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So firstly a HUGE thankyou to everyone who responded to the hypnobirthing survey, here’s a summary of the results: What is hypnobirthing all about? Who are you? Of 70 respondents, 8% are pregnant, and 85% have children. There was a huge range in responses- many people didn’t know about hypnobirthing, or what it is, but many people have heard of it and know it is a form of pain relief, by way of relaxing. Some

I was recently approached by a pregnancy and parenting magazine asking if I would like to advertise with them. I looked through their publication and was really pleased but then I came across an article on “breast is best” which listed all the benefits of breastmilk. Although well intentioned, this article has a really dated approach. Most mothers want to breastfeed, which is why initiation rates are really high. The dramatic drop off though means

What is it? The umbilical cord connects baby to it’s lifeline of the placenta. The cord contains one vein carrying oxygen and nutrient-rich blood from the placenta to the baby, and two arteries which carry carbon dioxide rich blood and waste away from baby to the placenta for purification. Once baby is born it is often routine practice to clamp and cut this cord before the placenta is delivered. Delayed or Optimal cord clamping is

This will be my 14th year I have been involved with maternity care and I am still very much a student. The more I learn the more I want to know! Plus the changes that happen and the new understandings of information keep me constantly reading and learning. Therefore I have put together a list of my top 5 books that I think are simply incredible classics and I would love everybody to read. I’d

As soon as someone announces a pregnancy it never seems long before someone wants to tell them a horror story about their own birth or that of their friend’s sister’s mother… But is this helpful? Well in a word, no! Women are surrounded by negativity of birth from a young age. From horror stories to TV programmes which normalise dramatic births. As a result, many women are anxious without even feeling a contraction. This leads

A big question I am frequently asked about is Group B Strep (GBS), which many women find out about in pregnancy and the results can have a big implication on birth preferences. There is lots of risk analysis to weigh up with GBS so everybody’s decision will be individual to them. A great place to start is by getting informed. Some things to think about include: What is GBS and when is it tested? Who