iVillage Chat Schedule - November

Dr Christoph Lees and Grainne McCartan, co-authors of Pregnancy Questions and Answers, will be answering your questions on our Mums Due December 2009 message board.
Date: Monday November 2nd
Time: 11am

Dr Christoph Lees MD MRCOG is a Consultant in Obstetrics & Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, UK. He delivers babies and looks after mums in pregnancy, especially where specialist input or ultrasound is required.

Grainne McCartan RGN RM BSc PGDAE MA. Grainne qualified as a general nurse in Northern Ireland, and as a midwife in London where she has practised both in hospital and community settings. Grainne is a qualified reflexologist, family planning nurse and aromatherapist.

A folder is now open on the Mums Due December 2009 message board for you to post questions.

Lucy Goodman, creator of Bookaboo will be answering your questions on our Mums of Pre-Schoolers 1-5 message board.
Date: Tuesday 3rd November
Time: 11 - 12

After 18 years working in the television industry in the UK and Australia, multi award-winning children's writer, producer and director Lucy Goodman founded Happy Films to provide unique and thoroughly entertaining children?s media with subtle educational and socially positive undercurrents

She has a strong track record of impressive producing for the BBC, ITV, Disney, Nickelodeon and Pearson Education. Programmes include Sir Gadabout the Worst Knight in the Land, Best of Friends, Chatterhappy Ponies and more. Her programmes have won various awards including two BAFTA nominations, a BAFTA win and an Indie award for best children's programme.

She is the creator of Bookaboo, the rock drumming puppy who shares stories with his celebrity friends Alesha Dixon, Meat Loaf, Fern Britton, Ben Shephard and more! This entertaining DVD, with 7 fun filled episodes is out just in time for Christmas and is great for getting kids to read as this rock puppy 'just can't play without a story a day'.

Available to buy at AbbeyKids the Bookaboo DVD is out now.

Lucy looks forward to answering your questions on encouraging your children to read, and about Bookaboo. We are offering free copies of the DVD to the first 5 people to ask a question.

A folder is now open on the Mums of Pre-Schoolers 1-5 message board for you to post questions.

Raisingkids' Dr Pat Spungin will be answering your questions on our Mums of Children 5_12 message board.
Date: Friday 6th November
Time: 4-5 pm

According to research conducted by Original Dutch Edam 2 in 5 (41%) parents believe their under 10s are showing early signs of adulthood. Independence is usually a quality associated with early adulthood, but today's kids are taking on cooking, ironing and even setting an alarm to make sure they get up on time!

Almost half (48%) of all children wake themselves up for school every single day and not a pestering parent in sight. 1 in 5 (22%) then proceed to iron their own uniforms and a quarter also find the time to get their younger siblings ready for school.

So what is making our children grow up so quickly, and where does this confidence and independence come from? Respected child psychologist, and founder of parenting website Raisingkids.co.uk, Dr Pat Spungin is available to offer insight into the research findings and answer your questions on why our children are growing up so quickly.

Dr Pat Spungin is a regular broadcaster and has written extensively on family life. Previously she was a University Lecturer in Child Psychology Dr Pat's latest book Raising Babies will be available from Nov 5th 2009 and a second book Raising Toddlers will follow in Feb 2010

With three grown-up children of her own Dr Spungin has a unique perspective on the problems parents face, thanks to her wide-ranging professional and personal experience. Dr Spungin regularly appears on television and radio as an expert commentator on parenting issues, dealing with topics including drug use by teenagers, censorship and children, internet safety and family issues.

Dr Pat will also answer any questions you have about raising children.

As a special offer we will send a free recipe booklet to the first 20 people to ask a question.

A folder is now open on the Mums of Children 5-12 message board for you to post questions.

Cultural Anthropologist Jean Smith will be answering your questions on the How To Do Dating message board.
Date: Monday 9th November
Time: 1-2 pm

Jean Smith is a cultural anthropologist who specializes in the area of flirtation/human attraction.

As well as running the Flirting and Walking Tours, a business she founded over four years ago and has since taken to three cities, Jean also appears frequently in the media as an expert commentator on cultural behaviour and has had articles published in a variety of international magazines, including Cosmopolitan, and advised major corporations (Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, General Motors .

