Birth & Baby Network
For parents across Tyneside

Tag Archives: Birth & Baby Basics

Do I need a birthplan?

June 13, 2012

Do I need a birthplan?

A birthplan can’t be any good surely? A plan is too rigid and structured and you can’t plan a birth, it’s too unique, right? Yep, Right! Even the most straightforward of births don’t go to plan in our heads – it is too unique and our expectations and our emotions have a huge impact on our experience.

BUT

 I am a big fan of writing down your birth preferences, what you feel is important for you to work with your contractions and meet your baby. Chances are, you won’t know your midwife and she won’t know you, so your preferences are a quick way to communicate how you would like to try to work with your contractions.

Popular examples to include in a birthplan are:

  • wanting to stay active and mobile in order to listen to your body, to stay comfortable and in control
  • allowing labour to flow, giving your body and your baby time
  • your wish to make decisions as they are needed
  • your wish for clear communication, especially if you need extra support and intervention
  • a reminder of any medical needs
  • delivery of the placenta
  • having skin-to-skin with your baby
  • how you want to feed your baby

 Writing down your preferences for birth can provide you with the opportunity to think about how you are going to positively manage and work with your contractions.

 

Tips for your birthplan preferences:

  • Keep your list simple, short and friendly

  • Use them as a tool to encourage communication, which is valuable if you need to make decisions

  • Ask your midwife to help you with positions and with your breathing to stay calm. If you focus on your desire to use your breathing to stay calm, your midwife can support you with this throughout every labour scenario

  • They are not a guarantee of what will happen, your preferences are not set and you are free to change your mind if you want or need to but, by encouraging communication, positions and breathing to help you feel calm, in control, supported and reassured, you can use these throughout your labour, whether it is straightforward or you require extra support.

  • Discuss your birth preferences with your birth partner and with your midwife when you are in labour. Have spare copies handy for when you are in labour as you may want to focus on your contractions rather than talk.

Posted by in antenatal classes, birth, birth support, birth&babynetwork Tags: , , ,

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Out & about with your new baby

March 23, 2012

 Baby groups across Tyneside

Congratulations, your baby is here! You may have spent a couple of weeks finding your feet with your partner but when he goes back to work, what then? What can you do with your day, where can you head to with your  new baby?

The Birth & Baby Network brings together some fun, supportive, friendly and just fantastic baby groups in North Tyneside and Newcastle:

Janine from Birth & Baby Basics runs a free drop-in at Kiki’s Kabin soft play on Wednesday mornings for mums with babies and/or toddlers. It’s a great place to start – there are other mums, as well as Janine, available for support, information, reassurance and a bit of a giggle. The café serves great coffee and cake and Janine will quite happily have a baby snuggle!

Janine started this drop-in 18 months ago to provide an informal and supportive place for new parents to go. It is also great for second time mums who have a new baby and toddler to entertain.

Mums need other mums and this drop-in is just perfect for that!

 

 

Why not introduce your baby to water with some beautiful , calm and fun swimming classes?
Babies can enjoy freedom of movement, relaxation and bonding while they learn greater confidence in the water.

Puddle Ducks sessions take place in hydrotherapy pools across Tyneside, so it’s nice and warm for mums and babies.

For more information or for a free trial class, please contact us on 07570834578 or email: newcastle@puddleducks.com 

 

These are drop in sessions, so there’s no no booking or commitment. Experienced Early Years Music leaders run the sessions and you can join in as much as you like – there’s no pressure,  you just need enjoy being with your baby!

Piccolo Music provides friendly, fun, music and song sessions for babies and young children, starting from birth upwards.

For more information: www.piccolomusic.co.uk and anna@piccolomusic.co.uk

 

After your six week check with your GP, and when you feel ready to exercise again, the Pushy Mothers Buggy Workout is perfect for you – you can enjoy an effective and safe one-hour exercise class with no childcare concerns because you bring your baby in your buggy! And you get to meet other local mums too.

The sessions are run by Debbie, an experienced pregnancy and postnatal fitness instructor, who has been teaching Pushy Mothers classes for over 4 years helping hundreds of mums get back into shape.

                                                                                                                  

Everything a baby experiences has an influence on their development, that’s why learning for babies is so important.

