Author Archives: mama tea

HG Awareness Day, 15th May 2013.

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Today is HG Awareness Day. Hyperemesis gravidarum is a severe form of vomiting and nausea in pregnancy. The Hyperemesis Education and Research Foundation, or HER Foundation, have dedicated this day to raise awareness of this serious condition.

To find out more about the Foundation’s research and work visit their website and/or follow them on Twitter and Facebook (#HGaware).

Don’t forget, our Morning Mama herbal blend was created specifically to help ease nausea and sickness. It is a gentle blend of ginger, chamomile, lemon balm, lemon peel and orange peel and tastes delicious, even if we say so ourselves!

morning mama herbal tea

7 Amazing Pregnancy Facts

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unusual pregnancy factsJust for fun and out of interest we’ve spent the morning looking up unusual and some record breaking facts about pregnancy.

1. There are around 103 million women pregnant in the world at any one time.

According to the CIA World Factbook there are on average 255 worldwide births per minute, and as a pregnancy on average lasts 280 days (= 403,000 minutes), this means that there are on about 103 million women pregnant in the world at any one time. (detailed calculation here).

2. Longest pregnancy on record is 375 days.

The average pregnancy lasts 280 days, and most women if they run much over will be induced but according to Time Magazine, and other online sources, the longest recorded pregnancy in history was 375 days, with a healthy baby born in 1945. Prior to this the longest recorded pregnancy that resulted in a healthy birth was 317 days.

3. Nigeria has highest rate of twins in the world.

In Europe we have a birth rate of twins of 9-16 per 1000 live births, in Nigeria the figure is 45-50 per 1000 live births. Research has been carried out in this region and some have attributed this higher rate to the yams that they eat.

4. Heaviest baby born was 10.8kg.

A baby boy was born to Anna and Martin Bates in 1879 that weighed 10.8kg (23lb 12oz), according to Guinness World Records, sadly this baby only lived 11 hours. The heaviest surviving baby was 10.2kg (22lb 8oz), a boy born in Italy in 1955.

5. Eight is the highest number of babies to all survive a multiple birth.

Nadya Suleman, nicknamed “Octomum” gave birth to octuplets in 2009 in the United States. They are the first in which all eight survived infancy. Her multiple birth and similar cases of septuplets have all been attributed to fertility treatments. The highest number of babies to survive a multiple birth without fertility treatments is six.

6. Youngest mum ever was 5 years old.

The youngest girl ever reported to have given birth was 5 years old in Peru in 1939. Her baby was born by cesarean section and survived. She had apparently been having periods since she was 3 years old (a medical condition known as precocious puberty). Her father was arrested for incest.

7. One mum gave birth to 69 children,

Mrs Feodor Vassilyev gave birth to a total of 69 (67 of whom are said to have survived) children between 1725 and 1765, she had 27 births and she gave birth to 16 sets of twins, 7 sets of triplets and 4 sets of quadruplets. See a list here of large families.

Tea and Beauty Tips

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tea cup

We love a really good cup of tea but here a few ideas of how to use tea in your beauty regime.

1. Brighten your eyes - leave used teabags in the fridge overnight and in the morning relax for 20 minutes with the teabags on your eyes to reduce dark circles and puffiness.

2. Lip toner - apply a warm teabag to clean lips for 5 minutes and the astringency of the tea will make your lips appear smooth. Don’t rinse afterwards.

3. Shiny hair - brunettes can add shine to their hair by rinsing with strong cold black tea after shampooing, blondes can do the same with chamomile tea.

4. Tired feet - soak your feet in cold tea at the end of a long day, the tannins of tea help to fight odour causing bacteria.

5. Sunburn - steep five or six teabags in a bath of warm water and then soak to calm and cool your sunburn.

6. Treat acne - soak a black teabag in hot water for a few minutes (make yourself a cup of tea!), remove from the water and allow to cool a little, then place over the offending acne for up to 10 minutes. Avoid washing your face and the astringency of the tea will keep working on the spot all day.

7. Soothe insect bites - to soothe and reduce itchiness, hold a cold used teabag on the affected area for several minutes.

mama tea teabag

Enula 9, Copenhagen, Denmark

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enula 9 logo

Mama Tea has just arrived in the beautiful and inspiring shop Enula 9 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The shop sells carefully selected maternity and nursing clothes, accessories, books and skincare for pregnant women, mums and babies.

enula 9

They stock lots of lovely brands including JBrand, Mama Licious, Ganni, Petit Bateau, Amoralia and many more.

enula 9

The shop is calm and peaceful and a delightful place to spend some time browsing.

To find out more about Enula 9 follow them on Facebook, read their blog and visit their website.

They are open Tuesday to Friday 11.30am – 5.30pm and Saturday 10am – 2.00pm and located at Rosenvaengets Alle 6, Copenhagen 2100.

