old daughter called Susanna who suffers from Cerebral Palsy, we wanted to know what we could do to help them raise money to send Susanna to Missouri in the US for a life changing operation that will enable her to walk unaided.  This isnt something we would usually post on our blog but as parents ourselves, we know we would be grateful if someone was prepared to help our daughter if she was in need.

Missouri is the only place Susanna can have surgery urgently – in the UK there is a 2 year waiting list which would mean Susanna would miss her window of opportunity to have it done as she will then be too old to qualify. The operation has a 100% success rate. They have so far raised £15K but it’s been a struggle and there is a long way to go as they need £60,000 in total.

Frankie & Benny’s is determined to raise the money by the end of July 2012 and have promised that this beautiful little girl will walk properly like all of her friends. Frankie & Benny’s is embarking on a nationwide fundraising weekend on Saturday 30^th June/Sunday 1^st July in every single one of their restaurants where they will donate £3.95 from every child’s meal purchased as well as many other specific fundraising activities for each individual venue.

A Just Giving page has been set up where people can donate as much or as little as they can http://www.justgiving.com/helpsusannawalk - a penny or a pound, every amount is worthwhile

What the money raised would do

The money raised will pay for Susanna and her family to travel to and from the States for the operation and the operation itself. It will provide accommodation for the family for a month following Susanna’s operation and further intensive physiotherapy.  It will also pay for further treatment and aftercare on her return to the UK and hopefully we will raise enough to also provide Susanna with some equipment to aid her speedy recovery. Susanna only has a short amount of time left whereby she qualifies for this operation, hence the need for immediate action.  By raising this money now, Susanna will hopefully have the operation in September and be recovering well by Christmas this year.  Just think how amazing it will be for us all to think we have played a part in ensuring it happens.

For more information about Susanna and her family, you can visit the links below:

http://www.justgiving.com/helpsusannawalk

http://helpsusannawalk.com/

http://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/9682627.Future_now_brighter_for_Susanna/

http://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/9339876.Susanna_needs___60_000_to_send_her_to_the_States_for_vital_operation/