New research from one of the UK’s leading independent baby-product review websites has found that mothers find the Christmas holidays the ‘most stressful’ time of year; with over two thirds, 68%, admitting that they feel ‘very stressed’ at this time of year.

Whilst Christmas is an enjoyable holiday for many, it seems that mothers across the UK are bearing the brunt of the stress that comes with it. A new study from Babychild.org.uk, one of the UK’s leading independent baby product review websites, has found that over two thirds, 68%, of mothers admit to feeling ‘very stressed’ over the Christmas period; with the majority agreeing that they find it the ‘most stressful time of year.’

The research was conducted by www.Babychild.org.uk, in order to gauge how mothers across the UK cope with the Christmas period, with 1, 672 mothers aged 18 and over taking part.

Respondents to the study were initially asked to describe their usual mental state over the Christmas holiday. Over two thirds, 68%, of mothers replied that they usually felt ‘very stressed’ at Christmas-time; as opposed to just one in ten, 9%, who stated that they usually felt ‘calm.’

The mothers who admitted to feeling ‘very stressed’ were then asked to state why they felt this way. Whilst the majority, 53%, explained that they felt they had ‘too much to do’ over the Christmas period; over a third, 34%, blamed their stress on the fact that they received ‘no help from family members’ in Christmas preparations.

Furthermore, over half, 51%, of all mothers who took part in the study admitted that they felt that Christmas preparations ‘depended on them.’ Over a third, 33%, explained that they prepared Christmas dinner alone, whilst one in five, 21%, explained that it falls solely on them to buy all Christmas presents for friends and family.

Of the total respondents to the study, over half, 55%, admitted that they found the Christmas season the ‘most stressful’ time of year.

Jill Tovey, co-founder of Babychild.org.uk, commented on the findings:

“We wanted to look into how mothers feel when Christmas comes around, and it wasn’t surprising to find that the majority admitted to feeling ‘very stressed’ during the holiday season. Most explained their stress on the fact that they felt they had too much to do, and did not receive enough help around the home; something that can be extremely stressful at a time of year when there is so much to organise.”

She continued:

“Although I think it can be argued that Christmas organisation has relied on mothers across the UK for many years; perhaps fathers and partners should take note, and try to share the burden of Christmas preparation a little more equally. Helping around the kitchen, or doing a little of the Christmas shopping, can make all the difference when it comes to alleviating the pressure of preparation on mothers across the UK. After all, Christmas is a time to help those in need!”

ENDS

LINK: http://www.Babychild.org.uk

For more information please contact Emma Kent of 10 Yetis Public Relations on 01452348211 or [email protected].

Editors Notes

Babychild.org.uk looks for real reviews from real parents

The shop features over 1,000 products, which have been rated and reviewed by real parents. This number is constantly growing everyday.

New research from the UK’s leading baby product review site has revealed that pregnant women are more likely to build DIY nursery furniture than their partner; with just over two fifths, 41%, claiming to have built furniture for their future child alone.

Whilst many would equate DIY jobs with the man of the household, the results from a new study have revealed results to the contrary; with over two fifths of pregnant women claiming to have put together nursery furniture without the help of their partner.

Conducted by www.BabyChild.org.uk, the UK’s leading baby product review website; the study looked into how women prepare for the impending birth of their child. 1,452 mothers subsequently took part, and were asked questions surrounding their preparations during pregnancy.

Women who took part in the study were initially asked, “Did you use DIY furniture to decorate your baby’s nursery (crib/ drawers/ wardrobe etc)?” with 78% of respondents replying “yes.” These women were then asked to stipulate who actually put the furniture together.

Just over two fifths, 41%, of these mothers stated that they built their child’s nursery furniture alone whilst pregnant; without the help of the baby’s father. Just one in ten, 12%, said that the baby’s father put the furniture together alone; with almost one in five, 17%, claiming to have had a friend or relative help them with the build. The remaining 30% stated that they built the furniture together with their baby’s father.

The 41% of mothers who claimed to have built the nursery furniture alone were asked to state why they did so. Just over a quarter, 26%, claimed that they were ‘bored’ whilst on maternity leave, and decided to get it done; whilst a further third, 31%, claimed to want to do it alone as part of the ‘nesting’ process. The majority however, 36%, admitted to building alone because “their partner was not getting it done.”

Of the mothers who took part in the study, 63% admitted to building their nursery furniture in their last trimester. Of these, two thirds explained that they did not want to decorate the nursery earlier due to ‘superstition.’ Only 4% admitted to building their nursery furniture in their first trimester.

