Articles

Your Baby’s Movements – Guidelines

This is a copy of an article published by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.  It can be viewed in a PDF format here. RCOG pdf   About this information This information is for you if you would like to know about your baby’s movements during pregnancy. It may also be helpful if you are concerned that your baby has not been moving as much as usual or if you feel that your baby’s movements have changed. It tells you about: what are normal movements for an unborn baby what affects how much you feel your baby move what […]

Midwives and Doctors advised to delay clamping cord.

Midwives and doctors are advised to delay clamping the cord after birth.  Read about this on the BBC’s website

How to react if your baby chokes. Guest Blog by Resuscitation Officer at Top London Hospital.

Facing the unthinkable.. can I do it?  YES you can and there are simple ways to become empowered to do so! You are in the front room with your child and they begin to cough, your attention is instantly peaked. The cough seems louder than normal, different and you feel a sense of panic and dread come over you.. they are choking on something.  The child has a panicked look on them; they have gone red and now are starting to go blue at the lips… what would you do?  Could you do anything?  The simple answer is YES. Choking […]

Folic Acid to Reduce Risk of Cleft Palate

Taken from the NHS News Service, Ref BMJ and BJGP According to the results of a population-based cohort study published in the British Journal of General Practice, the risk of having a cleft lip or palate seems to be more than four times higher if mothers do not take folic acid in the first three months of pregnancy. The authors note that a cleft lip and palate occurs in approximately one in 700 live births, with prevalence varying according to geography and ethnicity.  The cause is complex but involves both genetic and environmental factors; for the latter, factors implicated include […]

Link between fear of childbirth and longer duration of labour?

Taken from the RCOG Website. Women with a fear of childbirth endure a longer labour finds new research   Women who have a fear of childbirth spend longer in labour than women who have no such fear, suggests new research published today in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Between 5 and 20% of pregnant women have a fear of childbirth.  Various factors have been associated with increased prevalence of fear of childbirth, including young maternal age, being a first-time mother, pre-existing psychological problems, lack of social support and a history of abuse or adverse obstetric events. This […]

RCOG advises pregnant women to avoid alcohol despite new research

Taken from  RCOG (Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecology) Website RCOG statement on new BJOG research looking at alcohol consumption in early pregnancy and its effects on children Five Danish research papers are published today in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology focussing on alcohol levels and its effect on neurodevelopment of children aged five years. 1,628 women recruited from the Danish National Birth Cohort at their first antenatal visit took part in the studies. The researchers have looked at low, moderate, high and binge drinking and found that overall low to moderate weekly drinking in early pregnancy […]

Moderate Drinking in Early Pregnancy Branded “Safe”

This Article is taken from BBC NEWS Drinking a low or moderate level of alcohol in early pregnancy is not linked to developmental problems in five-year-olds, researchers say. The Danish research, published in the BJOG journal, suggested one to eight drinks a week was not linked to harm. In Denmark a standard drink has 12g of alcohol, compared with the UK’s 7.9g. UK pregnant women are advised not to drink, but experts say those who do should have no more than one or two units, once or twice a week. Heavy drinking during pregnancy is known to be linked to […]

Breastfeeding

Coming soon! We are working on our new Breastfeeding page with the cooperation of a few different lactation specialists.  We aim to provide a balanced view on this subject with the best possible advice for new mothers. One of our experts is Clare Byam-Cook, the author of “What to Expect When You’re Breastfeeding and What if you Can’t”  Click HERE to buy.