Mothers-in-law.

I have a sneaking suspicion that many of you are emitting a sigh breathed with both resignation and frustration, as you simultaneously shake your head. Throw a baby into the mother-in-law equation and your head shaking increases in force and passion – I am sure.

Here’s an interesting stat: a recent survey conducted by baby brand Brother Max revealed that 89% of mums feel that they have been judged since having a baby. Of that 89%, 38% have felt judged by their health visitor or midwife and 31% by their… mother-in-law (no surprise there).

What is it about boys and their mums? Two women in love with the same man – or something like that. It sounds a bit Freudian but perhaps there is an element of truth to the theory.

Here’s what I think:

A mother-in-law has been the authoritative voice in her son’s life for pretty much his whole life. Then you come along and that authoritative voice becomes a mere whisper in the wind (it’s called ‘growing up’). That freaks poor mom-in-law out. Then you go and have some children, and you, as queen-bee-mum, are in charge of her grandchildren. Mother-in-law thus tries to exert her authority and you rebel. So, the power struggle continues. It’s a crazy game.

I play it.

And there are two things that I have learnt: 1) ‘generation gap’ is a cog in the wheel of any relationship, as is ‘personality clash’ – and this fact requires management rather than solution, and 2) being confident in who you are, as woman, wife and mum, is the trump card you need to win the game.

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If you wake up one morning and it appears that your beautiful baby has morphed into a scaly dragon cub overnight, fear not; it’s most likely cradle cap.

Okay, so I may have exaggerated a little. Cradle cap is a little scaly but far from all encompassing – it only affects a baby’s scalp and it usually lasts only a few weeks or months.

Cradle cap is described by the NHS as: “yellowish, greasy scaly patches that appear on the scalp of [SOME] young babies. It is a very common, harmless condition that doesn’t usually itch or cause discomfort to the baby.”

The scales will eventually start to flake off and may make the affected skin appear red. Sometimes the hair may also come away with the flakes.

In other words, cradle cap usually clears up by itself but if you’d like some help. Maybe an organic remedy for cradle cap? Rock The Cradles’s Organic Cradle Cap Oil is definitely worth a try.

The remedy is a gentle, nourishing blend of organic oils, which aims to relieve dryness and irritation. It will help to soften and loosen the cradle cap, making it easier to gently remove with a soft brush or dry washcloth.

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I am a sucker for gadgety baby products that make a mum’s life easier. And I have come across one such product.

It’s a baby day bed that multitasks as a bouncer – called the Bounce ‘n’ Sleep, by Stokke.

I used a day bed massively when my daughter was a baby. It helped her transition from sleeping in my arms, the sling, her pram, on the couch to a more formal daytime sleep routine.

I love the idea of a baby day bed because I could cart mine around with me and if visiting friends or in the park during nap time, I could just whip it out and let me baby girl sleep in the security of a bed with which she was familiar. It worked really well for us.

The Bounce ‘n’ Sleep allows you to play with babs when she is awake; then when it’s time for a snooze, recline the bouncer to its sleep position without disturbing your babs. The bouncer has a built in mattress that transfers easily into the day bed.

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Insurance company LV= has revealed that £10, 261 is the average amount spent by parents on their child in his/her first year of life.

That’s pretty mad!

What I would like to know is what percentage of that is clothing related? And if Victoria Beckham’s spendings are calculated as part of the average.

Two of Posh’s children featured in the top three in a poll of the best dressed celebrity children. Twelve-year-old Brooklyn hit the number three spot and 7-month-old Harper Seven is the second best dressed child in celebdom (the first is none other than Ms Suri Cruise).

Okay… so how much does the lovely Harper’s wardrobe cost? I’ll bet it’s more than the average £10, 261.

It’s hard not to judge.

Here’s the thing; if you’ve got the cash to spend, why not? If the likes of bills, groceries, travel and all the other expenses in incurred in day-to-day living get in the way, then you do what you can with what you’ve got.

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Okay; so I read some news re: the insane world of Celebdom, which has made the rich and famous even less accessible in my humble mind – and, in the name of all things gossipy, I have to share!

New parents Beyoncé and Jay-Z reportedly paid £400,000 for a solid gold rocking horse, and a mini Bugatti car for when their baby girl’s motor skills are more developed. The little mite is also the lucky owner of a £10,000 Swarovski-studded high chair and £30,000 ‘coach carriage’ crib.

For some perspective; the average first-time parent (in the UK) spends £1786 on essentials for baby’s arrival – and this is called ‘overspending’ by two thirds of the population!

Crazy (in love!)

But wait…Beyoncé and her beau have petitioned to trademark their one-month-old baby’s name – Blue Ivy.

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