All posts by admin

Pregnancy Tips

Pregnancy Tips   Here are some tips that we have collected from talking to mothers who have been through it before you.   Staying Comfortable   You do not need to waddle when you are pregnant. If you actually think about it whilst you are walking, you will find that you can walk relatively normally. If you hold your stomach muscles in and concentrate whenever you are standing you find that this forces you to straighten up and will stop you from arching your back – this can stop it aching and can make you look about 1 month less […]

Mixing bottle and breast – it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

  by Charlotte Young IBCLC, founder www.milkmatters.org.uk & www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk Also by Charlotte Young “How to Prevent and Treat Sore Nipples”   Several mums I’ve spoken to recently have mentioned it’s hard to find good information about mix-feeding.  Often breastfeeding websites don’t discuss it as they promote exclusive breastfeeding and the reasons for doing so.  Similarly some mums are nervous about asking too many breastmilk questions on bottle-feeding forums, for fear it may upset those not breastfeeding at all.  Mix feeding, combination feeding – whatever you prefer to call it, almost seems to fall into a no mans land. What concerns me about this is hearing […]

11 Weeks pregnant and fainted.

I am 11 weeks pregnant and I fainted this week.  I have never fainted before.  I could have overheated, but I am worried I have low iron levels.  Should I check these levels with my GP?  Is it harmful to the baby ?  I have my 12 week scan next week. Try not to worry, it is normal to feel faint.  You will have blood tests at your 12 week appointment and your iron levels will be checked then.  It is not harmful to the baby to faint.  Good luck.   For more information on your 12 week scan please […]

VERY Speedy First Birth!

My first labour was super quick ie. Under 2 hours.  What are the chances for my second labour being even quicker? Am worried that I wont make it to hospital and should think of home birth.   Every labour and every delivery are different.  Most second labours are quicker and easier than firsts but not always. You need to talk to your midwife about the pros and cons of Homebirth vs Hospital and also about how to recognise the early warning signs of labour eg. show or contractions. Perhaps when you think back to your last labour you may have been […]

My Birth Story

In the Birthing Pool My latent labour started on the 14th of April at about 3am when I woke with mild contractions at home in bed.  I went back to sleep and woke intermittently for the next few hours until I got up.  I spent a relatively nice/strange/surreal/calm day at home with my husband just having what felt like bad period pains and Braxton Hicks together.  I ate and drank normally and had a 45 minute nap.  After lunch we strapped the TENS machine on and went for a 2 hour walk in the park, went to Sainsburys and was even […]

I had a huge bleed after my first baby, what will happen next time?

About one in ten women have a significant blood loss at or around the time of their first delivery. Its called a post partum haemorrhage and is when you lose more than half a litre within the first 24 hours. It is well known that it is more likely to occur in older women, women with twins, or with babies over 4 kg, or women who are overweight, or who require delivery by Caesarean Section. A recent study of over 34,000 women , from Aberdeen, from 1986 to 2005,  were followed up over a period of 5 years. The intention […]

Would like VBAC but traumatised by first birth experience.

With my first labour my waters broke but I never established labour so was kept in hospital for four days for sweeps and pesaries before I was induced with a drip.  After 18hrs my cervix could not progress past 9 1/2 cm and all who stopped in for a look noted a hard ridge present ( like a wrinkle) that would not stretch.  My still unengaged daughter then turned back to back ( later found cord was tight around neck) heart rate dropped and I was rushed off for a C-section. So my question is could this be scar tissue […]

How Safe is My Obstetrician?

It may alarm many pregnant women to read about the recent publicity surrounding the Consultant Obstetrician who successfully delivered Samantha Cameron’s fourth baby. He, apparently, faces legal action from 60 women concerning complications following his Obstetric and Gynaecological practice in Cornwall. Concerns about his practice have been raised on numerous occasions over the last 20 years , and there have been numerous investigations , finally resulting in his suspension last year. His name has now been removed from the Medical Register. What are the chances of my Obstetrician being a “Butcher”? Very Unlikely! Here are the reasons why. Most Obstetricians […]

Sex After Having A Baby

A recent study in Australia followed up 1500 first time mothers after delivery and looked at various factors affecting affecting their sex lives. They revealed that the majority of women waited till after six weeks before resuming vaginal sex. 41% had attempted vaginal sex by 6weeks, 65% by 8 weeks, 78% by 12 weeks , and 94% by 6 months. The length of time to return to sexual activity varied according to age and mode of delivery. Younger women, under 25 , and women who had minimal trauma to the perineum were much more likely to recommence vaginal sex than […]

Scan at 36 Weeks to reduce risk of stillbirth?

I have read a lot in the press recently about how having a scan at 36 weeks can reduce the number of stillbirths. Should I be getting one? There are two possible advantages in a late scan and at least one possible disadvantage Firstly, it will determine which way up the baby is lying (the Presentation). At this stage 95 % of babies are head down (cephalic), leaving 5% , or 1 in 20 in a breech position. With the current practice of examining the abdomen with our hands and a tape measure, it is obvious that many breech babies […]