Articles

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]