Birth & Baby Network

For parents on Tyneside

May 1

7 tips for a happy and healthy pregnancy

by Janine Rudin

1.     Eat well 
I know too well how this is not always easy because when we feel sick, tired and, generally, a bit rough it’s easy to eat junk and fall into the biscuit barrel. And some days we can feel like we are never full!  Try to eat a decent meal a day, with a splattering of fruit throughout the day to balance out the chocolate! Remember to drink water too –  being dehydrated can make you feel tired and give you headaches.

2.     Rest and sleep 
Getting through a day at work or with your toddler means you have to keep going but, when it comes to the evening, if you are shattered try not to fight it – go to bed! You are making another human being and the tiredness can feel like you have been drugged so you need to rest.

3.     Exercise
You might feel that you want to wait until you are out of the haze of the first trimester, when you have a little more energy but even just going for a walk is going to help you feel re-energised and healthy.

If you fancy a class to meet other expectant mums and improve your fitness, The Birth & Baby Network has Aerobics, Pilates, Aqua Aerobics and Yoga instructors, who provide courses specifically for pregnant women.

4.     Relax  
Relaxation is not indulgent it’s essential, especially in pregnancy. Being able to totally relax means you de-stress and ease tension, which is good for you and your baby.

Book yourself in for Relax & Breathe, pregnancy massage or reflexology sessions to help you relax and de-stress.

5.     Aches & pains
As your baby grows and your body changes, you can develop aches in your back, neck and/or pelvis. It’s worth contacting a Chiropractor for an assessment, to see if you could benefit from a treatment.

6.     Prepare for birth
At some point during pregnancy, most parents decide they need more support to help them prepare for the birth of their baby. Antenatal classes are a great way to gain information and ask all the questions you need to feel more informed and reassured.

7.     Talk
If this isn’t your first baby or you are feeling very anxious about the birth of your baby, it can be worth talking it through with someone. This can help you get to the root of your anxiety and provide you with opportunity of easing any stress you may feel in pregnancy. Ask to speak to you midwife or you can contact Birth & Baby Basics for support.

 

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Feb 13

Stay fit and strong in pregnancy

by Janine Rudin

Exercise and being healthy in pregnancy can be so important to us, both physically and emotionally. Expectant mum Laura changed her lifestyle as soon  as she became pregnant:

Being pregnant has changed every aspect on my life and who I feel I now am as a person, and given me a respect for my body and a new found love for what it can really do.

Before I became pregnant I will admit that I didn’t do any exercise at all, probably drank too much wine, gin and fizz and I was a smoker, however I ate healthily and watched my weight.

When we found out we were going to have a baby I knew that my main priority was to get healthy and prepare my body for the biggest journey it will ever take; childbirth. I quit smoking immediately and started to exercise which I have found has really helped me come to terms not only with a changing shape but the emotions attached with nine months of preparation before our child arrives.

I now really look forward to going swimming and practising yoga and I feel so much fitter. I never really had the energy or motivation to exercise before but I feel so much stronger and I’m not as daunted by labour as I feel a sense of being physically and mentally prepared for the journey ahead.

My growing baby has made me appreciate my body and I have found a new appreciation and amazement for the female form. I’m proud to show off my bump and for the first time ever love the fact my belly is getting bigger!

I hope to continue with exercise after my baby arrives - I’d like to set an example and for us to be a healthy family and teach our daughter a positive body image through keeping fit rather than dieting.

 

To help you feel fit and strong in pregnancy you can try:

Pilates

Aquanatal 

Pregnancy aerobics

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Feb 6

6 ways to prepare for birth

by Janine Rudin

1. Get your head ready

So you can feel calmer, better prepared and able to believe in your ability to birth your baby

 

2. Antenatal Classes

Book on to some good antenatal classes, where your partner can also gain information and find out more about support in labour.  Antenatal classes should just be about gaining information - good classes promote discussion, enable parents to ask questions, and they provide breathing skills and positions to aid rest and comfort in labour.

 

3. Read some good books

  • The Encyclopaedia of Pregnancy & Birth by Janet Balaskas and Yehudi Gordon
  • Homebirth by Nicky Wesson
  • Expecting by Daphne Metland & Anna McGrail
  • Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
  • Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin
  • Birth Your Way by Sheila Kitzinger
  • Pregnancy and Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger

 

4. Decide where you are having your baby:

At home
RVI
Wansbeck
North Tyneside Midwifery-led unit
QE

 

5. Maternity ward tour

If you are booking into hospital, it can be useful to visit your maternity unit. This visit can help you familiarize yourself with the unit, ask questions and to find out practical information such as parking and what happens when you go into the unit in labour.

 

6. Relax

A great way to prepare for labour and birth is to learn how to relax and let go of tension, so your body can do what it needs to do in labour. Focusing on relaxing your body helps you get to know how your body feels when it is tense and how it feels when you slow your breathing down and let go of any tension, stress or anxiety.

 

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Jan 16

Reassurance and support in pregnancy

by Janine Rudin

Pregnancy can be a magical time of excitement, fulfillment and change but, for many women, it can also be a time of vulnerability and a million questions.

