For celebrities, wacky names like Bronx, Cruz and Princess seem to be the norm. Could the average Mummy and Daddy pick the same sort of name or should it be left to those in the the public eye?

In this interview Sasha Miller, Editor at BabyCentre.co.uk tells us what names are getting their readers talking.

Plus, she discusses naming dilemmas and why mums should have the final say on picking your newborn’s name. Just click on the podcast listed below.

A third of Mums say they skip meals to lose weight and 80% admit they find it hard to juggle keeping fit with looking after their family and working. The study from Toby Carvery flags up just how much pressure women are under to eat healthily.

87% of new mums say they find it hard to eat healthily, but more than 4 out of 10 say they feel under the most pressure from themselves, followed by their husband and the media.

The statistics also show a quarter avoid eating out altogether because they’re so concerned about the diet flying out the window and more than a third admit to cooking themselves something different to the rest of their family so they can eat more healthily.

It’s not all bad for celeb mums, some are proving good role models. Charlotte Church was the number one celeb role model for many mums with 16% of the vote. Myleene Klass was rated second.

In this interview GMTV presenter and nutritionist Amanda Ursell said celebrity mums aren’t as perfect as we think. She also has advice on looking after yourself too!

What’s On 4 Little One’s Awards.

In all, there was nine categories in which My Baby Radio called each winner live during The Parent Show from 2 till 5pm.

The afternoons activities included speaking to the judges about the awards, why they got involved and the reasons for why the winners were chosen.

Listed below is the categories and the winners, including podcasts of the winners we called live on the show, all listed at the bottom of this page.

Best National Baby Development Activity

Water Babies.

Best National Toddler Development Activity

Sing and Sign

Best National Pre-schooler Development Activity

Gymboree

Most Outstanding Activity or Class Leader

Tiny Talk, Cramlington

Most Outstanding Committee Led Pre-School

Sherwood Community Centre Playgroup, Nottingham

Most Outstanding Baby and Toddler Group

Brunton Babies in Tyne and Wear

Organix Food Hero

Kate Sanderson and Jackie Moon from Runner Beans in Birmingham

Best Local Activity

Runaround, Ross-shire

Best New Activity

Runner Beans, Birmingham

Star of stage and screen Nanette Newman from films like International Velvet, The Stepford Wives and many others has five grandchildren - and she admits to spoiling them all! In this interview Nanette tells us all about why she’s loving being a grandparent - so much so she’s written a forward for a new book aimed at grandparents called “The Really Useful Grandparents Book”

Nanette said, “I used to think that my Grandparents were mindblowingly old. At the time they must’ve been around 50 or something and I used to think that they were older than God. My Grandmother used to sit by the fire with a cup of tea and knit and make tea cosies and I think the most she ever did with me was occasionally play I-Spy.”

“Today Grandparents I know seem to stay younger longer and become part of their grandchildrens lives.”

Nanette also talks about what being a Granny means to her, plus she has lots of ideas to entertain them too. For such an iconic star from the silver screen Nanette was a delight to interview and was up for some great story telling too which is reflected in this interview. Enjoy!

More than 350 parents were polled by the website What’s On For Little Ones, Sam Willoughby commissioned the survey. She told us that she was surprised by the findings.

She said, “We knew that Mums went out and joined groups but we were surprised that so many would like to have found more Mums to share experiences with.”

Sam believes that things change once you become a mother. She herself started her own business after having her own daughter and feeling isolated.

In this podcast listed below Sam explains why Mums can feel lonely and what help is out there for them. A great interview that offers some super tips and ideas for mums to get out and about in their area.

The journalist still works but manages to be out of the house “at normal times”.

Fiona told us… “Breakfast is THE most important meal of the day and I urge parents to make sure they include wholegrain in their kids diets.”

In this interview Fiona tells us why she’s become a control freak with what her kids eat and why she’s started eating a bowl of cereal late at night. Fiona also shares some recipe ideas too.

Fiona is also joined by Julliette Kellow a dietictian who has some great advice about getting your busy family the right foods at the right times.

This is according to latest research that they may have designer clothes, computer games, iPods and mobile phones, but they are being denied the freedom to play outside on their own that previous generations all took for granted.

Former Hear’Say singer Suzanne Shaw has a son. She told us she agreed with the findings.

The research by Vtech provides a stark contrast between the freedom and space parents grew up with and the shrinking world of childhood today. Despite 81% of parents saying they were allowed to go and play outside alone or with friends in their local park or playground under the age of 11, they would not allow their own children to do the same for fear of their children’s safety.

