Topics
Eight sections that follow the journey from planning a pregnancy to the toddler years, written for families in Uzbekistan.
Planning a pregnancy
Getting ready to conceive: health checks, fertility, ovulation and what to do when it takes longer than expected.
Getting ready for pregnancy: a checklist for the months before
Most of what matters for a healthy pregnancy starts before the test turns positive. Here is what to sort out in the three months before you try, from folic acid to a visit to the polyclinic.
5 min read
How to track ovulation and find your fertile window
Knowing when you ovulate turns months of guessing into a few well-timed days. Here is how to read your cycle, what its signs mean and when irregular cycles need a doctor.
5 min read
Pregnancy
Week by week changes, symptoms, nutrition, work, travel and the problems that can come up along the way.
Registering your pregnancy in Uzbekistan: what happens at the polyclinic
Where to go after a positive test, what the first visit involves, the free screenings and tests that follow, and how maternity leave and the exchange card work.
6 min read
Eating well in pregnancy: a guide with Uzbek foods in mind
How much more to eat, how to build a balanced plate from plov, lagman, legumes and qatiq, which foods to avoid, how much tea is fine, and what to consider about fasting.
6 min read
Birth
Preparing for labour, what happens during birth, pain relief, caesarean birth and recovery afterwards.
Your hospital bag: what to pack for the maternity hospital
A checklist for the maternity hospital: documents, clothes for labour and afterwards, baby essentials and what your partner needs, with notes on how rules differ between hospitals in Uzbekistan.
5 min read
Signs of labour and when to go to the maternity hospital
How to tell pre-labour signs and Braxton Hicks from true labour, how to time contractions, what to do if your waters break, and the symptoms that mean you should go in or call 103 straight away.
6 min read
Newborn
The first weeks at home: feeding, sleep, bathing, health checks and what to buy.
The first days at home with your newborn
What was done in the maternity hospital, how to care for the cord and skin, what counts as normal, when to call 103, and the paperwork to sort out in the first month.
6 min read
Breastfeeding: a calm start
The first hour, colostrum, a good latch, signs your baby is getting enough, blocked ducts and mastitis, expressing and storing milk, your diet and where to find help.
5 min read
Toddler
Ages one to three: routines, food, potty training, safety and the big feelings.
Starting solid foods: from the first spoon to the family table
When to start, what to offer first, how fast to move from purée to the family dastarkhan, and which foods to keep off the plate in the first year.
5 min read
A safe home for a curious toddler
Falls, scalds, poisoning, drowning and choking cause most serious injuries between one and three. Practical fixes for a home in Uzbekistan, plus the numbers to call.
6 min read
Child development
Play, books, learning and health from the first smile to the first day of school.
Play ideas from birth to two, with things you already have at home
You do not need expensive toys: your face, a wooden spoon and a cardboard box do the job. Age-by-age play ideas, safety habits and a word about screens.
5 min read
Speech development in a bilingual home: Uzbek, Russian and more
When to expect first words, how to help a child learn to talk in two or three languages, and the signs that mean it is time to see the paediatrician and a speech therapist.
6 min read
Psychology
Looking after yourself, your relationship and your children's emotional world.
Low mood after birth: baby blues, postnatal depression and where to get help
Feeling tearful or flat after having a baby is common. How to tell the baby blues from postnatal depression, what helps, where to turn in Uzbekistan and when to call 103.
5 min read
Becoming a father: how to be involved from pregnancy to the first months
Why involvement matters, what to do during pregnancy, at the maternity hospital and in the first months, how to handle leave and work, and how to become a team with the grandparents.
5 min read
Lifestyle
Home, style, money, career and staying active while raising a family.
Maternity leave, pay and benefits in Uzbekistan: what to expect
How long maternity leave lasts, how the benefit is paid, what follows the 126 days and how to claim the one-time birth payment. A step-by-step plan with documents and deadlines.
6 min read
Staying active in pregnancy: what is safe and what to avoid
Why movement helps, how much is enough, which activities suit a growing bump, how to adapt as pregnancy goes on, and when to stop and call your doctor.
5 min read