Spring Inspired Baby Names!

crocus-76852_1280Spring has well and truly sprung and is a perfect source for baby name inspiration, with its celebration of new life. Below are some names that capture the fresh and revived essence of the season.

 Girls names:

Aurora– French meaning “spring dawn”

Blossom– English meaning “flowerlike”

Flora- Latin meaning “flower”

Florence– Latin meaning “in bloom”

Lark – English meaning “playful songbird”

Lee- English meaning “meadow” or “wood”

Mae- French meaning “goddess of spring”

Boys names:

Ashley– Old English meaning “Ash Meadow”

Birch- Old English meaning “bright” or “shining”

Kelby– Old English meaning “farmhouse near the stream”

Kingsley– English meaning “the King’s Meadow”

Marley- Old English meaning “meadow near the lake”

Maxwell – Latin meaning “maccus” or “Stream”

Pascal – Latin meaning “Easter child”

Celebrity Baby Names: 2013 Roundup

As we near the end of 2013 it seems the right time to look back at the babies (and their names!) born this year:

Angelo James (Adele and Simon Konecki)

Penelope Scotland (Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick)

Olive (Drew Barrymore and Will Kopelman)

Noah Shannon (Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green)

Cyrus Michael Christopher (Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy)

Rocky James (Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.)

Theodora Rose (Robbie Williams and Ayda Field)

Felix Chang (Hugh Grant and Tinglan Hong)

Milan (Shakira and Gerard Pique)

Rainbow Aurora (Holly Madison and Pasquale Rotella)

Margot (Sophie Dahl and Jamie Callum)

Tennessee James (Reece Witherspoon and Jim Toth)

Rex Rayne (Fearne Cotton and Jesse Wood)

Marnie Rose (Lily Allen and Sam Cooper)

Spike (Edith Bowman and Tom Smith)

Lulu Rosylea (Bryan Adams and Alicia Grimaldi)

Fox India (Mark Owen and Emma Ferguson)

Florence Aurelia Alice (Jake and Harriet Humphrey)

Phaedra (Peaches Geldof and Thomas Cohen)

Klay Anthony Alfred (Coleen and Wayne Rooney)

Alfred (David Walliams and Lara Stone)

Everly (Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan-Tatum)

Alaia-May (Rochelle and Marvin Humes)

North (Kim Kardashian and Kanye West)

Ace (Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson)

Luna (Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem)

Sick and tired: the joys of pregnancy

Sick and tired: the joys of pregnancy

What does pregnancy mean for your body? We’ve all heard horror stories and urban myths about how terrible and wonderful pregnancy has been. In this extract from Pregnancy for Modern Girls author Hollie Smith explains some of the side-effects. Morning Sickness … Continue reading

Third Trimester: Week-by-Week

The final blog post in our week-by-week series covers the Third Trimester.

Week 28

Your baby should weigh just over 1kg, the same as a bag of sugar!

Week 29
Your baby’s bones are fully formed but still very soft.

Week 30
Your baby is about 33cm long.

Week 31
Now is a great time to start thinking about your birth plan.

Week 32
Try propping a pillow under your bump or between your knees if sleeping is becoming uncomfortable.

Week 33
Usually your baby will turn around and face downwards in preparation for birth.

Week 34
This is the period where a lot of mums-to-be say was there nesting period.

Week 35
Your baby’s hearing is fully developed.

Week 36
Your baby will be about 48cm long.

Week 37
Expect your baby to arrive between 37 and 42 weeks: three weeks before and two weeks after the so-called due date.

Week 38
Your baby should weigh around 3kg now.

Week 39
Tip: Cover your mattress with a towel in case your water breaks in the night.

Week 40
Less than 5% of babies arrive on their due date and only 30% in the week around your due date – so don’t worry if you baby hasn’t arrived yet.

Week 41
If your baby is late, don’t worry many pregnancies go onto 42 weeks and beyond.

Week 42
If your baby hasn’t arrived you will usually be offered an induction of labour towards the end of week 41.

Second Trimester: Week-by-Week

The second blog in our week by week series. Here’s what your baby is up to in the second trimester:

PregnantWeek 14
From around this stage your doctor can use a Doppler and you can listen to your baby’s heartbeat.

Week 15
Your baby’s fingernails have started growing.

Week 16
Your baby might be able to suck his thumb.

Week 17
At the 17-20 weeks mark your hair may start looking shiner and thicker.

Week 18
Your baby’s facial feature have developed and he/she can pull faces!

Week 19
Hair is growing on your baby’s head now.

Week 20
At 18cm long your baby can hear noises outside the uterus.

Week 21
The taste buds are developing.

Week 22
Your baby’s immune system is now developing.

Week 23
Your baby may get hiccups, which you can feel!

Week 24
Tip: Have all the telephone numbers for your midwife, antenatal clinic and labour ward pinned up and easily accessible.

Week 25
Your baby will start to make his/her presence felt with somersaults and kicks in your tummy.

Week 26
Your baby may now be able to open his eyelids for the first time.

Week 27
It is believed that babies start to dream about this time.

The First Trimester: Week-by-week

Pregnant 4

For the next month we’ll be sharing a week-by-week guide to pregnancy in each trimester. Let’s start at the beginning:

Week 1 

Actually the first day of your last period, even though you’re not pregnant yet!

Week 2/3
Conception where the egg implants in the uterus.

Week 4
The week your period doesn’t start. The outer cells are branching out to link into the mum’s bloody supply to nourish the embryo.

Week 5
Already your baby’s nervous system is developing and heart is beginning to form. Baby is 4mm-6mm – about the size of a pea.

Week 6
Your baby’s heartbeat can be detected on an ultrasound.

Week 7
The eyes, ears and limb buds are starting to form.

Week 8
Baby is around 15mm-20mm (about the size of a small bean). Feet and hand areas are developing.

Week 9
Baby is usually in a sitting position so getting the full length is almost impossible so is measured from crown to rump.

Week 10
From here onwards your baby is referred to as a foetus.

Week 11
Baby’s sense of hearing is developing.

Week 12
Your baby can now suck, yawn and swallow.

Week 13
Baby will be between 6cm and 8cm and will have started developing a fine covering of downy hair which disappears before or just after birth.

Welcome to the White Ladder Press Blog!

ImageWhite Ladder Press specialises in parenting and family health books that provide sensible, non-preachy information. Written by acknowledged experts, out titles not only address issues that really matter, but also explain all the facts so our readers can choose the right approach for them and their family.

Visit the White Ladder Press Blog for exclusive facts, advice and competitions!!