In this interview listed below Suzanne Shaw discusses her safety fears. She is joined by Psychologist Anjula Mutanda.

In this interview we spoke to Wendy Shand who runs Tots to Travel and is also a mum-of-two small children.

She said…“The big players would say [the holidays] are recession proof. I’m not seeing enormous cutback in people taking family holidays,” People ringfence their holidays because they are so precious. I think people are booking slightly more conservative holidays this year though.”

To listen to the full interview about the current UK holiday market, just click on the podcast listed below. She also has some top tips and tells us why she thinks cheap flights are a thing of the past.

She spent months asking her Grandmother Kitty for advice on bringing up children - were things so different in the good old days Gran?

Liz says her Granny’s approach to parenthood is such a breath of fresh air - so much so she included her tips in “A Spoonful Of Sugar” - Liz’s latest book.

In this interview, Liz shares some of her relatives pearls of wisdom and also offers some great tips on raising your children. The book is an absolute joy to read and has been wrote in such a way that you may feel like you’ve stepped into Liz’s life.

All in all a great read and another great book by Liz, also check out her website for a sneak preview of the book on the home page here:-  liz-fraser.com 

The Printworks and The Triangle have become popular entertainment and shopping areas and The Arndale Centre is the UK’s largest shopping mall.

On the outskirts of the city there is also the large Trafford Centre - it looks like a Taj Mahal type structure but it is home to stores including Selfridges.

There is an integrated transport system and trams have been introduced in the city as well, ideal for nipping around the city with the family.

The city is also home to Manchester United and Manchester City football clubs.

Mum-of-two Jo Maxwell lives in Didsbury, Manchester and within this interview she agreed to give us a guided tour of her city. Jo also runs babiesinthecity.co.uk a pocket guide book all about what to do with the family in and around Manchester.

Eight hour sleeping patterns no longer exist - for the first few months especially.

In this interview we spoke to Sasha Miller, Editor at BabyCentre.co.uk

Sasha said “Of all the topics in our baby section, SLEEP is the one that gets the most traffic. I think everybody needs a bit of help with baby sleep”.

She also added: “problems start from the beginning because your expectations are to high, in the early days they have to wake up and feed. In the early weeks you have to be prepared to do that.”

To hear some great advice on getting your baby into a good sleep routine, just click on the podcast listed below. Many frequently asked questions about sleep problems are answered within this interview.

The pelvic floor is a large hammock of muscles stretching from side to side across the floor of the pelvis in both men and women. It is an important muscle for women of all ages and can help women during the birth process and afterwards.

In this interview we spoke to Kari Bo who is a world expert in exercise science and physiotherapy.

She said “the pelvic floor supports inner organs and if the muscle is weak it can cause bladder weakness. You may even get injuries to the pelvic floor following a vaginal birth.”

In this podcast below, Kari Bo discusses some of the exercises you can do at home to strengthen these muscles before and after birth. For more information about Kari Bo click on her website corewellness.co.uk

Some women sail through the nine months but for others there is morning sickness to deal with, endless tiredness and the problem of continuing to act as normal in the workplace!

In this interview we spoke to Sasha Miller, Editor at BabyCentre.co.uk. She said “Pregnancy is the key focus of attention on BabyCentre”.

She also added: “The key things people want to know about are how to deal with morning sickness, what things are safe to eat or to do and other symptoms like tiredness and swollen ankles.”

“Until you’ve had morning sickness it’s very difficult to realise how awful it can make you feel and morning sickness isn’t a good term for it….some women have it right through the day.”

To listen to the full interview with Sasha about what to expect during pregnancy and the most frequently asked questions about pregnancy just listen to the podcast below.

Wiltshire is mainly rural but is known for its burial mounds and pre-Roman archaeology.

There are lots of things of historical note to see including Salisbury Cathedral, Stonehenge Stone Circle and Stourhead - one of England’s most famous gardens.

In this interview we spoke to Debbie Ludkin, mum to Oliver about the area. She lives in Wiltshire and told us that: “Although it’s a little bit landlocked it’s got so much that you forget about that’s lovely.”

We also spoke to Julie Ryder from TalkFirst baby signing. She runs baby signing classes in Devizes, Carn, Lynam and Chippenham in Wiltshire. Julie also talks about the benefits of her classes for parents with children who are deaf and opportunities for parents looking to start a class in the area. For more details about Julie’s classes why not visit her website at www.talkfirst.net

More and more people have decided instead to hold a Naming Ceremony. It is very similar to a baptism but does not have the religious element. Rather than welcoming the child into the church, parents choose to welcome them into their family and community.