Pucci Baby Shop, Modena, Italy

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Valeria Bergamimi opened the lovely Pucci Baby Shop in Modena, Italy in 2012. Not only does she stock the complete range of Mama Tea (the first retailer in Italy to do so) she also stocks products from brands including Frugi Organic Clothing, Hevea Baby, LittleLife daysacks and luggage, Brevi and many more. Valeria has created a colourful and fun store full of goodies.

Pucci Baby SHop, Modena

The Pucci Baby Store is located at Strada Attirago 3, 41122, Modena. They are open daily from 9.30am to 12.30pm and again from 3.30pm to 7.30pm. Follow Valeria on Facebook or contact her by email on vbergamini78@gmail.com.

Mama Tea, Italy

Mama Tea in the Pucci Baby Store in Modena, Italy

Mama Tea’s top tips for Heartburn in Pregnancy

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Heartburn is a burning chest pain that is caused by acid from the stomach moving into the oesophagus (the tube that leads from your stomach to your mouth). The pain usually occurs a short time after eating but there can be a delay. It is thought that about three quarters of pregnant women suffer from heartburn. Here are a few tips to help easy your heartburn;

Drink Cool Mama

heartburn tips

The mama of Mama Tea suffered terribly with heartburn and wanted to create a tea that would soothe. Cool Mama was created to be soothing and calming. Cool Mama is a herbal tea of gentle chamomile flower heads blended with whole spearmint leaves and marshmallow leaves. Chamomile is very good at relaxing the nervous system, so a perfect tea to drink in the evening, before bed. Spearmint is gentle and cooling. To buy Cool Mama (we can sell to customers worldwide) please click here.

Eat Healthily and Avoid Triggers

chilis

There is lots advice around food and preventing heartburn, the key points to think about are:

  • Eat small meals, an overly full stomach can contribute to heartburn.
  • Don’t eat right before going to bed.
  • Avoid your food triggers, for most people these include spicy food and/or acidic food (such as citrus fruit) but everyone’s triggers are different and you need to figure out which foods cause you more discomfort and try to avoid them.
  • Sip liquids, similar to eating small meals you don’t want to overfill your stomach too quickly.

Prop Your Head Up

reduce heartburn head above stomach

When in bed you don’t want the acid to flow back up the oesophagus, so propping your head up and keeping it above your stomach may help to keep acid where it belongs. Similarly don’t lie down or bend over immediately after eating, if possible sit or go for a walk to discourage any acid moving upwards and causing heartburn. Let gravity keep acid where it should be!

Wear Loose Fitting Clothes

maternity wear

Comfort will be one of your top priorities when pregnant and loose fitting clothes definitely contribute to being comfortable. Clothes that fit tightly round your waist can put pressure on your stomach and cause acid to travel up the oesophagus. Loose doesn’t necessarily mean loosing your sense of style though, as the cute red maternity dress above shows.

If you have any heartburn tips you would like to share with us please comment below.

To find out more about heartburn and indigestion in pregnancy go to the NHS website.

Tea Cosy- when did you last use one?

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When was the last time you used a tea cosy? Here at Mama Tea HQ we’ve just been asking ourselves that question, in fact do you even own a tea cosy? These questions were prompted by a discussion about our Facebook cover photo, and indeed the background picture to this blog, and it made us wonder about the plight of the tea cosy.

Tea cosies are traditionally knitted or quilted and have an image of being old-fashioned and dare we say it chintzy! Some of us, at MT HQ, love a bit of chintz and there has been a fashion for shabby chic and all things Cath Kidston inspired but what if you’re wanting a more contemporary number? A bit of searching online though and we found some amazing contemporary tea cosies.

TC Ribbed in Brown Orange and Pink BB

Michaelle McLean in Canada is making gorgeous felt tea cosies under the name Flock of Tea Cosy. Her tagline is fine felt tea cosies with a modern bent.

Modern Knit Tea Cosy - charcoal grey with scarlet red flower embellishment - custom and handmade for you

Yes, this tea cosy is knitted and floral inspired but it is a great modern take on the traditional tea cosy, it is made by Shazzas Knits and available on etsy. There are also some lovely stripped versions without the flower, they are all handmade to order.

Tea Cosy by Hella Jongerius

We also found this modern tea cosy by Hella Jongerius, made of fleece and commissioned by Dutch department store HEMA.

faux fur tea cosy

Or how about this faux fur tea cosy by de Ruig from notonthehighstreet.com. It is also available in different colours and fabrics, it looks like a really cosy place for a pot of tea and when it closes it has a handle on top that makes it very portable.

Technology Boosts Global Sales for Mama Tea!

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The speed of communication these days is increasingly making it easier and easier to source and buy products from anywhere in the world, and here at Mama Tea we’re doing all we can to make it as easy as possible for anyone, individuals or businesses, to buy Mama Tea, no matter where they are based.

