Midwife Care

26/09/2024

Unbelievably, it is 30 years since I qualified as a midwife this month!
What an enjoyable career it has been, & continues to be!
Lots of experience as a midwife, & still very passionate & dedicated to supporting women/couples through the unique time of their lives - pregnancy, birth & postnatal/new parenting.

On a personal note too, its 30 years anniversary since I married my wonderful husband, and what a blessing that has been too. ❤️One of his many attributes (🙂) is that he has supported me in my career as a midwife, & especially so with the last 15 years of self employment as an Independent Midwife. Many random working hours that the spontaneity of midwifery & self employment demands, alongside us parenting our 3 children. Incredulous journey!

19/07/2024

Excellent advice for managing hot weather!

With the dramatic improvement in the weather for the next couple of days, we're sharing some information from on keeping your breastfed and formula-fed babies hydrated!

Breastfed babies under 6 months old don't need extra water. Your breastmilk water content changes with your baby's needs.

Formula-fed babies under 6 months may be given small sips of water between milk feeds. Tap water (even filtered) must be boiled and cooled first. Bottled water may be inappropriate due to high sodium levels.

From 6 months water can be given to breastfed and bottle-fed babies, and tap water no longer needs to be boiled.

The number of wet nappies is a good indication of how hydrated your baby is. Around 6 in 24 hours is good 💜

You can find more information here:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59f75004f09ca48694070f3b/t/66840be75685f059721c3e0f/1719929831856/FAQ+-+Water+during+infancy_10Jun2024v2.pdf

Also, please don't forget to keep yourselves safe and hydrated in the sunshine too! 😎🫗☀️

[ID: Should I Give Water To My Baby? guidance and recommendations. Breastfed babies 0-6 months. No extra water is needed for exclusively breastfed babies until solids are introduced. During hot weather breastfeed often to quench your baby's thirst.
Formula fed babies 0-6 months. May need amounts of extra water during hot weather. Tap water is not sterile. It needs to be boiled and cooled first. Bottles water may be inappropriate due to high sodium and sulphate levels. filtered water can be given to babies under 6 months, but still needs to be boiled and cooled.
How much? There is no specific guidance on how much extra water to give babies 0-6 months when it's hot. If needed, give small sips in between milk feeds. Generally, a well hydrated baby produces about 6 wet nappies every 24 hours.
What about babies 6-12 months?
Water can be given from an open cup or beaker as mealtimes from 6 months, and tap water no longer needs to be boiled. young children aged 1-5 years do not need any drinks other than milk and water.
For more information visit: firststepsnurtition.org]

19/03/2024

This is an excellent synopsis!

"In the realm of infant nutrition, breast milk stands as an unparalleled composition. Its unique blend of antibodies, enzymes, and specialized nutrients is a testament to the intricate design of nature. This complex fluid, exclusive to each mother-infant pair, showcases the precision of biological craftsmanship. Celebrating the irreplicable nature of breast milk – a tailored symphony of elements crucial for optimal development. 🌿 'sDesign

01/03/2022

It’s hard to imagine what it must feel like for women in Ukraine who are approaching term of pregnancy within the current war torn setting….the uncertainties must be immensely challenging to manage.
Pregnancy, birth and new motherhood are often loaded with mixed emotions - of both happiness & hope but also of unknown uncertain possibilities….
It is incomprehensible to my mind as a woman and a mother myself, as well as my in role as a midwife, to imagine the stress of war and its impact on pregnant women and their husbands & families, and the displacement that this brings to their lives.
Here’s hoping they are blessed with courage and strength and the kindest of people around them to support.

24/12/2021

Wishing all clients past and present a Happy Christmas!

14/04/2021

"Helen supported us with ante and post natal care, and the investment was worth every penny! Helen provided guidance throughout, and we looked forward to every appointment with her. She was a constantly reassuring presence and gave us excellent, no nonsense advice every step of the way.
We’d recommend her to absolutely anyone thinking about working with an independent midwife, and were actually a bit sad when we had our final appointment with her!"

14/04/2021

"Helen really made a difference for our family. She looked after us with dedication, the information she provided was clear and to the point, and she was extremely reassuring. She gave us complete peace of mind, which was key with both our families abroad and the coronavirus impacting the care NHS provided. I would recommend her without a doubt."

14/04/2021

Not posted so frequently on FB recently - I have been busy with Midwifery.
COVID has interrupted and changed many areas of everyone's lives.
For me as a midwife providing support to my clients - through pregnancy, to birth and postnatal support - has continued on throughout this pandemic. It has involved "thinking outside of the box" and adaptation to my midwifery practice to facilitate in person support safely, which has meant lots of PPE wearing - some days this midwife has simply got on with the necessity of PPE - other days I have to admit that I have found the hassle of the PPE so irritating!

Love it or loathe it, the PPE has kept clients safe and myself too as their midwife, for which I have felt very thankful and blessed.

Couple of new client testimonials!

15/12/2020

This is very welcome news!

28/10/2020

New motherhood is exhausting. Needing support is normal, and here's how family and friends can help.

10/09/2020

New guidance out from NHS on reintroducing access for partners, visitors and other supporters of pregnant women in English maternity services, has been published today.

Whilst practical guidance is to be welcomed as a step forward, the guidance appears to have missed the opportunity to emphasise the need for safety to be viewed in a holistic way. We are disappointed that no reference is made to the evidence base in research that shows the benefits of women being accompanied by partners of their choice, nor does it spell out the need to avoid ongoing harm to women, pregnant trans-people and their families by relaxing current restrictions if at all possible.

And after months of calling for transparency over how decisions are made, the guidance simply urges Trusts to "consider" sharing the basis for their decisions.

We are heartened however that more and more individual Trusts are looking hard at how they can relax restrictions, and hope that this guidance will enable others to follow their lead.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/09/par001599-framework-for-the-reintroduction-of-visitors-throughout-maternity-services-sep-2020.pdf

03/08/2020

Human breast milk truly is astounding....its difficult to read this poster as there is so much detail on it but it explains all the fascinating and intricate detail of breast milk and how it benefits your newborn baby.

Human milk is astounding. Women's bodies are astounding. We're working towards a world in which every baby has access to human milk.

A world in which women receive the practical and emotional support they need to define and successfully reach their own breastfeeding goals.

Where human donor milk is easily accessible to every family who needs it as an alternative.

Where breastfeeding is invested in and supported by governments at policy level.

Where breastfeeding support services are adequately funded and available regardless of where a mother lives or her income.

Where the global infant and maternal mortality rate linked to infant feeding is dramatically reduced.

Where infant feeding reduces its carbon footprint.

Happy