In this interview listed below Rachel Fry from the website My Baby Celebration discusses the two traditions and has advice for parents planning such a celebration!

After her fourth child was born, Elizabeth’s priorities changed and she realised what an important job parenting is.

She said “It started me on a mission to help other parents do their best job as well.”

Elizabeth explains why ALL children need bedtime routines and why some parents just don’t help themselves, harsh words maybe but Elizabeth believes we all need routines. To hear more listen to the podcast listed below.

The city is a particular favourite with shoppers. The Lonely Planet guide has described it as “the Knightsbridge of the North”.

The large shopping department Harvey Nicholls has a store in the town as does Louis Vuitton.

The city also benefits from excellent transport links and Manchester and Liverpool are easily accessible.

In this interview we discussed the city’s surrounding areas with Jane Lee-Turner mum of Eleanor. She lives on the outskirts of Bradford, a short distance from Leeds.

We also spoke to Vicky Gilbert who is an independent baby signer operating in the area. In this interview she discusses the benefits of teaching children to sign. For more details about Vicky’s signing classes in Leeds why not visit her website at www.babiescansign.co.uk

Colleen is based in Colorado in the United States and as well as being “Mom” to her children aged 26 - 8 years, she also runs a parenting website called PaintedGold.com.

In this test the “Anna Cecilia original nursing bra” and the “Carriwell seamless maternity bra” seemed to be the most rated and won best of the best.

Other products were highly commended and the bras we’re judged on amongst other things design, fit, support, ease of use and price.

A more detailed review of all the products tested are listed at Sharon’s Trotter’s website. To hear the full interview and find out what products to look out for why not listen to her interview listed below.

Alternatively, check out the full results at Sharon’s website tipslimited.com

Dunblane

In recent years the cathedral city has grown with much development witnessed in the area.  The town is situated off the A9 road on the way north to Perth.

Its main landmark is the Cathedral and the Allan Water runs through the town centre.

Lucy MacKechnie, mum to boys Archie and Dougal took us on a tour around her Dunblane.

What’s it like for the kids being brought up in Scotland?

We’re in the middle of Scotland so we’ve got access to the hills and access to the towns and cities as well. I can see snow covered mountains out of my windows now so it is very pretty but we don’t have the lovely weather.

What’s Dunblane like?

It’s actually got quite big. We moved here from Stirling, so just down the road but there are lovely groups and things that you can do. There’s everything from toddler groups, playgroups and sport activities. Dunblane has a Cathedral so it’s officially a city but it’s still very small….compared to cities down south. It’s right at the bottom of Perthshire.

Is there much for Mums?

I do something every day with my children and I have to admit half of that is for my sanity to speak to other Mums who are maybe having a bad day too. There are lots of toddler groups and there’s a group for people with twins and triplets too. Our library service is very good. They have a story time and they have Joe Jingles, a kind of music thing. In September they have a book week and get some authors in.

Our swimming pool has been shut down and they’ve started building another one in Stirling which should be ready by 2010.

What’s Stirling like?

It’s a tourist destination, especially since the film Braveheart because we’ve got the Wallace Monument.  

Is Stirling a good holiday destination?

Definitely because it’s very central. Nothing is more than an hour away. Glasgow, Edinburgh and the hills are easily accessible in a car. Edinburgh has got a zoo and there’s the castle. Glasgow’s got a transport museum. In Stirling there’s a play park called the Kings Park and that’s a great place. The kids absolutely love it.

Do you have indoor playareas?

The nearest one is in Falkirk and that’s about a half hour drive. Stirling could do with one and I’ve heard some rumours that there is going to be one.

What’s eating out like in Dunblane?

You have to venture further afield than Dunblane. In the Bridge of Allan there’s a place called the McRoberts Centre and that’s great. They can play there and eat. We went to see Julia Donaldson who wrote The Gruffalo there and there’s also a cinema there.

There are a couple of more formal restaurants in Stirling. There’s one called The River House which is owned by the husband of Carol Smilie. They have a nice area with toys so if you’re booking ask for a table near the toys!

The Goverment has introduced a childcare voucher scheme but many people have been left confused by the system. Currently, in (2008) families can save up to £2,391 a year by using childcare vouchers, while employers save up to £373 a year per scheme member.

