Author: Janine Smith

Pregnancy in your words: confused

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Pregnancy can be really straight-forward when all you need to do is attend your midwife appointments and then start to prepare for birth and baby. Or it can be slightly more complicated, with additional appointments, a care plan and conflicting guidance, which can lead to confusion about what decisions to make, what questions to ask, how to plan and what to do next. You can book a session with me to talk it through, as well as make sure you keep asking questions during your appointments so you have a better understanding of what is going on and what your options are – make a list of questions before each appointment so you don’t forget and so you can gather the information you need. Working with parents since 2002 Say hello…Instagram | Facebook Group | Linkedin

Here’s what we talked about this week

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These are some of the questions asked and conversations with parents this week. baby sleep toddler sleep epidurals, managing them and your options being induced and your options moving and using positions in labour and for birth birth debrief how to use your breathing so it makes a difference birth expectations No two weeks are ever the same and consultations with me are booked for very different reasons. I have worked with expectant and new parents for abut 20 years and I know there are very few solutions – it is too unique for that. What makes a difference is good information – based on evidence and experience – with good support and a good dollop of reassurance. This is what I do, this is the foundation of my practice. Working with parents since 2002

birth preparation

10 simple birth preparation steps that can really make a difference

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Birth preparation can be about reading a book and attending some antenatal classes but what do you do with that information? how do you prepare effectively for labour and birth? Having taught antenatal classes and provided birth preparation sessions for 20 years, I know how unique birth preparation needs to be – books and classes can provide information but they may not encourage you to think, question and plan. With birth preparation, it can make a huge difference to… move – listen to your body in pregnancy so you can move and rest to be more comfortable. Use different positions so you are familiar what can work right for you – leaning, kneeling, using a ball. breathe – it’s important to know how to use your breathing and to know how to relax your body. This is a core skill you can use in pregnancy, in all births and with your baby. know how birth works and how varied it can be – a foundation of knowledge means you will have a better understand of …

Pregnancy in your words: exhausted

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There is something unique about the exhaustion of pregnancy, especially in those early weeks when everything can feel like an effort and you could cry with tiredness. Not everyone experiences it but some women can feel that every cell in their body is tired. Throughout pregnancy, tiredness can just hit and all you need to do is sleep, especially towards the end of pregnancy where you can truly feel like you are growing another human being. It can be one reason why some women decide to finish work earlier than planned because exhaustion just hits and the days can feel tough. If it is an option, giving yourself a little bit of time at the end of pregnancy to rest and nap as you need to – especially because night sleep can become so interrupted – can give you more energy for labour, birth and recovery. Learning to use your breathing can also be a simple way to boost your energy as it can also ease any aches and stress. It’s not always easy but …

make a rod for your own back

You’ll make a rod for your own back

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To ‘make a rod for your own back’ is to do something that inadvertently creates troubles or misfortune in the future. The expression is usually used when someone has done something which seemed like a good idea at the time but comes back to bite them in some unexpected way. http://www.phrases.org.uk I now have children at college and in university and I have been reflecting on life as a mother and on those early days, weeks and months with my babies when I felt a bit lost, like I was doing it wrong and being told I was making a rod for my back. Becoming a mother was a huge transition – as it is for most of us. I became more selfless and I learnt to trust my instincts. Before I became a mum I was never interested in breastfeeding or co-sleeping – in fact I mocked it when I went to antenatal classes..  When I was pregnant, I started reading and talking to friends who were mothers and they spoke positively – although fairly realistically …