The Wise Hippo Sussex Hypnobirthing

31/10/2022

For those thinking about birthing at Crowborough.

18/10/2022

These are the most recent UHS visiting and birth support guidance for those choosing to birth there.

🌟 Maternity Visiting/birth support update: week of 17th October 2022

📎 No changes this week

🟡 Visiting/birth supporter policy

✅ Your ONE chosen Birth supporter on the antenatal and postnatal wards: 10am - 8pm

✅ Your 2nd chosen visitor/birth supporter: 2pm - 8pm (one person every 24 hours) in antenatal and postnatal wards.

✅ Your baby’s siblings are welcome onto the hospital antenatal and postnatal wards to visit. They need to be fit and well. We do ask that children over 12 wear a mask if possible. Please speak with staff if you have questions about this.

✅ Labour ward/delivery suite: Your TWO chosen adult birth supporters to stay with you all through labour and birth and until you transfer to postnatal ward.

✅ Caesarean Birth: ONE chosen adult birth support person, if there are no complications (as was routine before covid-19)

✅ TWO adult birthing support persons in recovery (where you would go straight after an assisted vaginal birth or C-section birth or if needing any care in Theatre).

✅ Children are welcome to antenatal appointments with an Obstetrician (Doctor specialising in pregnancy) and your Community Midwife appointments.

❌ Please note children are not permitted to any scans (as was the case before Covid-19).

✅ One chosen support person welcome to scans, Midwife appointments, and Obstetric appointments.

➡️ DAU (Day assessment unit) appointments with a Midwife or outpatient appointments such as a GTT (Glucose tolerance test), Anti-D appointment or pre-op or other blood tests: please attend alone.

Please contact your local University Hospitals Sussex Maternity Voices to feedback your thoughts about these changes and any other suggestions to improve your maternity care experience.

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🟡 MASK WEARING

Please help our maternity staff continue to do their job safely by wearing a face mask when you attend any NHS or other healthcare setting.

If you are in labour or giving birth, you do not need to wear a mask.

If you have any questions or feedback about this guidance please speak to your Midwife or your local MVP

🌟 Lateral Flow tests

🔹Everyone in the later stages of pregnancy is recommended to do lateral flow tests at home in the three days before admission to hospital. You will be able to access these for free via Gov UK website.

🔹Your birth supporters do not need to show staff evidence of a negative lateral flow test, but we do ask that they are well and symptom free if they attend appointments or hospital with you.

🔹Covid-19 self-testing is obviously easier to arrange if you have a planned induction of labour, or a planned Caesarean section birth.

🔹If you are expecting a spontaneous labour this will be at your own discretion.

🔹When an inpatient in our hospitals, you will be offered lateral flow tests and this can be discussed with staff caring for you.

🟡 We will update our social media platforms and website weekly with the current covid related guidance, or earlier if changes are made.

🙏🏼Thank you

UHSussex Maternity Services

17/10/2022

Some wonderful photos ..

17/10/2022

In session 3 of my 5 week course we talk about the birthing stage of meeting your baby and the physiological changes that help to welcome your baby in your arms . I have often seen this rhombus of Michaelis when I am supporting a woman in my role as a NHS midwife. I always talk about it and ways your birth partner can support you throughout your birth.
Sara Wickham is also a brilliant person and I always signpost families her informative research and publications.

"The rhombus of Michaelis (sometimes called the quadrilateral of Michaelis) is a kite-shaped area that includes the three lower lumber vertebrae, the sacrum and that long ligament which reaches down from the base of the scull to the sacrum.

This wedge-shaped area of bone moves backwards during the second stage of labour and as it moves back it pushes the wings of the ilea out, increasing the diameters of the pelvis.

We know it’s happening when the woman’s hands reach upwards (to find something to hold onto, her head goes back and her back arches.” (Wickham and Sutton 2002).

It's now twenty years since Jean Sutton and I first wrote about the rhombus of Michaelis in 2002.

We weren’t the first to notice it. Midwives from around the world had been aware of it and discussing it for many years. Some talked about “the opening of the back,” while others described the shape, and discussed it in the same sentence as they talked about purple lines and cold feet.

That is, the embodied wisdom of birth.

Since we wrote about it, many thousands of midwives and birth workers have learned about this physiological feature of birth from our article and the conversations that it has sparked.

The original article has been available on my website for several years and I have recently updated it. Yes, it’s one of those named by and for a man, and that’s not OK. But if we change the article title then people won’t be able to find it.

I’m re-sharing the link to the article today in the hope of sharing the information more widely.

You can read it at https://www.sarawickham.com/articles-2/the-rhombus-of-michaelis/

I hope you’ll find it useful.

Yes, please feel free to share and repost this social media post, with the pic, words and credit intact.

16/10/2022

Sally at Echo baby photography is getting in the festive spirit.. what a gorgeous back drop and a fabulous gift for family and friends 💕🎄

15/10/2022

As a practising midwife of twenty years and a HypnoBirthing practitioner I often hear families feeling anxious about the cord. These word in this post is what I would say to families to help alleviate fear. The cord as is the placenta amazing and helps nurture the baby. My programme and support is based on evidence, experienced and incredible tools and techniques to alleviate fear so you can navigate your pregnancy, birth journey with confidence.

✨True Knot✨
Did you know true knots occur in about 1-2% of pregnancies?
These knots usually form during early pregnancy when the baby flips around more, but can still form at anytime throughout pregnancy.
In most cases these knots are harmless. The Wharton's jelly provides enough protection around the vessels so they don't become pinched or crushed. This allows the baby to stay well oxygenated and maintain good circulation.
Though it's not impossible, it is rare that the knot will actually become tight enough to cause concern.
📷: Sister Birth :: Support & Story

15/10/2022

Swimming or just being in the water is one way to make my oxytocin to flow. Why don’t you give this a go ?

14/10/2022

This week is baby loss, awareness week. I am sending my love and thoughts to those that have experienced a loss. This week may be a trigger and bring up all different emotions, as you grieve the loss whether its days or years on. if you would like any support, my door is always open and there are also so great charities and support groups there for you... The Lullaby Trust, Saying Goodbye, Oscar's Wish, Winston's Wish and Tommy's . Thinking of you all Warmest wishes and Love Joanna xx

10/10/2022

My next available course starts 1st February 2023. The five week programme provides you and your birth partner with 14 hours teaching , 10 MP3’s, handbook, ongoing support, regular social gatherings. birth

10/10/2022

Today is World Mental Health Day. I am passionate about supporting families to improve their mental health. My work as a hypnotherapist helps me to support all my wise The Wise Hippo Sussex Hypnobirthing families, along with all the invaluable tools and techniques that families use for life. If you are pregnant and want to know more please do just call me and we can have a chat on how my expertise and programme can help you in your pregnancy, birth journey and throughout your life. Warmest Wishes Joanna

09/10/2022

Louise and Sarah are both lovely midwifery colleagues. I can highly recommend Sootheababy & sootheamuma massage therapies 💕

💕 We have a brand new loyalty discount scheme! 💕
🌟 Our clients can now earn loyalty points when booking and paying for treatments on our website. 300 points earns a 10% discount code to use on any of our products or services.
🌟You can earn points by:
🌟 Purchasing a product i.e., a gift voucher or baby massage course to earn 1 point for every £1 spent
🌟 Booking a therapy to earn 50 points
🌟 Joining our website to earn 10 points
You need to be a member to redeem your points. Not a member yet? Just visit the rewards page at www.Sootheababy.co.uk to sign up & view your points 😃💕