What is mastitis? How will I know if I have got it? What do I do if I get mastitis?

All of your questions are answered in this exclusive blog about mastitis!!

Can you drink coffee during pregnancy?

Pregnancy comes with a large range of lifestyle changes to ensure the health and development of the growing baby. One common question that we get asked as midwives all the time is “can I have coffee during pregnancy?”. This topic is one that has sparked many debates over the years, with most health professionals advising caution when it comes to consuming too much caffeine during pregnancy. In this blog, we delve into the effects of caffeine in pregnancy and explore the República Organic Coffee Decaf range as a potential alternative for expectant mothers. Information in this blog is of general nature and should not replace specific medical advice from your midwife or obstetrician.

Travelling with a baby can be both exciting and daunting. Whether you're travelling by plane, car, train or boat, it's important to plan ahead and be well-prepared to ensure a smooth and enjoyable trip for both you and your little one. In this blog, we'll share some tips for travelling with a baby that will help you to minimise stress and maximise fun.

How can you maximise your healing after birth?

This is a common questions asked by new parents after birth, and a very important one if you ask me!! This blog explores the best ways that you can maximise your healing after birth so that you can focus on healing and caring for your new little baby.

Going back to work after having a baby

Returning to work is daunting whether you’ve just had your first baby or your fourth baby. There are so many things new mums worry about like:

How can I get my baby to take a bottle?

How much milk should my baby take?

Who will look after my baby when I go back to work?

How will I pump while at work?

Is my baby going to be ok?

These feelings are completely normal. Have a read for some ways you can help with returning to work after having a baby.

Sleep is so important during pregnancy to help your growing baby as well as your own mental and physical wellbeing.

Read these tips for how to wind down before bed…

You’re pregnant, congratulations!!! But what now…

Navigating the first trimester can be confusing and filled with mixed advice.

So, what do you actually need to know about the first trimester?

Packing your hospital bag is an exciting time as you eagerly await the arrival of your new little baby. However, it can bring feelings of stress for some women if they aren’t sure what they should be packing. Remember, if you don’t live too far away from the hospital your partner will be able to duck home and grab any items that you may have forgotten.

When packing your hospital bag, as a midwife I recommend packing a bag for you and a separate bag for baby. This can make it easier for you to find what you need during labour and after baby is born.

Click to read more about what to pack in your hospital bag?

Why do your breasts change during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, the hormonal changes cause the woman’s breasts to undergo a series of changes in preparation for breastfeeding. These changes primarily occur in the first trimester of pregnancy and are often one of the first things a woman notices as a pregnancy symptom.

Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) is a common yet debilitating complaint of pregnancy which can impact every area of your life, including sleep.

Understanding what pelvic girdle pain is, how to manage it and how to best maximise your sleep can help you have a better pregnancy experience.

Sleep during the postpartum period is essential in maximising healing, breastfeeding, bonding with your baby and the mother’s overall wellbeing. Poor sleep quality negatively impacts a mothers ability cope with stressful events as well as impacting daily functions such as memory, alertness, concentration and swapping between tasks. Furthermore, sleep negatively impacts mothers emotional functioning such as motivation, irritability, relationship problems and self-esteem.

It is well known that when you have a new baby you will be awake during the night, but no one prepares you for how tired you will be during the day especially when dealing with visitors, learning how to care for your baby, healing from the birth and emotional changes. The first 3 months after birth is commonly described as the hardest period for attending to your baby’s needs. However, night wakings for children are common in the first year of life, with some children up to the age of 3 having problems with waking overnight.

What causes poor sleep quality in the postpartum period?

Sleep during the postpartum period is influenced by the amount of night wakings that your baby has, hormonal changes, changes to melatonin levels and pain postpartum. Many women find the biggest challenges are difficulty falling asleep, going to sleep late (after 10pm) and waking frequently overnight. Poor sleep quality overnight in conjunction with unrealistic expectations and lack of rest during the day leads to maternal exhaustion and fatigue.

Impacts of poor sleep on bonding

Positive mother-infant attachments formed in the postpartum period are essential for the baby’s social, emotional and cognitive development. Poor sleep quality during the postpartum period is associated with negative attitudes towards the baby, maternal depression and negative behaviours towards the baby.

In particular, mothers who had poor sleep quality were more likely to report feelings of anger towards their baby as well as dislike towards playing or interacting with their baby. This is thought to be due to the changes to maternal functioning and emotional regulation from poor sleep. Furthermore, emotional and physical functioning for the mother are necessary in empowering women to respond to their infants needs especially when faced with challenging situations. This can then become a brutal cycle as mothers may be kept awake at night with thoughts of guilt towards their inability to effectively respond to their baby and perceive themselves as bad mothers. Furthermore, increasing the risk of sleep deprived mothers in developing postnatal depression or anxiety.

How can we improve postpartum sleep?

When should you sleep on your side in pregnancy? Why should you sleep on your side in pregnancy? Should you sleep on the left side or the right side? How can you get comfortable sleeping on your side in pregnancy?

Despite great advances in research and care for women and babies, the stillbirth rates have remained relatively stable. Stillbirth has lifelong impacts to women, families, caregivers, communities, and the healthcare system. Therefore, there is now a global health focus on preventing stillbirth. One of the easily modifiable risk factors for stillbirth is sleeping on your back after 28 weeks gestation of pregnancy.

Observational evidence has shown an association between sleeping on your back in pregnancy and stillbirth after 28 weeks of pregnancy. Sleeping on your back during pregnancy increases your risk of stillbirth by 10%, that means that 1 in 10 stillbirths could be preventing simply by avoiding sleeping on your back.

As humans we spend almost 1/3 of our lives asleep, so it is essential that we are maintaining healthy sleep habits. Healthy sleep habits have significant impacts on our mental, physical and emotional health. During pregnancy, women experience some of the largest challenges in their lives in relation to sleep.

But is sleep really that important during pregnancy?

Trauma to the perineum during birth can be in the form of a spontaneous perineal tear or an episiotomy. The chance of having a perineal tear range from 30-85% and is more common in a woman having her first baby.

Perineal massage involves stretching the vaginal tissues towards the end of pregnancy to relax and improve circulation to the tissues, increase elasticity and desensitise women to the burning sensation and pain during labour and enabling easier pushing for the woman. Therefore, reducing trauma to the perineum and vagina and decreasing the episiotomy rate in women having their first baby.

So why and how is perineal massage performed?