My Expert Midwife
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International Women’s Day - Women’s choices in maternity care
Read more →International Women’s Day is celebrated on the 8th March each year to celebrate the achievements of women, but also to highlight the fact that we still live in a male dominated society, and as such, women continue to strive for gender equality. Maternity care is certainly still a place where women’s choices can be decided for them and where we can still lack aspects of control over our reproductive rights. This blog will explain how you can start to negotiate the maternity system when you are faced with difficult decisions, so you can make the right choices for you and...
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Should I have my baby at home?
Read more →The midwives at My Expert Midwife have had a lot of experience caring for women who birth at home, as well as women who birth in hospital. The current research supports homebirth as a safe choice for both you and your baby, if you remain free from any other complications during your pregnancy. If you do have other complications this does not mean you cannot have a homebirth, but it may be that you would be advised to birth in hospital. Discuss any additional risk factors you may have with your midwife or doctor, but the decision on where you birth is ultimately your choice. Why does labour work better at home? Giving birth at...
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What will happen when I have my planned Caesarean Section?
Read more →There are many reasons why you may choose or be recommended that your baby is born via caesarean section, some of which are for medical reasons, personal preference or occasionally for psychological factors. If you decide that a planned or elective caesarean section is the best way for you to give birth, you will have an appointment with your obstetrician (doctor), where the advantages and disadvantages of having a caesarean section will be discussed. Once you have made an informed choice surrounding this discussion, your surgery will be booked, and a date given to you. If everything is normal with...
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Valentines day when you’re pregnant
Read more →Valentine’s day celebrates love, romance and is a day for pampering and appreciating each other. It is the perfect opportunity to take time out for you and your partner to indulge in some self-care and to celebrate the new person that is growing inside you. Feeling loved and cared for helps to create oxytocin, often called “the hormone of love”, and who doesn’t want a bit of that?! Think you are too busy, stressed or it will cost too much? Here are some things you could plan to do together which suit different lifestyles and budgets when you are pregnant...
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24-28 Weeks Pregnant - What to Expect in the Third Trimester
Read more →At 28 weeks you have reached the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and depending on how you are feeling, you may think that the weeks are flying by, or they may seem endless. You might be planning to have a baby shower in the next few weeks, or even a gender reveal party! If these types of parties are not for you, don’t worry, there are plenty of other preparations to keep you busy and excited for your baby’s impending arrival: 24 weeks of pregnancy - Your baby is 29cms long and the size of a large aubergine. Your baby...
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What is delayed cord clamping?
Read more →For many decades, in a variety of birth settings, immediate umbilical cord clamping straight after the baby was born became part of normal birth practice- particularly in hospital settings. Although, it is interesting to see that in the past thought was given to leaving the umbilical cord intact, as it was believed to be beneficial to the baby. In 1801, Charles Darwin’s grandfather, who was a doctor, said: “Very injurious to the child is the tying of the navel string too soon. It should be left till all pulsation in the cord ceases. Otherwise the child is much weaker than...