Jill Tovey, co-founder of http://www.BabyChild.org.uk, commented on the findings:

“It was surprising to see just how many pregnant mothers took on the difficult job of building their baby’s nursery furniture alone, especially given the fact that the majority of mothers did so in their third trimester when rest is of the utmost importance. It can be frustrating when your other half isn’t getting the job done, but going it alone is never ideal; especially given how stressful DIY can be!

She continued:

“That being said, nesting is an important part of the pregnancy process; and many mothers find great comfort in the preparation and decoration of their baby’s nursery. The results do, however, put rest to the misconception that men are the chiefs of DIY in the home; never underestimate what a mother can do, even if she’s heavily pregnant!”

ENDS

LINK: http://www.BabyChild.org.uk

For more information please contact Emma Kent of 10 Yetis Public Relations Agency on [email protected]

Editors Notes

Babychild.org.uk looks for real reviews from real parents

The shop features over 1,000 products, which have been rated and reviewed by real parents. This number is constantly growing everyday.

Marian McQuade, (1917-2008) the founder of Grandparents Day hoped to persuade grandchildren to tap the wisdom and heritage their grandparents could provide. Something that America’s 70 million grandparents, and their families, can easily achieve thanks to the valuable advice offered by award-winning grief expert and author, Gemini Adams, in her latest book, Your Legacy of Love: Realize the Gift in Goodbye.

In this inspirational guide, she suggests we capture our Emotional Assets: our memories, voice, values, image, stories, and affections, using various media to create a timeless memento that grandchildren will treasure forever. Grandparents can find new meaning to this national holiday, which takes place on September 13, 2009, by following the six-steps that Adams says, “are essential for those looking to share their worldly wisdom or leave a lasting and loving impression.”

1.    Good Guidance – Pass on valuable life instructions and lessons, by capturing your wisdom in a Grandpa or Grandma Guide, to help children and grandchildren make “better”  life choices.

2.   Future Surprises – Avoid the heartbreak on special celebrations, such as 21st birthdays, weddings, graduations or bar mitzvahs, by preparing meaningful gifts to be delivered on your behalf. Leave them with a trusted loved one.

3.    Life Story – Capture your voice, memories, voice, image, and share family values, by writing your own life story, or recording it on video,  so that your family will appreciate the value of the past, and always remain connected to you.

4.    Musical Memories – Create a CD of your favorite music, including the first song played on your wedding night, or one from a special family occasion, to help your loved ones recall the memories of the great times they spent with you.

5.    Define Your Wishes – Plan ahead for the end-of-life, so you can eradicate last minute stress, guaranteeing you and your family get the service you deserve.

6.    Life Celebrations – Make advance plans to ensure the service reflects the real you, reduces the burden for your surviving family and ensure they have a more positive experience at your final farewell party.
Your Legacy of Love: Realize the Gift in Goodbye, by Gemini Adams, (5.5 x 8.5, Softcover, ISBN: 978-0615193755, $14.99 US/$16.99 CAN) is available at all major bookstores, the authors site www.realizethegift.com and Amazon.com or direct from Live Consciously Publishing.

Los Angeles, Calif., February 3, 2009 – Growing Generations, the largest U.S.-based surrogacy agency, is coming to London, England in March to perform private consultations with prospective clients. Since its founding in 1996, the agency has celebrated the births of over 700 babies. In addition, a record 140 births are expected in 2009. Growing Generations has successfully worked with 15 UK-based families who now have children, and an additional 13 who are going through the process. Growing Generations has clients from 26 other countries, including most of Europe.

Growing Generations offers surrogacy, egg donation and sperm donation programs for all family types, regardless of marital status or sexual orientation. Additionally, through recent advances in technology, Growing Generations is now able to provide services to HIV-positive men, who can use their own sperm to create biological families. Growing Generations is dedicated to assisting people fulfill their dreams of parenthood through surrogacy.

Stuart Miller, CEO of Growing Generations, will be in London providing private consultations for prospective parents from March 16–20. If you are interested in scheduling a private consultation with Mr. Miller to discuss Growing Generations’ services, please contact [email protected]

To learn more about Growing Generations, please visit www.growinggenerations.com.

About Growing Generations, LLC
Since 1996, Growing Generations has been a company passionately dedicated to the vision of creating life and, in the process, changing the world. Our mission is simple—to build families of choice for communities around the globe through surrogacy, egg donation and sperm donation.

Contact

Vanessa Leon
Growing Generations, LLC

Los Angeles * New York * Boston * Ohio Valley

Phone (323) 904-4741 Fax (323) 965-0900

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.growinggenerations.com