Bits and Boobs

The start of a new year can bring a lot of pressure, especially if you’ve had a baby recently. Everywhere you look, there’s messaging about “getting back to your pre-baby body,” feeling like yourself again, or being endlessly grateful. While well-meaning, these messages can leave new parents feeling stressed, inadequate, or like they’re “failing” at recovery.  As a midwife, I want to bust some of the most common myths that can make postpartum life harder than it needs to be: 

Becoming a parent is magical, exhausting, exhilarating and, let’s be honest, completely overwhelming. As a midwives, we’ve seen countless parents navigate the first weeks and months after birth, and there’s one thing we know for sure: no one prepares you for the real postpartum experience.  Here are the truths that every new parent should hear straight from a midwife’s perspective. 

Black and brown skin needs extra special care with increased rates of Trans-Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL) leading to dryness and irritable skin how can we help you to keep your darker skin looking and feeling special?

Colostrum is often called “liquid gold”, and for good reason, this thick, golden fluid is the very first food your breasts produce, sometimes from as early as 16 weeks of pregnancy, and during the first few days after birth. Although small in volume, every drop is packed with powerful nutrients and antibodies specially designed to protect and nourish your newborn baby, whether you choose to go on to breastfeed or formula feed.

Preparing for your baby’s birth is exciting, but it can also feel completely overwhelming. As midwives, we often see new parents caught in a whirlwind of “must-haves” that turn out to be anything but essential. As Black Friday approaches it’s so easy to catch “Buy it Now” fever and spend way more than you planned on things you don’t even need. 

As midwives, we support women through all stages of reproductive health, and one condition we frequently see (and talk about!) is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, or PCOS.  It’s one of the most common hormonal conditions affecting women, yet many still feel confused, isolated, or even dismissed when they first hear the diagnosis.  So, let’s break it down. 

When choosing the best baby changing bag for your needs, it is helpful to think about your daily routine—whether you’ll be out for long periods or prefer something compact. Finding a bag that balances these features will make your outings with baby a lot easier!

Grabbing a coffee is such a routine event for most of us, whether it is putting the kettle on first thing on a morning or popping into a coffee shop to meet friends or to get that familiar take-out on the way to or from work. During pregnancy it is important to consider your diet for your own wellbeing but also that of your baby.

There are some foods that are considered ‘risky’ during pregnancy, because they may be more likely to carry harmful bacteria, viruses, heavy metals and toxins, or even have naturally excessive quantities of certain micronutrients.

The conception of a new baby is nothing short of a miracle! The chance of a sperm fertilising an egg is crazily low (apparently only about 3% with a single act of unprotected intercourse), and yet every year in the UK almost 600,000 babies are born and approximately 825,000 conceptions.

Pregnancy and postpartum is a time of overwhelming physical, emotional, and psychological change, and the language we use with ourselves during that time can have a lasting impact. Remember, be kind to yourself, you're doing an amazing job!