All posts by admin

Second Babies Can be QUICK!!

If you read the papers yesterday,you may have come across a great story about an actress who delivered on Hollywood Road, on the way to the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. What was interesting was that she lived very near the hospital and was less than one minute away when she delivered on her mother’s Burberry coat ! Thankfully all went well , and mother and baby were back home after 10 hours. All that hard labour, uncertainty, false alarms, endless phone calls , and no sleep for three nights, is , more often than not , repaid in a spectacular way […]

Chewing Gum after a Caesarean Section!

Yes it’s true. Chewing gum after your Caesarean section is good for you, and your bowels! It helps you pass wind earlier, open your bowels sooner, and even shortens your stay in hospital. A recently published report from China, published in the reputable British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, has shown significant benefits associated with early gum chewing, in women who had a C section for delivery. The study summarised the results of six studies, performed over the last 5 years, in Egypt, Turkey, The Philippines, Iran, Thailand and China. Compared with controls who had no gum , the gum […]

Pregnancy Myths – BUSTED!

Myths Here we will dispel some of the most common Maternity Myths!   You can tell the sex of the baby from the shape of your bump No, you cannot! Everyone has different figure and slightly different shaped anatomy and the shape of your bump will be determined by this rather than the sex of baby!  You can look at your bump and have a guess, and you have a 50% chance of getting it right! If you have morning sickness/bad skin it means you’re having a boy/girl Morning sickness doesn’t mean anything other than your pregnancy hormones levels are […]

Hospital Bag- What to Pack for the Birth

These lists have been carefully compiled by talking to many women who have given birth recently. Some items you will want to take in to the hospital when you go into labour, and some you can leave in car  or get your husband or partner to bring after birth.  We have placed an Asterisk (*) next to the items we think you should take in when you go into labour.   Essentials For you. Maternity Notes * 2-3 nighties, bearing in mind, you may give birth in one, and you may have some heavy bleeding after the birth.  We recommend […]

Swimming to the Isle of Wight to Raise Money for Borne!

I swam a lot as a child.  My father is a very good and very keen swimmer and he would take me, my sister and brother every Sunday morning whilst my mother prepared the hallowed Sunday Lunch. I guess I always assumed that he took us swimming purely for the love of the sport and his desire for us to share this and learn an important skill.  But now as the mother of two boisterous boys who go swimming with their father every weekend, the cynic in me sees the truth. My mother just wanted a few glorious hours to […]

Advice from Man to Man. By Male Midwife Mark Harris

Male Midwife and Nurse , Mark Harris RM RN.  Founder of Birthing for Blokes and Birthing Awareness Also known as the as the ‘shy hormone’, oxytocin is a naturally occurring hormone which causes the uterus to contract during labour.  Manufactured oxytocin (Syntocinon) can be given to induce labour or to strengthen contractions. Most obstetricians I have worked with probably only consider it when ‘labour dystocia’ (slow or difficult labour)  is present! The hormone with the mostest when it comes to allowing the birthing process to move forward to an empowering climax…is oxytocin. We know a lot about what encourages oxytocin to […]

Breast and Bottle Feeding Advice with Charlotte Young IBCLC

Breast and Bottle Feeding Advice with Charlotte Young IBCLC http://milkmatters.org.uk/ http://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/ 1) Is it safe to have a glass of wine whilst I am breastfeeding?  A glass is usually considered fine. It’s estimated < 2% of the alcohol reaches BM – so to transfer significant amounts, you would be too drunk to look after a baby (however they’re fed). Lots more info & link to a detailed article on my blog here:http://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/…/breastfeeding… … 2) I have been told that chilli and garlic can affect the taste of breastmilk and affect the baby’s tummy, but my inlaws are Indian and we eat a […]

Coeliac Disease – Trying to Conceive

We are getting married soon and hope to start a family. I am a Coeliac. I read somewhere a while ago that Coeliac’s should take a much higher dose of Folic Acid, instead of the usual pre pregnancy OTC dose. Is this true? If so, would I need to get a prescription from my GP? There are no extra risks to you or your baby because of your gluten intolerance. The only issue is that you will not be able to eat conventional bread which is often enriched with extra folic acid Prenatal vitamins in the form of OTC folic […]

Toxoplasmosis scare – 16 Weeks Pregnant

I am 16 weeks pregnant and am concerned about a salad I ate about 4 days ago. The salad was a pre-prepared one made by a reputable (I would have thought!) catering company. I was a bit worried about whether it was the ideal choice but told myself I was being over anxious and there really was nothing else available to eat. I’d eaten most of the salad when I noticed that one of the leaves had some dirt on it. I didn’t eat any more of it at this point but have been worrying about it ever since in […]

How long should we wait before trying for a second baby?

  What is the correct interval between pregnancies? Traditional advice has been to wait at least a year before conceiving again , suggesting an actual birth interval of at least 18- 24 months as the ideal.  Often the ” fourth trimester”  takes longer than most women expected and the physical , psychological and social adaptations to childbirth can be considerable.  It has generally been acknowledged that a short birth interval of less than 18 months was not advisable because of increased problems during the pregnancy.  But the precise extra risks were, until recently, rather non-specific and uncertain. Recent studies have […]