Articles

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 […]

A “Natural” Caesarean Section – should they all be like this?

A “Natural” Caesarean Section? By Roger Marwood MSc FRCOG A “natural” Caesarean Section? “No such thing”, I hear you saying.  And , of course you are right as a Caesarean can never be fully natural.  But there are ways that the process can be made to feel less like a major operation in an unnatural and clinical environment and more like an exceptionally moving, astonishing and , dare I say it, enjoyable and unique family event. For the last few years of my clinical practice , I was lucky enough to be able to achieve, wherever possible, a very satisfying […]

The Pregnancy Survival Guide

1. You will not always attain the fabled “Pregnancy Glow”. Despite allusions to the contrary, many women do not feel their best during pregnancy and that special warm feeling, as life grows inside you, may sadly evade you for the full 40 weeks. There are a multitude of little afflictions that can plague the average pregnant woman. During the first trimester you may feel very tired, sick, emotional, fat, spotty, with sore boobs and odd twinges that fill you with fear. The second trimester, which is often hailed as the best phase of pregnancy, may bring constipation, piles, more emotion, nausea, […]

How To Get Pregnant

  Millions do it every month.  Almost half of all pregnancies are not even planned. Should be easy, shouldn’t it ? All you do is have sex and , err, that’s it.  It happens!? The reality , however, is somewhat different. On average , from starting to actually plan a baby, to conception, takes about six months.  So for some , it takes only two and a half minutes, and for others it may take several years.  Even under optimum circumstances, with a fertile woman and a fertile man, having regular intercourse, there is only approximately, a one in three […]

Should the Father be at the birth of his baby?

In the last 40 years there has been a dramatic change in the behaviour and role of fathers in the delivery room . Figures suggest that, in UK, the presence of the responsible male at the critical moment has increased from 10% to 90% . Most of us would think that, in balance, that this was a healthy and welcome advance. But it doesn’t work for everyone.     There are so many potential benefits, for both mother and father.  For the mother, it can mean the reassuring presence of her lover, best friend, confidante and most importantly, the man […]

Have you got Post Natal Depression? by GP Dr Ellie Cannon

Dr Ellie Cannon is the author of  “Keep Calm, The New Mum’s Manual”  which is available on Amazon.   Read our review on her book here.    Post-natal depression   Feeling a bit down after giving birth is so common, it is pretty much normal. In the first 10 days especially, your mood will feel all over the place because of the hormones flying around  making you feel crazy, tearful, super-happy, super-sad often all at the same time. This is a normal post-natal experience.  You will find yourself crying at car insurance adverts on the telly. It’s a bit weird, but […]

Pregnancy Brain? Real? A myth? Or is it just the brain working in a different way?

Pregnancy Brain? Real?  A myth?  Or is it just the brain working in a different way?    Over the last 40 years of looking after pregnant women, I have often been bombarded by stories of poor memory, absentmindedness and lack of focus. It’s hard to tell whether these observations are real or just part of generally accepted story that pregnancy, in some way affects recall and cognitive function, and interferes with the ability of pregnant women to perform normal everyday tasks. Is it that pregnant women, in some way expect to behave differently when they are pregnant, and are just following […]

Some Dad Dos and Don’ts

  Some “DON’TS” for expectant Dads! DO NOT spend lengthy periods on your phone, laptop, or iPad unless she gives you the go-ahead DO NOT eat excessively in front of your partner who is probably feeling nauseated and or starving.  Cheese and onion crisps have been cited as the most disgusting thing to smell whilst in labour! DO NOT complain about being hungry or tired. DO NOT get drunk, before or during! DO NOT curl up in the chair and snore whilst your wife/partner is awake in pain! DO NOT spend most of the labour staring at the fetal heart rate monitor and ignore your […]

My wife is breastfeeding, how can I help?

  “I am breastfeeding our new-born – how can my partner help?” By Louisa van den Bergh of Lulubaby When taking the breastfeeding session of our antenatal course, I often ask the mums to be what they think the fathers can do to help once their baby has been born. So often new fathers report to me that they feel “useless” and a bit “spare” whilst their partner is busy feeding the baby(quite a regular occurrence when they are tiny) so I thought it might be helpful to highlight a few things which your other half can be doing to […]