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What you eat and drink is important at any time in your life but in pregnancy it affects your baby’s health as well, both when you’re pregnant and after the birth. It can however, be hard to try eating well if you are struggling with early pregnancy sickness and tiredness, or even later symptoms such as heartburn. Try not to worry too much if this is the case and do your best to eat a range of healthy foods every day if you can. 

Maternal mental health week aims to focus on the issues of mental health that affect pregnant and new parents, which are often not discussed openly and in 2021 have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Pregnancy and the birth of a baby is supposed to be a time of great happiness and excitement, but for many new parents-to-be, the reality can be far from this.

As part of our labour and birth series we explore all non medicinal pain relief options. As midwives we know that most pregnant women are aware of medical options of pain relief available to them in labour such as gas & air or epidural but are less aware of the range of other non-medicalised options. Knowledge is power and preparation is key.

Colostrum is the first breast milk that your body makes. Its colour can range from almost see-through to yellow. Your breasts will start to produce colostrum from about 20 weeks pregnant. As colostrum is made during pregnancy, it is possible to begin to hand express, collect and freeze colostrum before the baby is born. This is often called colostrum harvesting.

Yoga in pregnancy is a great way to stay active and is healthy for you and your baby. It’s not too strenuous and can help you to relax as well as staying fit and building core strength.  Read on for how Yoga in pregnancy can help you!

Whilst there are many websites, forums, Instagram posts, YouTube videos, Facebook pages, books and magazines all sharing advice on labour and birth, it can all feel a little over-whelming to try and find the information and advice that works for you. And this is where antenatal classes can really help – by having that one qualified, experienced midwife on hand who you can talk to and ask questions to help prepare for your baby’s arrival.

When you think of giving birth, most people tend to imagine a bed of some kind involved – with the birthing person lying on their back or maybe sitting up…..In reality, labour and birth involves a lot of moving around, dancing, swaying, squatting – and very little lying on a bed!

Keeping fit and healthy in pregnancy will make it easier for you to adapt to your changing shape and weight gain. It also helps with preparing you for labour and your recovery after you have had your baby. 

Have you been thinking about where to have your baby? At home, in a birth centre or the delivery suite?  It can feel daunting to make a choice about what kind of birth environment suits you best and what kind of birth you would like to prepare and plan for. In our series of blogs on birth choices – which we cover in detail in our antenatal course and advise and support you in making the best choice for you, we are going to start with waterbirths.

It doesn’t matter the amount of love you feel for your child, postpartum depression can affect you. The baby blues have no time of arrival but it all happens after you give birth. A lot of new mums find themselves feeling weepy and irritable and not knowing why. But if it happens to you, don’t worry, most new mums go through it.