My Expert Midwife
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Coping with the summer heat during pregnancy
Read more →3 minute read When you’re pregnant hot, sunny days can feel very uncomfortable. This is because your core body temperature is slightly raised, you have lots of pregnancy-related hormones and your blood volume is increased, which makes your whole body, including organs such as the kidneys and heart work harder than usual. Combined with extra pregnancy weight being carried, it can all contribute to making you feel much warmer than usual during the summer months. Keeping the irritation of becoming over heated and uncomfortable during summer at bay is an important part of staying physically and mentally healthy during pregnancy. When the heat is on, here are our top tips to help keep you feeling cool: Wear...
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Birth Trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Read more →3 minute read Birth trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth are used interchangeably and refer to a psychological condition that some women can experience directly after childbirth and in the following weeks, months and even years. What is PTSD? PTSD was first identified as a condition after the Vietnam war, when soldiers who had experienced frightening and traumatic events were unable to stop thinking about them once they returned home. Their anxiety about these events severely impacted upon their ability to readjust to normal everyday life. Humans had obviously suffered from this throughout history, but it now had a name, was a real condition and has subsequently been explored in depth. PTSD after childbirth It has not been until relatively recently that PTSD has been recognised as a...
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Vaginal thrush in pregnancy
Read more →3 min read: What is thrush? Thrush is caused by Candida albicans, a yeast like fungus, which can grow and thrive when there is a pH imbalance within the vagina. Thrush is common, as 75% of women will develop thrush at least once during their lifetime. Thrush can also be found on other parts of the body, such as in the mouth, the breast or penis (therefore it can be spread through intercourse, although it is not classed as a sexually transmitted infection). Pregnancy hormones, a course of antibiotics and diabetes can all be a trigger for women to develop a bout vaginal thrush, as these can all disturb the body’s pH balance. Once you have...
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What is gestational diabetes?
Read more →3 min read: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the development of diabetes in pregnancy, characterised by high blood glucose (sugar) levels during your pregnancy. GDM occurs during pregnancy when the hormone insulin is not being produced in the right amounts to match your body’s needs. It can be worrying finding out that you have suddenly developed diabetes during your pregnancy, but in most cases, it usually resolves once your baby has been born, as it is the pregnancy which puts extra strain upon your body’s insulin needs. In fact, GDM is not a rare condition but found in 3-5% of pregnancies. How will I know if I have GDM? To screen for GDM, you will be offered a glucose tolerance test (GTT) at 24-28 weeks...
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What is a Birth Centre?
Read more →Image credit: Huddersfield Birth Centre A Birth Centre in the UK is a unit that is separate from Delivery Suite or Labour Ward and Midwifery-Led to promote an active, normal labour and birth. This means that they have a more homely and comfortable feel to them, as they have less medical equipment and the environment is quieter, as generally the volume of staff is less than a labour ward would have. Why would I choose to birth at a Birth Centre? The ethos of a Birth Centre is to create a low key, less medicalised, home from home type of environment, as this is known to help women achieve a normal birth. If birth has as few unnecessary interventions,...
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36-40 weeks pregnant
Read more →You are on the home straight of your pregnancy now and your baby will be in your arms very soon. It’s time to put the finishing touches to your plans for birth and the arrival of your newborn baby. You may be feeling like resting more than usual, so if possible listen to your body’s cues and take rest breaks in your day if this is possible. If you are over 40 weeks pregnant have a look at our blog about going over your due date. At 36 weeks of pregnancy your baby weighs around 6lbs. Your midwife or doctor...
