bits, boobs, babies and more...
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What is my pelvic floor?
Read more →3 minute read: Your pelvic floor is the collection of muscles and tissue which go from your tail bone at the back to your pubic bone at the front of your body. Both men and women have a pelvic floor and they essentially support all your abdominal organs and prevent them falling out of your body. You can imagine them as a sling of muscles just below your uterus and connected to your bum and vagina. Their importance usually becomes greater as we become older and more aware of the need we have for our pelvic floors, as they help us to control when we urinate and have bowel movements. Problems caused by a weak pelvic floor Stress incontinence is when a small amount of urine comes...
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Bleeding in pregnancy- what could be the cause?
Read more →Bleeding during pregnancy can be quite alarming and frightening for women as it can indicate that your pregnancy could be having problems. This blog explains the possible causes of bleeding in early pregnancy through to labour, to help give you a better understanding of what is normal and when to contact your midwife or maternity assessment centre. The 1st trimester- before 12 weeks Bleeding before 12 weeks of pregnancy can be quite common. Your baby is still an embryo and is developing and changing at a rapid rate, as well as your placenta starting to embed and grow into the blood...
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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...
