Shanghai Mama

Here is a very interesting offer from DIS to all the stylish mummies out there.

DIS is pleased to invite you for a special rendez-vous:
Every Monday of March and April 2009 from 10am to 6pm DIS offers you on top of the already sales prices an extra discount of 15% on the Fall/Winter collection (chic feminine combination of DIS & imported European designers clothes, shoes, and accessories). This offer is only valid on every Monday from March and April.
In order to benefit from this promotion, please show your club member card in DIS boutiques or print this newsletter.

Kind regards,
D.I.S team

Found this while wasting time on youtube, it resonates a lot with my believes on birth and parenting, hope the pregnant women out there appreciate it. Just makes me want to be pregnant all over again…

Just received a reminder email for this course starting in September. We all know how challenging motherhood can be and this seems like a nice way to address the different issues we face every day.
I’m pasting the flyer below:

Mommy Coaching Time at shui urban spa !
A series of four coaching workshops for new moms & moms-to-be！
Mark your calendars and SIGN UP TODAY!

Two hours to recharge your batteries and feel boosted with positive energy, in a cozy lounge, around constructive topics of discussion. Enjoy this time just for you, in a very informal and relaxed atmosphere！

To sign up for one or several workshops, or for any questions, please email Alexia at alexia.michiels@gmail.com

Led by Alexia Michiels
“Drive Your Life！” Coaching Proposals for Women
www.alexiamichiels.com
Certified Life Coach and mother of four children.

Thursday September 4, 10 to 12 noon
How does the motherhood experience change you forever?
Thursday September 11, 10 to 12 noon
Put aside the myth of the perfect mom and discover your special gift as a unique mother！
Thursday September 18, 10 to 12 noon
Identify and use your core values to guide you more confidently through motherhood
Thursday September 24, 10 to 12 noon
Identify your breaking points and design your back up plan ！
Groups are limited to 10 people MAX.
1000 RMB for the 4-workshops series, 300 RMB per workshop.

I always find it really hard to find natural cosmetics here in Shanghai maybe this is an idea for the future.

I’ve been meaning to post about this very interesting alternative form of healing for ages… It took me a while to understand how it works and how it could help but after Katja’s last talk at IMSG Puxi I think I have the hang of it and find it fascinating.
Katja is a wonderful smily person and as a mother herself understands the challenges of bringing up a little person, she is a certified Kinesiologist and Life-Coach.
Katja practices here in Shanghai and with her work helps others find the answers and causes to problems. Seems like the answers are all hidden in our bodies just takes the know how to find where they are hiding.
For more on kinesiology go here.
Below I am copying Katja’s flyer as this can give a better intro to her work with babies and mothers and mothers-to-be.

Integrative Kinesiology and Life-Coaching
Maybe you would like to free yourself from heavy “baggage”?
Maybe your baby or toddler is excessively crying and you don’t know why?
Maybe your child shows other “strange” symptoms no-one can understand?
Maybe you are pregnant and you are scared of what’s coming?
Maybe you wish being able to deeply relax and find inner peace?
Maybe you just want to feel better?

The Kinesiology muscle-test helps to uncover, recognise and heal mental blocks and problems occurring in all parts of your life.
The results are astonishing, because of going deep in the unconscious level.

Some examples where integrative Kinesiology can help:

Shorten the recovery time after surgery
Chronic and psychosomatic illnesses
Psychological and emotional problems:
• Burn-out syndrome
• Relationship problems
• All sorts of issues related to family, sexuality, profession, identity…
• Recurring feelings like anxiety, melancholy, anger and loneliness
• Support throughout difficult times and conflict situations
• Support in taking decisions
• Weight problems, eating disorders and other addictions

Babies, Toddlers and older children
• Excessive crying
• Food intolerance
• Birth trauma
• Social problems
• Learning difficulties
• Concentration issues and ADHD

To learn more about Katja’s work visit her website

I found a really good more environmentally friendly way to store breastmilk in the fridge or freezer. I was using disposable milk bags before but I ran out and couldn’t find any in my local malls so was recommended the Avent VIA Breastmilk Containers by a couple of other mums. They stock them in Les Enfant and are around 150rmb for 10 cups. They are pre sterilized and can be reused up to 4 times (think you can probably use them more times if they are still in good conditions). Then they can be recycled. The good thing is that if you have an avent bottle you cand fit the nipple right on the cup and go ahead and feed you baby without transfering the milk to a bottle, and they also fit on the Avent pump.. I don’t have neither but I am still finding them pretty handy.

Want to immortalized that great bump or your baby’s chubby cheeks?
Tracey Cruickshank is a photographer specialized in newborn, baby, child, family and maternity portraits.
Her services include, prints for standard photo albums and frames, framed prints of all sizes, prints for xmas and brithday cards and birth announcementn cards, hard cover adn cofee table albums, photographic enhancement and digitally designed albums of your own family and holiday photos.

CHILD OF MINE PHOTOGRAPHY
13681910585
traceycruickshank@yahoo.com
By appointment only: Room 1002, Building 32, 588 Lian Hua Nan Lu, Minhang District

Just a quick minute between nappy changes and breastfeeding marathons to write a short post to announce the birth of my son Theodore who was born on April 17th at International Peace Maternity Hospital.
He’s a lovely big boy, with a birth weight of 4.9 Kg!!
I’m working on my birth story and will have it up as soon as I can. If anyone else wishes to share their personal Shanghai birth story please get in touch with me!
Back to my mama duties…..
x

Half the sky is a US based charity which works at helping orphaned babies and girls in China to have a more fullfiling and nurtured upbringing.

They run 3 main projects:
Baby sister Infant Nurture Center: HTS employs and trains special “Nannies”, local retired women, to spend their days in the orphanage, each holding and playing with 3-3 babies in a relaxed, family-like environment.
Little Sister Preschools: HTS employs young local teachers and then trains them in an innovative and empowering curriculum which combines the western” Reggio Emilia” approach with the best of contemporary Chinese preschool methods.
Big Sister Project: HTS created this program to give older orphaned girls a chance to make something special of their lives. Tailored to the needs of the individual, they provide the services that have the potential to turn a girl’s life arounds: remedial tutoring, middle school tuition, music, computer , langare and vocational training. The hope is that one day they will teach in the HTS schools and share what they’ve learned with their little sisters.

This is just a little bit of information on what they do I got from their flyer, please check out the website for more info.

Apart from sending a donation you can support this charity by buying your breastfeeding cushion from one of their Shanghai based volonteers, the cost for the cushion with 2 covers is of 150rmb and that also pays for an extra cushion to be made and donated to one of the orphanages.
Local volonteers also make hand made cards. You can find their products at of the charity sales that regularly happen around town or by contacting one the volonteers through the contact below.

For info: htsshanghai@halfthesky.org
Local volonteers who have breastfeeding cushions: Lynn Humphreys: lynnhumphreys(at)hotmail.com
Mhairi Higgings: thehigginsclan(at)hotmail.com

For parents of kids with food allergies/intollerances. Last Thursday of each month at Shanghai United Family Hospital, 1139 Xianxia lu, 10 am-noon.
Contact: shanghai_food_allergies(at)yahoogroups.com