Baby Sensory sessions offer a complete approach to learning and development from Birth-13months. It’s a wonderful way to spend time with your baby. For more information you can contact Lisa at newcastlewest@babysensory.co.uk or on 07775188501.

 

Confident Mums & Baby Massage

What better than chocolate, chat, support, reassurance and spending time with your baby in a relaxed setting. Run by Janine, an experienced antenatal teacher and baby massage instructor, the sessions are run with small groups so they are informal, friendly and supportive.

For more information you can contact Janine on 0788 5774279 or janine@birthbasics.co.uk

 

Massage & Mayhem

And if you have a toddler as well as a new baby, you can now enjoy Massage & Mayhem sessions in Newcastle and in North Shields -  spend time with your baby, while your toddler plays!

For more information you can contact Janine on 0788 5774279 or janine@birthbasics.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by in baby groups, breastfeeding, new mums Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Information Sheets

February 10, 2012

If you are pregnant or have a new baby, here are some
free information sheets that may be of use:

RECOMMENDED READING

SUPPORT AND INFORMATION

BIRTH SUPPORT

COPING STRATEGIES

POSITIONS IN LABOUR

HOW TO HELP YOUR BABY GET INTO A GOOD POSITION FOR BIRTH

INDUCTION

OXYTOCIN DRIP TO SPEED UP LABOUR

MONITORING YOUR BABY

PELVIC FLOOR LEAFLET

POSTNATAL DEPRESSION

SHARING A BED WITH YOUR BABY

REDUCE THE RISK OF COT DEATH

Posted by in antenatal classes, Baby, baby groups, birth, birth support, birth&babynetwork, pregnancy, sleep, slings Tags: , , ,

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Looking after yourself in pregnancy…

January 30, 2012

 You may feel absolutely fantastic throughout your pregnancy or you may feel a tad pants, especially in those early weeks. And, while I believe that you are not ill just pregnant, you are still growing another human being and that is pretty awesome so you do need to look after yourself and reward yourself with some pampering, me time and little extra attention.

Eat well

Sometimes this is easier said than done, especially in the first trimester when you may feel sick but a balance of healthy snacks and freshly prepared meals will keep you going. It can be tempting to fall into the biscuit barrel, but try the fruit bowl instead. And if you can’t face a huge meal, beans on toast will do the job, as will porridge or a bowl of cereal, and they are so much better for you and baby than a bag of crisps with a chocolate chaser.

Sleep and rest

Pregnancy can be a time of complete and utter exhaustion in the early weeks and then again towards the end of pregnancy as we carry the extra weight of baby and amniotic fluid. Chances are you are also at work and/or looking after a toddler, so the opportunity for rest is not great but it can be beneficial to make the most of some early nights and the chance to get some rest at the weekends.

Take it easy as your body changes

Listen to your body and try not to overdo it. As your bump grows and your body changes, you may find that you are unable to be as active as you were. This doesn’t mean that you can’t still be active –  you may just need to slow your pace a little or switch to classes with a pregnancy fitness specialist such as pilates
http://birthandbabynetwork.com/pilates/

or pregnancy aerobics
http://birthandbabynetwork.com/fitness/

Treat yourself to a massage

It is relaxing, wonderfully indulgent and very beneficial!
http://birthandbabynetwork.com/reflexology-massage/

Aches and pains

If you have back ache, hip pain or discomfort in your pubic bone – get yourself along to a chiropractor to be realigned and the feed back from pregnant women is fantastic.
http://birthandbabynetwork.com/chiropractor

 

Make some time to relax

Even a few minutes a day is completely achievable. Enjoy a soak in the bath, enjoy that few minutes of peace in bed before you drift off to sleep, go to weekly Relaxation sessions, where it’s just you and bump chilling together  
http://birthandbabynetwork.com/antenatal-classes/

And looking  after yourself also means getting in touch with your GP or midwife if you don’t feel well,  don’t feel ‘right’ or just need some extra reassurance about your changing body.

Posted by in antenatal classes, Baby, birth, pregnancy, pregnancy fitness, pregnancy massage, sleep Tags: , , , , , , ,

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Beautiful Bump

January 26, 2012

This website is all about pregnancy and being a parent, which means beautiful bumps and gorgeous babies – if you would like to share yours, you can send pictures to janine@birthbasics.co.uk

Thank you
Jx

Posted by in birth&babynetwork Tags: , , , ,

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