Jean looks forward to answering your questions about how to flirt, attraction and relationships in general.

A folder is now open on the How To Do Dating message board for you to post questions.

Ainsley Harriott and Dame Kelly Holmes will be answering your questions on our Eating For Health message board.
Date: Tuesday November 10th
Time: TBA

New research has identified an alarming 'university challenge' facing today's students - the kitchen! According to new findings from Aviva, 40% of students said they don't have time to cook nutritious meals. 37% said they couldn't afford to cook healthy meals yet one in three admitted to tucking into a takeaway up to twice a week.

The research was conducted to launch a new educational partnership between celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott and Dame Kelly Holmes. On Camp with Kelly is an initiative supported by Aviva. The collaboration aims to redress the balance of students not cooking for themselves by educating young athletes and also university students about how easy it can be to cook cheap, quick and nutritious meals.

Dame Kelly Holmes is best-known as an Olympic double-gold-medallist in 1996. She was BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2004 and European Female Athlete of the Year 2004.

Previously Dame Kelly was an Army Physical Training Instructor, Army champion at Judo and Volleyball, and has qualifications in coaching/umpiring in athletics, badminton, basketball, canoeing, football, hockey, rock climbing & abseiling, rounders and volleyball.

She is currently Director of Double Gold Enterprises Ltd, Founder & Chair of DKH Legacy and President of Commonwealth Games England, as well as Founder & Director of On Camp with Kelly, founded in 2004.

Ainsley Harriott has been one of the country's favourite TV chefs and presenters for 15 years and is best known for his 20 series of Ready Steady Cook, which continue to air on TV channels around the world, as well as Meals in Minutes, Ainsleys Barbecue Bible and Gourmet Express. With eight solo primetime cooking series under his belt, he has become the master of fresh, fun, accessible cuisine. Ainsley's food reflects the needs of real life - it is diverse and delicious but easy to prepare and speedy to cook.

Aged 16, Ainsley trained at Westminster College and embarked on a career in London's top hotels and restaurants, starting out as a junior trainee at West End restaurant Verrey's. He also started his own catering company. Hotels and restaurants where he has worked include The Dorchester, Brown's, The Hilton, The Westbury, Cafe Pelican and Quaglino's.

Ainsley is also a number one best selling author and has sold more than two million books worldwide. Meals In Minutes (1997) has been his biggest selling title to date.

Ainsley's own-brand food products have gone from strength to strength and are a familiar sight not only in the UK's supermarkets but worldwide. 2009 has seen sales reach new heights, particularly in his cous-cous and soup range.

Ainsley looks forward to answering your questions and giving hints and tips for cooking healthy and nutritious meals , while Dame Kelly will answer questions on fitness and health.

A folder is now open on the Eating For Health message board for you to post questions.

Dr Donna Grant, Medical Director of The Causeway Retreat, will be answering your questions on our Coping With Postnatal Depression message board.
Date: Wednesday November 11th
Time: 3-4 pm

Dr Donna Grant, MRCPsych, MBBS, Bsc (Hons) is medical director of The Causeway Retreat , an addiction treatment and mental health clinic on Osea Island, just 40 miles from London, where personalised treatment goes hand in hand with the rehabilitation experience.

Dr Grant holds memberships with The Royal College of Psychiatrists, British Medical Association and Medical Protection Society.

She leads in women's mental health including perinatal psychiatry and, in addition has gained specialist training and expertise in many avenues of psychiatry, including adult substance misuse, depression, personality disorders, OCD and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Dr Grant delivers postgraduate and public lectures in the fields of women's mental health, substance misuse and adult psychiatry, as well as contributing to media items dealing with these topics

She looks forward to answering your questions on post-natal depression, and other mental health issues

A folder is now open on the Coping With Post-Natal Depression message board for you to post questions

Family Law specialist, Hazel Roberts, will be answering your questions on our Separation & Divorce message board.
Date: Thursday November 12th
Time: 11am

Law Options is a new company which offers consumers professional legal advice 24/7 and offers case tracking online via Sky and Virgin Media. The company also offers fixed cost products for clarity and greater accessibility to consumers.

