All at the click of a button

Got a newborn at home? Got other kids too? Need to do loads of stuff but don´t have the hands nor the time to do it. Spain´s great but many of us may be a tad too far to walk to shops and even with car - strapping three kids in and out into their chairs in this heat can be enough to put you off a supermarket shop.

To be honest, the internet has been my saving grace. Mercadona on line is great - just do your entire shop with one hand on the computer and the other holding baby!! Also, the otherday, I needed to buy some books for my eldest daughter - a trip to Corte Ingles or La Canada seemed too much hastle so I ordered the books on Fnac online and they were delivered straight to my doorstep - the cost of the courier was less than the motorway toll charge, not to mention the petrol.

To top it up, I needed to send some presents to some friends when I was in hospital so I ordered them some gifts from amazon.co.uk and everything arrived within 5 days - pretty impressive ehh???

What would life bewithout the internet????

Please excuse typos -typing with one arm only as baby is in the other arm!!

A meal out with 3 kids in Duquesa area

I am typing with one hand on keyboard and holding a baby in another so please excuse any typos!

This is what I love about living in Spain, especially in this area of the costa del sol. The waiters in restaurants are so accepting of kids. They do not generally object to breastfeeding in public and make mums feel so welcome. This makes having a baby so much easier - mum´s can lead a normal life, well normalish!!

Psychologically, it´s great for a mum as they do not feel isolated.

The other day, we went to a lovely chiringuito, (beach bar) near Duquesa, in front of Los Granados. Its called Romeo´s Bahia -I thoroughly recommend it. Really its more of a restaurant than a beach bar and not only does it offer fantastic, fresh traditional dishes such as calamares, gambas pil pil etc.´, but for the less adventurous, they do a great selection of pasta and pizza - all homemade.

For those only interested in a light snack or something quick for kids, there are snacky foods on the menu like hot dogs and chips. And for the healthier option, there are delicious salads including an exotic tropical one.

But why is it so good for kids? Apart from the excellent cuisine, sumptious ice creams and milkshakes and the fact that it is right on an unspoilt Manilva beach, the restaurant has a special kids table.

The table is actually a blackboard and kids can sit round it colouring with chalk provided by the restaurant. So parents can enjoy their coffees whilst their kids are thoroughly entertained.

Hospiten Estepona

Well. I must say that the medical side - eg the gynecologist, surgeons etc was excellent. However the waiting times were pretty horrendous considering you're paying to go private and have pre-set appointments. Thankfully there is a good cafe to will away the hours! The only complaint I have with the set up is the whole 'touchy feely' element - a lack of orientation. Everything is done in a clinical fashion - more time would be appreciated though if nurses would sit down and discuss how to breast feed, how to treat a baby's umbilical cord and all those things that first time mum's need to know. Also many of the staff contradict each other - one nurse told me to ask for a pain killer if I needed one and another told me not to have any. I went in for a c-section and arrived starving at 8am only to be told that I would be slotted in when the surgeon had time. Small things like that would have made a great difference. Also there was nothing said during the pregnancy about anti-natal exercise or breathing - things that I think are essential to a woman who is about to give birth.

Breast or bottle

We mum's are constantly told breast is best. I agree it is the best in most circumstances but it really surprises me how we have a lot of unnecessary pressure on us. I am thoroughly enjoying breastfeeding at present but having had three kids, I am the first to admit that breast feeding is not the easiest thing to get into. Apart from the discomfort of sore breasts, bleeding nipples etc, breastfeeding does mean that you are the sole source of your child's nutrition - this can be a scary thought and can also mean that you have little time out. For those mum's that feel exhausted and need a break a supplement can really help. On the positive side breast feeding can really help to flatten your stomach again (although it is usually accompanied by an insatiable appetite), it is also great not to have to pre-plan journeys and constantly have to sterilise bottles plus it does save us mum's lots of money.

Really each circumstance is different - some mum's thrive on breastfeeding and other's get more tense - really the main thing is for us mum's to do what is best for us and the child. Sometimes adding a bottle can help us to be more relaxed mums and babies easily pick up on our moods.

My husband, presently on holiday - thank goodness - (we have this real estate agency, 'Hamilton Homes' and my husband is a bit of a workaholic) tried to give our baby a top up today whilst I had a chance to go for a swim with my older kids. I really wanted to spend some time with them and this gave me the chance to spend some time with them - something that is hard to do when you are feeding every two hours and burping in between that!!!! As it happened she took only a little and seemed so happy to take the breast when I got back.

Our new baby

Well, after all that worry and bedrest, I am so relieved to be here with my 6 week old baby. For any of you having a baby soon, I really recommend the baby monitor that I have - the Baby Kangoo (Rimax). It is a video monitor and can be connected to the TV. Better still, when placed on the night time setting, you can see your baby so clearly better than if you are staring down at him/her yourself. The monitor whilst pricey was definitely a worthwhile buy - about 140 euros from Leroy Merlin.