Reassurance and support can come from your community midwife but, due to demands on their skills, time with them can be short and you can often remember the questions you wanted to ask as you walk out the door!

What do pregnant women need reassurance about? Day to day it is often about being healthy and safe and preparing for labour.

So where can you go for this reassurance and support? There are obviously a huge selection of websites and books to choose from and, for some, this will be all they need but many women still want to talk to a person to gain a clearer picture rather than making their way through different advice and information.

  • Your midwife – if you need more of her time, ask for it! Chances are she will be busy but if you request more of her time, she will give it to you.
  • Find yourself a pregnancy fitness specialist – pilates teacher and / or fitness instructors
  • Use a chiropractor with experience of pregnancy to help new aches and niggles
  • Treat yourself a massage with an experienced pregnancy practitioner – relax and let any stress fade away
  • Book some good antenatal classes – ideally small groups where you get to talk and to ask all the questions you need to gain information and reassurance
  • If you want to breastfeed your baby, it can be useful to find out more in pregnancy – your midwife will be able to tell you about the Breastfeeding Workshops at the local hospitals and Children’s Centres and it will be included in your antenatal classes. There is also La Leche League Tyne & Wear (http://www.llltyneandwear.edgoose.co.uk/) for more information and support.
  • Take a wander around the Birth & Baby Network and you’ll find everything from antenatal classes and a chiropractor to pilates, aquanatal and massage. And if we don’t have what you need, just ask us.

There is nothing wrong with seeking out this extra support as your body, as well as your life, starts to experience significant change. Physical and emotional wellbeing are important in pregnancy, so look after yourself and put you and the bump first!

(image by Donald Greenhalgh)

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Sep 12

Pregnancy

by Janine Rudin

Antenatal classes

There are huge amounts of magazines, books and websites available with information about childbirth, so why bother with antenatal classes?

 Good antenatal classes will give you:

  •  An opportunity to provide you with reassurance, support and information to help you prepare for the birth of your baby
  •  The time to express any fears and to help to ease them.  In our society birth is often feared and worried about and by acknowledging your fears, you can prepare for labour and birth positively.
  •  Information and skills to work with your contractions. Using positions and breathing skills can help be relaxed and comfortable in pregnancy, as well as calm and in control during labour.
  •  A place where dads can feel included and valued. As a birth partner dads have an important role to play – dads need an opportunity to ask questions and to gain information and reassurance too
  •  The opportunity to meet other expectant parents
  •  Ongoing support – for information after the course has finished or some extra support in those early days as a parent

 Janine Rudin from Birth Basics says: “Good antenatal classes are definitely worth the investment. If you can gain more reassurance and information, while also meeting other expecting parents, it all contributes to a positive pregnancy.”

For more information about choosing the right antenatal classes for you, contact Janine at: janine@birthbasics.co.uk

Pregnancy Massage

If ever there was a time to pamper yourself, then pregnancy is it – after all you are growing another human being!

Booking yourself in for a massage is not an indulgence, it can make a huge difference to how you feel.

You get to relax and say goodbye to stress, and so does your baby. Some uninterrupted time to chill and just be with your baby bump can’t be under-estimated – it’s a great way to bond, while also helping to ease your aches and pains and boosting your mood.

Julia McCarthy from Sanctuary House provides pregnancy massage and recommends that pregnant women use a therapist who is trained and experienced at providing pregnancy massage, “you need the peace of mind that the practitioner is safe, using appropriate massage oils.”

Keeping fit in pregnancy

Pregnancy isn’t an excuse to turn into a sloth and veg out on the sofa for nine months. Yes you may feel tired and have developed a few aches but exercise really could help to banish those, while keeping you feeling fitter and happier too.

You may fancy a class – like pilates, aerobics and aquafit – or you could just get out for more walks. Exercising in pregnancy is safe if you listen to your body and don’t over do it so take it gently as your body grows and changes and get advice from your midwife if you are unsure.

Pilates instructor Claire writes:
Exercise in pregnancy can boost your energy levels as well as your mood. It can also help you to maintain a healthy pregnancy weight so you may get back to your pre-pregnancy weight quicker.

By keeping your body moving and stretching, you can help to relieve some of those pregnancy related aches and pains and exercise also helps to keep you strong and fit for labour and the birth of your baby.

And, of course, group classes also give you the chance to meet other expectant mum’s and make new friends.

Exercise Tips by Debbie Donaldson from Pushy Mothers
If you are pregnant, you may be wondering if it safe to exercise in pregnancy. The simple answer is yes, although I would recommend that you get your midwife to agree it is ok for you to exercise.

It may be important to modify your exercise, and attend classes specifically for pregnant women, where the teacher has specialist knowledge and an interest in pregnant women.

Exercising in pregnancy can improve posture, relieve stiffness and, most importantly, increase energy levels. Combined with sensible eating, exercise in pregnancy also helps to control weight gain.

Chances are, your body will recover from pregnancy and birth quicker if you exercise during pregnancy. Your abdominal and pelvic floor muscles should regain strength sooner and you will find it easier to return to your pre-pregnancy shape if your muscles are toned and stretched.

So feel free to get moving, feel confident about your changing body and enjoy your pregnancy.
For further exercise in pregnancy information contact debbie@pushymothers.com

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