Save the children #firstday campaign

2.9 million babies a year never reach their second month of life.

1 MILLION BABIES A YEAR DON’T LIVE TO SEE THEIR SECOND DAY

Save the Children's new campaign, launching today, is 

Ending Newborn Deaths

If giving birth is safer than at any other time in history, why is the prospect scarier than ever?

Giving birth is a pretty nerve wracking thing; anyone thinking about going through it or looking back on the experience can testify to that. It seems to me that it is especially terrifying in the UK at the moment, which really shouldn't be the case. In terms of medical advances in monitoring high-risk pregnancies and special care for premature or high-risk infants, we should be comforted that, chances are, mother and baby will come out the other end ok.

I like Valentine's Day. There... I said it!

I know Valentine's Day is supposed to be all tacky and commercialised and sickly and just another excuse for those card manufacturers and chocolate companies and florists to squeeze us for yet more cash...but I like it. You know me, I like a celebration. I like an occasion, especially with a theme.

"How do I look?" The hang ups stop here...

My 3 1/2 year old daughter has recently started looking in the mirror in our bedroom, usually wearing some fancy dress finery, and asking "How do I look?" I feel slightly paralysed by this question. Do I say "beautiful, sweetheart" and make her feel good or is that reducing her to her physical appearance? Or do I just say "It doesn't matter, honey. It's whether you are a nice, kind person that counts"? I think I've kind of said both but haven't felt very confident in either. It feels like I am skirting round the issue and need to take it by the horns!