My Expert Midwife
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International day of the midwife
Read more →The international day of the midwife has been celebrated on the 5th of May since 1991, with 50 nations globally recognising this special day. Midwifery is a very different profession as you move around the world. Some midwives work in very medicalised environments surrounded by the latest technology, whilst others in less developed countries have very little in the way of resources. Celebrating midwives Midwifery care has been shown to improve outcomes for women and families, when women engage in antenatal care, have a qualified birth attendant and receive good quality postnatal care. Midwifery is certainly not a career for...
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Your mental health in pregnancy
Read more →Perinatal mental health is the umbrella term for all mental health conditions around pregnancy, including the year after birth. You may also hear terms such as prenatal/antenatal depression and postnatal depression (PND) mentioned, which refer to specific times during your pregnancy or after the birth of your baby. Mental health conditions, in general, are spoken about much more freely than they used to be, with people now being openly encouraged to talk about their feelings and discuss what is troubling them. As mental health problems are now known to increase during pregnancy and in the postnatal period, there have been improvements in NHS maternity services. You may find that there are dedicated mental health services or midwifery teams, if you need them, in...
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Things you can do with your placenta
Read more →Many people feel squeamish when placentas are discussed, but they are truly amazing as your body has grown an entirely new organ to sustain your baby. In fact, in other cultures, such as Maori in New Zealand, the placenta is treated with so much respect that it is returned to the land in a burial ceremony. Even if you are turned off by the thought of keeping your placenta, once you have given birth, do try to have a look at this amazing organ that has kept your baby alive for all those months inside you. Your midwife can show you the structures and how it worked for you and your baby. Different things to do...
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Baby skin rashes
Read more →Everyone always imagines that their newborn baby’s skin will be wonderfully smooth and flawless. However, there are several different types of rashes that you could encounter on your baby’s skin, most of which are harmless. It is useful for parents to gain knowledge about different newborn skin conditions, so you can identify them and seek self help solutions or medical help if you are unsure. How your baby’s skin develops after birth Your baby’s skin can be quite sensitive to the external environment, however your baby will soon develop its own effective defence barrier and acquire a robust immune system. When your baby is born their skin is sterile and will be colonised by the bacteria that are...
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As smooth as a baby’s bottom. How to keep your newborn baby’s skin healthy.
Read more →When your baby is born, they are making the transition from intra-uterine life (inside you) to extra-uterine life (into the outside world). Your baby is coming from a dark, sterile, closed environment where they were surrounded by water, into a brightly lit, spacious, dry environment where they will encounter many different bacteria. As a result of this and the exposure to chemicals and irritants in our modern world, up to 50% of babies will develop nappy rash at least once. Your baby’s skin The skin is the largest and most important organ of the human body, as it provides...
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32-36 weeks pregnant
Read more →You are well into the third trimester of your pregnancy now. If your baby was to be born at 32 weeks gestation, and 7% of babies in the UK are born prematurely (defined as before 37 weeks), they would have about a 95% chance of survival. At this point in your pregnancy, you may be looking forward to your maternity leave, or for some of you it may have already started. The start of maternity leave is often the time when most people finalise preparations for their baby’s arrival. At 32 weeks of pregnancy your baby is 43cms long...
