Co-sleeping is when your baby sleeps in your bed with you rather than in a cot or Moses Basket. Parents do this out of choice, to keep their baby close or because their baby will not settle away from them – for many parents it is about getting some sleep. And every family does this differently – many babies will be in their cot at the start of the night but they later move into their parent’s bed Studies have found that around 50% of all UK babies have bed-shared by the time they are 3 months old. And 91% of those parents had not planned to co-sleep. Good preparation makes such a difference to your options and to understanding how to make sleep as safe as possible for your baby. The evidence demonstrates that co-sleeping is safer when it is planned for and when the bed is prepared. It becomes riskier when bed sharing happens by accident, out of exhaustion and desperation for sleep. How do you make co-sleeping safer? To make co-sleeping safe, …

Braxton Hicks contractions are really normal and many women experience them throughout their second and third trimesters. Braxton Hicks contractions is simply your uterus contracting and relaxing and some women experience these more at the end of pregnancy. These contractions can be uncomfortable but not painful, they don’t grow in intensity or get closer together and they will just stop, which is how they are different from labour contractions. Braxton Hicks can also be triggered when you have sex, when you have a full bladder, if you are dehydrated and if you have been on your feet a lot that day. If you are at the end of your pregnancy and unsure if labour is starting, it’s often a time of watchful waiting to see what these contractions do – if they just stop they are Braxton Hicks but if they keep coming you could be in labour. You can contact your pregnancy assessment unit if you are unsure and feel in need of some reassurance. If your Braxton Hicks are uncomfortable… Braxton Hicks contractions …

Vitamin K helps our blood to clot, a deficiency can lead to uncontrolled bleeding. Babies are born with low levels of Vitamin K and the concern is a rare but serious complication called Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB), which is why all newborn babies are offered Vitamin K. What are the risks of VKDB? 1 in 10,000 babies could experience bleeding without the Vitamin K. VKDB is rare but it can be serious – bleeds are not always obvious so some babies can experience internal bleeding. An injection of Vitamin K reduces a baby’s risk to one in 100,000. The three categories of VKDB are: How it is given? Vitamin K is given to babies shortly after birth. Most maternity units now give Vitamin K by injection – the NICE guidelines recommend this as the most effective way but it can also be administered orally with around three doses. The challenge with the oral dose is that there isn’t clear evidence on how much to give and it’s impossible to know how much a baby …

If you are rhesus negative, this will be identified with a blood test as part of your booking-in appointment during your first trimester. This blood test will confirm your blood group and check your rhesus status. Your blood will also be checked for rhesus positive antibodies, which may have come from your first pregnancy, even if you experienced a miscarriage or a termination. If there are no positive antibodies, you will be offered anti-D injections in your third trimester. If there are positive antibodies in your blood, you will be offered additional monitoring throughout your pregnancy. Anti-D Injections The recommendation for pregnant women who are rhesus negative (without antibodies) is to receive either: or Your blood doesn’t normally mix with your baby’s blood during pregnancy as the placenta acts as a barrier but an anti-D injection can also be offered if you are rhesus negative and you: The aim of the anti-D injection is to prevent your body from making antibodies should your baby’s blood mix with yours – it will destroy any of your …

A doula can provide practical and emotional support and reassurance for parents at the end of pregnancy, for birth and with a new baby. It’s about being on hand for you in pregnancy, during labour and birth and when your baby is here. What does a birth doula do? With consistent, calm and professional birth support, which is usually alongside your birth partner, you can feel safe and reassured. I don’t replace midwifery expertise, I provide emotional and physical support for you at the end of your pregnancy and throughout labour and birth. As your exclusive doula I will: What does a postnatal doula do? With additional support and reassurance during those first few hours, days and weeks with your baby, you can feel supported and reassured. These home visits help you as you find your feet as a new parent, and can provide practical support with feeding, bathing and looking after your baby. I provide daytime, evening and weekend sessions throughout the year. You can book a one-off session or a series of three …