Hazel Roberts heads Law Options' Family Department and specialises in areas of Children's Law. Hazel represented parents and children on many high profile cases from protection orders, divorce proceedings, child custody cases and domestic violence. In August 2005 Hazel was made a member of the Law Society's Children's Panel.

Hazel looks forward to answering your questions on divorce, custody or any aspect of family law.

A folder is now open on the Separation & Divorce message board for you to post questions.

Top Make-up artist Jackie Tyson will be answering your questions on our Beauty Talk message board.
Date: Friday 13th November
Time: 2-3 pm

Need tips on make-up, especially now the party season is nearly upon us? The Jackie Tyson Digital Boutique is a fab new website featuring celebrity make-up artist Jackie giving video tutorials showing us all how to perfect a range of both glam and natural looks with easy-to-follow application techniques for the skin, eyes and lips.

With over 20 years experience, Jackie is one of the most successful make-up artists working in the UK industry today. Her extensive and varied roster of International celebrity clients includes Yoko Ono, Bon Jovi, Avril Lavigne, Lily Allen, Daniel Craig and Coldplay. Jackie also has unrivalled experience of working in the UK television industry, having been Chief make-up Artist on such well known shows as The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and Extreme Makeover. Jackie is also the current Celebrity make-up Consultant for Avon Cosmetics in the UK.

Jackie is looking forward to answering your questions on make-up, beauty and skin care.

A folder is now open on the Beauty Talk message board for you to post questions.

Britt Pederson, expert in autism will be answering your questions on our Children With Special Needs message board.
Date: Tuesday 17th November
Time: 4-5 pm

The National Autistic Society(NAS) is the UK?s leading charity for people affected by autism. Founded in 1962, by a group of parents who were passionate about ensuring a better future for their childrenit now has over 17,000 members, 80 branches and provide a wide range of advice, information, support and specialist services to 100,000 people each year. A local charity with a national presence, they champion the rights and interests of all people with autism and aim to provide individuals with autism and their families with help, support and services that they can access, trust and rely upon and which can make a positive difference to their lives

The NAS Autism Helpline (0845 070 4004) provides impartial and confidential information, advice and support to people with autism (including Asperger syndrome) their families and carers, professionals, researchers and students. The Helpline receives over 50,000 calls a year and is nothing short of a lifeline to those living with the day-to-day realities of autism.

Britt Pedersen has been a helpline advisor with the NAS since 2007. She graduated in Denmark in 2004 with a BA in Social Educating. After university she worked in special education with children and teenagers on the autistic spectrum and is currently working towards a postgraduate degree in Autism (Children) at the University of Birmingham. She has a special interest in social interaction and communication.

Britt looks forward to answering your questions on autism.

A folder for your questions will be open a week before the chat.

Breastfeeding Advisor,Geraldine Miskin will be answering your questions on our Breastfeeing Support message board.
Date: Thursday 19th November
Time: 4-5 pm

Geraldine Miskin is a leading breastfeeding expert. While working as a nanny and studying to become a paediatric nutritionist she met an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, who was practising privately in London and looking for an apprentice. She started accompanying her to consultations and learning the practical aspects of helping and teaching mums to breastfeed and trained under her supervision for roughly 18months, after which she completed many courses, including the Unicef Baby Friendly course and the Australasian Lactation course.

After ten years helping mums to breastfeed, including spending four years on Harley Street, Geraldine has recently launched her own practice called Let's Breastfeed. She is non-judgmental and is dedicated to helping mums to breastfeed without guilt and pain.

Geraldine looks forward to answering your questions and giving advice about breastfeeding

A folder for your questions will be open a week prior to the chat.

Janet Pearce from the Marie Stopes charity, will be answering your questions on the Periods & Sexual Health message board.
Date: Tuesday 24th November
Time: 2-3 pm

Janet currently works for Marie Stopes International, the leading sexual and reproductive healthcare charity in the UK, where her work involves discussing and advising on all contraceptive methods and counselling women about a wide range of concerns including sexual health and unplanned pregnancy.

Janet looks forward to answering your questions on iVillage.Please ask anything about unplanned pregnancy, contraception including long acting methods and sexual health.

A folder is now open on the Periods & Sexual Health message board for you to post questions.