Posted inReal mums

Consider entering a business award and see what it can do for your business

Entering awards is a great way to leverage your business profile
Entering awards is a great way to leverage your business profile
Whether you are self-employed or an employee, entering yourself for business awards can be extremely beneficial to your career. You don’t have to work for a huge multi-national company to consider entering awards – in fact there are a host of awards up for grabs that target a wide range of categories.

Gemma Johnson, 36, founder of the BaBeeCard should know. She’s won a number of awards in the years since running her business in 2007. “It gives you a great sense of direction to enter business awards, assured Gemma. “The process makes you focus on what you have achieved so far and where you want your career to go she adds.”

Posted inReal mums

Postnatal depression can affect mums-to-be…so what should you do if you are still at work when it starts?

Postnatal depression (PND) may be common, but that doesn’t make it any easier for the women going through it. We regularly read about it in the media, we might know someone with it, or have at least followed a celebrity’s battle with it. However, despite the prevalence and awareness of postnatal depression, the reality is that women who are actually experiencing it, feel very, very alone.

Postnatal depression baby blues
Postnatal depression is often thought of as something that happens at home, but it can affect you in the workplace
It is estimated that PND affects around one in 10 mothers in the UK. PND usually develops in the first four to six weeks after childbirth, although in some cases it can develop several months later.

Having a baby is a huge adjustment for any woman, but can be more so if she is used to working full time. The majority of first time mothers are used to going out to work, and many find themselves feeling isolated or trapped at home with their baby, missing the social interaction and mental stimulation of work.

Despite missing work, returning to the workplace can trigger or exacerbate postnatal depression. Having a baby is hard, and trying to juggle a newborn with paid employment is even more stressful.