Miriam is the founder of Mimi’s Bowl. She cooks modern baby and toddler recipes from her home in West London. She is mum to one little girl, 4 years old, and a nine-month-old baby boy. Miriam blogs and posts daily about what they eat at home, via her Instagram feed. She shares her honest experiences of cooking at home for her family; whilst offering parent cooking hacks and recipes. She has just started weaning her little boy. Her mission is to end “babyfood panic”: an anxiety about how to feed your baby and what to feed your baby.
Parenting on Female First
As someone who’s lived with and now has children with sensitive and easily irritated skin, I understand the importance of taking care of both what my family eats and what we put on our skin. Both of my children have sensitive skin; I find that when their skin is irritated, it impacts both their routines and our time together as a family. Skin issues, such as eczema, can interfere with everything from sleeping patterns, to appetite and mood.
In support of Allergy Awareness week, I wanted to talk about my own experiences and share my top tips.
When it is warmer outside
During this time of year when the weather starts heating up, or if you are planning a summer break, you may find your baby’s skin more susceptible to becoming clammy in the heat. In my experience fluctuations in the temperature can have adverse effects on sensitive skin such as mild skin rashes and other discomfort.
I adjust our daily routine based on warmer weather to ensure my children are comfortable: everything from layering their clothes, to planning playtime outdoors at cooler times, to their skincare routine, to the food that they eat. I find if I make small lifestyle changes and switches, it really does make a difference to their skin.
It all starts at home
Since becoming a parent, I am particularly conscious of what products I use at home: from skincare products, to daily household products. I increasingly opt for natural cleaning solutions, especially in the kitchen, my children’s rooms and bathrooms. Harsh chemicals and cleaning products not only irritate my family’s skin, but they are bad for the environment. I prefer not to use them. I also try to buy clothes in natural fabrics, which are lightweight; layering them as needed. This is crucial and allows their skin to breathe. Natural pram liners, such as sheepskins, or sleeping bags made from natural fabrics in the correct thicknesses all help.
Moisturising: start them young
I swear by a good moisturiser; it isn’t just essential for parents. I want my children’s skin to be hydrated and have a natural defence. For both my children I use AVEENO® Baby Dermexa Daily Emollient Cream as their moisturiser during the day. It is unscented, paraben free and is formulated to minimise the risk of allergies. I find it absorbs quickly into the skin and is non-greasy, which means less mess. Brilliantly, it lasts up to 24 hours, so their skin feels hydrated all day and I only have to apply it once!
Bath time
Bath time in my house (although a bit chaotic) signals the end of the day and gives me quality time with both my children. For me, it is important to keep my baby’s skin clean using gentle products and to avoid harsh ingredients. I use the AVEENO® Baby Daily Care Gentle Wash for both my children. It is a soap free, mild formula that can be used daily on sensitive skin to provide gentle but effective cleaning.
My kids and I love our bedtime routine, I put on soft night lights and gentle music. Then after bath time I use AVEENO® Baby Dermexa Good Night Emollient Balm; I apply it just before bed. It helps to soothe irritation, reduce itchy sensations and restore the skin barrier. Best of all it is intensely moisturising. My biggest anxiety during a dry skin flare-up is them being uncomfortable during the night. Then it is time for their pyjamas and story time, which we all enjoy.
Know your ingredients
I have learnt through my work as a food blogger, that the better the ingredients the better the dish. With good ingredients you only need a handful to make a really great meal. I try to buy organically where possible and from local suppliers, who are used to me popping in with my pram and kids. I plan our meals around seasonal ingredients and foods, which are less expensive and also taste fantastic. Why should we be eating strawberries in the middle of winter? I choose AVEENO® Baby Daily Care Baby Moisturising Lotion as it contains colloidal oatmeal and oat essence, the formula helps improve the skin’s natural skin barrier.
Your baby’s eating adventure
Introducing solid food to your baby is an exciting next step. As a mum of a 4-year-old daughter and a 9-month year old baby boy, I have been through my fair share of culinary highs and lows. When my daughter was born one of the many challenges for me as a new mum proved to be food. Weaning your baby is at times extremely daunting, messy and frustrating.
My key tip is to keep a list of foods you have tried (I keep my list on my kitchen fridge). This will help you keep track as you introduce your baby to new foods. Note down how your baby reacts to tasting new flavours: food they like, foods they don’t like, foods to try again, foods that make them gassy, foods that keep them full, foods that aide sleep, and so on. Remember to also research carefully the foods that should be avoided in the first year.
Just as important as their likes and dislikes are any reactions to food, or potential allergies. Food allergy reactions and symptoms vary from mild to severe (requiring urgent medical attention), to immediate, or conversely delayed reactions, occurring later on. Therefore, keeping a daily food diary of foods your baby tries will help you identify what they can and cannot eat.
Both food allergies and eczema are thought to be connected; infants who suffer from eczema are at a higher risk of having food allergies1. If your baby has allergies already, or there is a family history of allergy, talk to your health care advisor. They will be able to support you with a specialist food plan.
Raising awareness for food allergens
As someone who’s lived with and now has children with sensitive, easily irritated skin, I understand the importance of taking care of both what my family eats and what we put on our skin. Launching Mimi’s Bowl allowed me to show parents how easy it is to create simple, healthy and seasonal meals for their children. I created two new recipes in partnership with AVEENO® Baby, which you can view on my blog, to show parents that even meals for allergy-prone skin don’t have to be complicated, dull or unhealthy and help to reduce worry for parents during this new stage of parenting.
The AVEENO® Baby range is available nationwide at Boots
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