Alison Chalmers, Company Director at Kiddi Vouchers explains how the system works for parents and their employers. In this interview she cuts through the red tape and answers all your questions. Plus, she has advice on how to get started too.To find out more about how you can get set up for the childcare voucher scheme why not visit her website at kiddivouchers.com

She also tells us about other products tested and how they rated including the two handed “China Cup” and “Steady Cup”. To hear the full interview and find out what products to look out for why not listen to her interview listed below.

Alternatively, check out the full results at Sharon’s website tipslimited.com

So, we asked Dr Rosemary Leonard MBE why women were putting up with contraceptives that weren’t working for them. In this interview she explains all about the pill, coils like the mirena and hormonal injections. To listen to what she had to say and find out what could work for you listen to the Rosemary’s podcast listed below.

However, for more details about family planning why not visit the family planning website at fpa.org.uk

The final results showed that a conclusive amount of products were highly commended and were judged on amongst other things design, packaging, fragrance, ease of use and price. The main overall winner for the best of the best award was a product by Weleda called “New baby calendula cream bath”.

She also tells us about other products tested and how they rated including products by “Little Me”, Halo’s N Horns” and “Bepanthen”. To hear the full interview and find out what products to look out for why not listen to her interview listed below.

Alternatively, check out the full results at Sharon’s website tipslimited.com

A lot of money has been ploughed into the region in recent years and the city has been transformed with new shopping areas including a Harvey Nichols.

There’s plenty for tourists to do and Kate Conway, mum of Izzy, 9, Daisy, 4, and Connie 8 months told us what she does with her family in the area.

So, Tell us about Bristol.

There’s an awful lot going on in Bristol. There are lots of parks. There aren’t many cycle routes through the city so we do a lot of walking.

It’s a really friendly place and very kids friendly.

There are loads of big retailers and then they are re-developing the centre of Bristol.

It sounds like a nice place to bring up children?

It’s really well linked. There’s a lot to do in Bristol. There’s a river that runs around it. They’ve done the old railway tracks and they’ve got old industrial warehouses. They’ve got two huge cranes and the cranes are talking to each other - the kids love it. They’ve done some really quirky things.

There are so many places close by too.

You can head out to the Forest of Dean, that’s a great event. Between Bristol and Bath there’s an old railway line that’s been converted so you can cycle. I do a lot of walking and within 10 minutes there’s a city farm.

Have you visited Bristol Zoo?

I’m quite a fan and I’m actually a member. It’s really good value being a member of Bristol Zoo. Quite often I go on a rainy day because a lot of the exhibit areas are undercover.

Kimberly’s passion for this subject even lead to her having a book published based on her methods and ideas called budget meals. So if you’re a parent struggling to make healthy meals on a tight budget why not have a listen to Kimberley’s interview listed below. She even has some frugal recipes for cheap and healthy alternatives to burger and chips.

Antonia, founder of ACPR public relations wrote the book after a friend suggested she should put all her factsheets together in one manual. Antonia has great advice for anyone trying to run their own business and doing their own promotion.

If you wish to purchase Antonia’s book CLICK HERE, alternatively listen to her interview listed below. Or, for further tips and advice why not visit her website prbasics.co.uk

Sheree admits that when it comes to buying healthy snacks she finds herself walking the supermarket aisles for alternative kids treats like biscuits.

Latest research suggests that Mums are losing their way in a world of complicated snacks and Sheree, who is married to footballer Harry Kewell told us that she has the same problem.

Sheree, Mum to TJ, Ruby and Matilda told us that she regularly does battle with her son - who doesn’t like fruit.

If her struggles sound familiar then why not have a listen her interview listed below.

If you’re a parent contemplating whether to use reusable nappies then Tasha has some great tips about researching for the best nappies, changing nappies, how much to pay for reusable nappies - the benefits of using real nappies and possible local council funding available for your investments.

If you have anymore questions about using reusable nappies then why not view or join Tasha’s forum which is now dedicated to reusable nappies clothnappyaddicts.co.uk

Alternatively, listen to Tasha’s interview listed below.

He tackles the subject of dads feeling left out when a child joins the family, how fatherhood should be embraced as much as motherhood and how new dad’s play a major role in the future of their new born.

As well as offering some top tips from his book fathers to be, Patrick also talks about how he helps dads in his classes and the help that’s available for new fathers.

If you wish to purchase Patrick’s book CLICK HERE, alternatively listen to Patrick’s interview listed below.