All posts filed under: Birth Essentials

The reality of birth – in your words

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Labour and birth is not the same for everyone. It can be long or fast, in water or on a bed, spontaneous or induced, straightforward or more medical, at home or in hospital – there are similar themes but each one is individual. I asked you to share your experiences and thoughts about labour and birth… Reality of birth – your words of wisdom “I didn’t know I wouldn’t be able to eat at all during labour so I was physically sick throughout with a mix of hunger, pain and exhaustion. It change the course of the birth because I had an epidural in the hope I would stop being sick but it slowed everything right down.” “I wish pain relief was normalised – I had an epidural and I loved giving birth to her but I was worried I would feel like a failure.” “It helps to communicate well with your midwife – the consultant I saw was quick to dismiss my birth preferences but the midwife advocated for me and told him she …

baby s foot

Birth In Your Words (2)

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Janine Smith Practice – where you read and talk about pregnancy, birth, babies and early parenting Working with parents since 2002 Say hello…Instagram | Linkedin

woman giving birth to baby via c section

Birth In Your Words (1)

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Janine Smith Practice – where you read and talk about pregnancy, birth, babies and early parenting Working with parents since 2002 Say hello…Instagram | Linkedin

What can impact your contractions?

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Did you know that your contractions can be influenced by how safe and comfortable you feel in labour? Your contractions are created by a balance of hormones and oxytocin creates strong, regular contractions but this can be impacted by how you feel. So what can interfere with your oxytocin production and your contractions? All of these factors can mean that you can’t truly relax, rest and work with your contractions. Even if you are induced or have an epidural, it still helps to feel safe and supported. There is new post in the Mother Cuppa Lounge looking at contractions – what they are, how they work and what they need to be effective. Working with parents since 2002 | Janine Smith Practice – where you read and talk about pregnancy, birth, babies and early parenting Say hello…Instagram  | Linkedin

birth trauma

Experiencing birth trauma

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Birth trauma can be different for each women who is affected by the birth of their baby. It can be caused by birth injury or by a frightening birth where you may have felt that either you or your baby may have been in danger. My birth trauma came from a manual removal of my placenta when I was taken to an operating theatre for a procedure which involved a spinal anaesthetic, stirrups and an obstetrician rummaging around in my uterus. It was a fairly routine procedure, I wasn’t bleeding and there was no emergency. So where did my trauma come from? I believe it was caused by a few factors… I was alone in a room full of people, who were talking around me and about me but not to me. I felt vulnerable and scared there was a chance this could be a bigger issue than it seemed I was away from my baby, who was being assessed in SCBU and who would most probably due to have surgery that day it took …