My Expert Midwife
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What is a doula?
Read more →A doula is a person you employ to support you during pregnancy, childbirth or the postnatal period. Most families have a doula throughout all these stages as you can develop a rapport and a trusting relationship when you meet up regularly. A doula does not have medical training and is not qualified to give any medical care during pregnancy, birth or postnatally, but most doulas have been through training programmes and may be registered with organisations such as Doula UK. Their experiences and personalities may vary considerably, so it is good to meet a few before deciding on which doula...
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First Aid for Babies and Young Children
Read more →Mum of 6 (including 2 sets of twins!) and founder of Mini First Aid, Kate shares her first aid tips for new parents:- When we get ready for baby to arrive, we often focus on the softer side; the nursery, the change bag, the pram, the first outfit. Why not? Having a baby is an exciting time. We then start to think about the birth, how we want things to go and how we plan to feed our baby. It is hard not to feel nervous as a new parent. Everything is unknown. At Mini First Aid we cannot give you all the magic answers about getting your baby to sleep through the night, but we...
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What is an assisted birth and why would I need one?
Read more →An assisted birth is a vaginal birth where you need a little extra help for your baby to be born. Assisted births mean that forceps or ventouse is used to help your baby travel the last bit down the birth canal. Women don’t plan to have an assisted birth, so it can come as a shock to some women that this was the way their baby was born. This blog will explain why assisted births can happen, what types of assisted births there are, and what you can expect during the recovery process after having one. Why would I need...
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Recovery after a vaginal birth
Read more →4 minute read Allowing yourself time to heal and recover after childbirth is not often talked about in detail. We can sometimes expect to be up and about and resuming normal life just a few days after giving birth, but this can be both physically and mentally detrimental when trying to adjust to life with a newborn family member. Resting is essential to optimise the recovery process, so try to engage any help you can from your partner, family, older children and friends to help out during this period. Soreness around the perineal area (vulva, vagina, anus) after a vaginal birth is extremely common, whether you have a tear and/or any stitches in this area. What is a tear? With first babies some sort of tearing or an episiotomy happens in 9 out of...
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Recovery after a caesarean section birth
Read more →3 minute read When caesarean sections, or C Sections, are necessary they save lives, however, this type of birth is major abdominal surgery and recovery time can vary from one person to another. During your caesarean section operation, the large stomach muscle that has supported your abdomen has been weakened so you’ll need to take extra care when moving about and lifting things. What can I expect during my recovery? Take it easy, your body needs time to mend, so it needs rest and to have plenty of nourishment to do this. Eat healthily and arrange for help with normal...
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How will I know if my baby has a tongue-tie?
Read more →How will I know if my baby has a tongue-tie? 3 minute read Parents have often heard of babies having a tongue-tie and may worry that this is something which might affect their baby at birth or in later life. Up to 10% of babies can have some type of tongue-tie and this blog will help you understand more about what it is and whether you need further help and support. What is tongue-tie? A baby may be diagnosed with a tongue-tie if their frenulum has formed in a way that restricts or changes the movement their tongue has in their mouth. The frenulum is the piece of skin which anchors the tongue to the bottom of...