Selling tea to individuals anywhere in the world and to retailers anywhere in the EU is all possible from our website (unfortunately selling to businesses outside the EU requires customs and various other regulations to be adhered to, on a country by country basis, but we’re working on this as we write!).

As an individual or EU retailer we’re trying to make the process as streamlined as possible. Here are the current steps in the process:

Step 1

Send an email to info@mamatea.com with the quantities of tea you are intending to order and the country you would like the tea delivered to.

Step 2

Mama Tea will then get a price for delivery, either by airmail or courier depending on size of order, and create a code for your order.

Mama Tea will email you with the quote we received for delivery and the code we created for your order.

Step 3

If you are happy with the delivery cost quoted you can go ahead and place your order on http://www.mamatea.com.

You will be prompted by the website to enter your code at the checkout stage, when you select your country of delivery, the code will adjust the delivery cost to the cost Mama Tea quoted.

Step 4

Mama Tea receives notification of your order and ensures it is packed and despatched swiftly.

Step 5

You receive your order and relax with a cup of mama tea!

Mama Tea, Italy

Mama Tea in the Pucci Baby Store in Modena, Italy

Benefits of Rooibos Tea vs Green Tea.

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New year, new you- it’s a slogan we see on the cover of numerous magazines at this time of year and while most of us don’t overhaul our life quite as radically as becoming a whole new person, we do think about changes that can be made to improve our life and one of the areas that is common to many new year resolutions is health and healthier living.

rooibos tea

Replacing your daily cup of tea or coffee with a healthier drink seems like quite a simple step to take in the attempt to improve one’s health. Two of the much touted healthy hot drink options are green tea and rooibos tea. Both are high in antioxidants which are known for their cancer and disease fighting properties making them an appealing healthy option.

The key difference between rooibos and green tea is that rooibos is naturally caffeine-free whereas green tea contains caffeine.

Rooibos (or red bush) tea is brewed from the leaves of the rooibos plant that grows in the Western Cape, South Africa, it is often classed as a herbal tea although many people in South Africa drink it with milk and sugar in the same way many of us drink black tea. Green tea is made from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant, the same plant that black teas are made from, explaining why green tea is caffeinated.

Here at Mama Tea we maybe biased as we sell rooibos tea, our lovely glowing mama, but if you’re looking for a healthy alternative to your usual cup of tea or coffee we would definitely recommend rooibos over green tea as you get all the benefits of the antioxidants but none of the negatives of caffeine.

Mama Tea Year in Photos

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Mama Tea’s Year

2012 has been the year Mama Tea got into visual story telling, or in other words we had some fun with iPhone photography and used it give you a peek behind the scenes of Mama Tea HQ and some of our exploits. Some pictures we took for a practical reason, some we tried to make arty and some were just for fun. Here’s some of our favourite pictures of Mama Tea’s year.

Mama Tea Valentine's Day

Mama Tea on Instagram

Our first ever Instagram photo, this was taken for a friday giveaway we were running on Facebook on Valentine’s Day.

Mama Tea's Birthday Cake

Mama Tea’s Birthday

This is one of our enduring favourite photos of the year, our birthday cake for Mama Tea’s third birthday in April.

Mama Tea Jubilee Flag

Mama Tea and the Jubilee

Another enduring favourite is this picture we created for the Jubilee in June. This was one of our attempts at being artistic and this picture was the subject of a blog about using photography apps on the iPhone.

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New Packaging for Mama Tea

A highlight of the year was our shiny fresh new packaging for Mama Tea. We’ve taken lots of photos of our new packaging this year including…

Mama Tea morning mama

… an arty attempt at a picture of morning mama.

The Mama 10 Downing Street

Mama Tea lunches with the Prime Minister

This was also the year that the mama had lunch at Number 10 with the Prime Minister…

The Mama and George Osbourne… and met George Osbourne.

Edinburgh's Dean Village

Mama Tea H.Q.

We also enjoyed taking photographs of Edinburgh (the home of MT HQ) this year. This picture is taken from the Dean Bridge looking over Dean Village. We’re so lucky in Edinburgh that the city is beautiful and the light changes all the time giving us lots of photo opportunities.

Shanghai

Mama Tea selling Tea to China

The mama also took some amazing photos of Tokyo and Shanghai (Shanghai above) when she visited on a trade mission in November. The trade mission was a great success and it’s a case of watch this space to find out what business opportunities develop as a result of the trip.

Christmas Lights William Street

Merry Christmas from all at Mama Tea

The year has nearly ended and these are the Christmas lights that twinkle at us each evening as we leave MT HQ. We’re having our Christmas lunch tomorrow and we’d like to wish all our customers and supporters a Merry Christmas.

It’s been an amazing year for Mama Tea and we’re looking forward to taking more photographs next year, follow all our attempts at photography on instagram (username: mama_tea).