All posts by admin

What can I eat? What can’t I eat when Pregnant?

The amount of women I hear moaning about how much they “miss eating prawns, smoked salmon, Camembert, Brie, Stilton” is incredible!  There are so many foods that pregnant women seem to think they cannot eat which are perfectly safe if prepared correctly. If you have a quick look at the NHS website, you will be able to read the current guidelines on what foods pregnant women should avoid. NHS – Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy If you cant be bothered to trawl through the website, here is the important information in a nut shell… Smoked Salmon and Prawns are FINE […]

Restless Legs during Pregnancy

For the last few weeks I have been really uncomfortable with restless legs – often meaning am only getting 2 h sleep at most. Should I go to doctors (am 30 weeks pregnant) ? Is there anything I can do to relieve it?! It is driving me crackers!!  It sounds as if you have the well recognised, but sometimes distressing “Restless Leg Syndrome“ It is surprisingly common and occurs more commonly in women than men , and is 2 or 3 times more likely to occur in pregnancy. Up to 25% of pregnant women report some symptoms. It is often […]

Will Induction increase my chances of a Caesarean Section?

Will Induction increase my chances of a Caesarean Section? The simple answer is ….NO! It it is more likely to reduce the chances of ending up in the operating theatre. Traditionally, many of us believed that inducing labour actually led to an increase in the chances of operative delivery, including Caesarean Section. We have all heard stories of a long drawn out labour, epidural and then a trip to theatre for an emergency Caesarean Section. Well there is some new and fairly convincing evidence that shows that the opposite actually appears to be the case. A very large study, putting […]

Spotting and Cramping throughout 16 Weeks

Since the beginning of my pregnancy I have been spotting brown blood and having cramps now and then.  The baby seems to be healthy and my doctor has prescribed Duphaston twice daily, Aspimed 75 mg daily and a tablet for thyroid control daily.  I have also been having a few injections.. I am worried about this pregnancy, please can you advise. The odds are that the pregnancy will continue normally You may start to feel the baby soon if it’s your second or third or at about 20 weeks if as I suspect it’s your first. You are obviously already […]

Heel Prick Test.

Traditionally , in the UK , all babies have a “heel prick” test done by the midwife , between 5 and 8 days of age. What’s it for? At the moment, it’s for five conditions. Firstly , it’s for diseases of the oxygen carrying component of the blood which is called haemoglobin. The commonest condition picked up is sickle cell disease. It’s also possible to diagnose cystic fibrosis and cretinism , which is congenital hypothyroidism. Other rarer diseases that are currently detected routinely are , phenylketonuria and medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency. These last two are very rare disorders of […]

What is the correct way to make up Formula? – Charlotte Young IBCLC

Charlotte Young IBCLC  founder www.milkmatters.org.uk & www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk Also by Charlotte Young “How to Prevent and Treat Sore Nipples” and “Mixing Bottle and Breast” Q.   Would you consider an article about making up infant formula please?  I’ve read you have to use water hotter than 70 degrees and make the feeds up as required, but a lot of mums I speak to don’t do this as it’s quite new information and babies have been fine for years without it and over cleaning is just as bad.  Who is right? A.  You are correct that Department of Health guidelines are to use water of at least 70 degrees and discard a bottle […]

Is my Supergreens drink safe when Pregnant?

Currently 24 weeks pregnant with twins, although I have a really good diet and eat and drink well, I feel as though I’m struggling to get my extra calories, vitamins etc needed for my pregnancy, I have been taking pregnancy multi vitamins, but was wondering if there are any ingredients in my supergreens drink that I shouldn’t have? Iv drunk it for months before pregnancy and it has always helped me stay feeling fantastic, And think it could be of benefit to me. I’ve included the list below. Spirulina Wheatgrass Apple Fibre Powder Alfalfa Powder Barley Grass Powder Oat Fibre […]

Babies! Babies! Babies! Just a few that Roger has delivered!

 

Should I have a home birth? Is it safe? By Obstetrician Roger Marwood MSc FRCOG

Place of Birth – should you have a home birth?   By Obstetrician Roger Marwood MSc FRCOG Once again , the “Place of Birth ” is becoming an important issue, and will doubtless be a political  football, which will be kicked around for the next few months by most of the interested parties.  This has been prompted by the release , this week , of the draft deliberations of NICE , who are recommending that more women should be delivered in Midwifery led units and, more controversially perhaps, at home. They are recommending that all low risk women should be […]

Help for Sleep Deprived Mothers (and fathers) – by Jo Tantum

Hello to all you sleep deprived families out there, A poll conducted by Mother & Baby Magazine found that sleep deprivation was one of the causes of post -natal depression and that it played havoc with the relationships and working lives of new parents. The survey found: 56% of working mothers said weariness left them in a “state of despair”. 82% admitted a lack of sleep affected their performance at work. 88% felt fed up, exhausted and pulled in too many directions. 70% said their tiredness was so debilitating they felt unable to function properly. 61% said their boss was […]