Birth Prep With Joy

05/01/2026

https://www.nestle.co.uk/en-gb/media/sma-infant-formula-follow-on-formula-recall if you are using this brand of formula or have friends and family with babies, please share.

The safety and wellbeing of babies is our absolute priority. As a precautionary measure, Nestlé is voluntarily recalling specific batches of its SMA infant formula and follow-on formula.

04/01/2026

⭐️ A lot of people assume this without ever questioning it... that when a doctor or midwife recommends something, it’s the right answer for them personally.

In reality, recommendations are shaped by clinical guidelines, population-level evidence, and professional experience, including past cases that have stayed with a clinician.

I saw this first-hand myself, outside of maternity care. A doctor recommended removing a mole “just in case”, explaining that a previous patient on the same immunosuppressant medication had been reassured and later diagnosed with cancer. That experience understandably influenced his caution.

My mole was not cancerous. But the learning stayed with me.

The recommendation wasn’t wrong, but it also wasn’t neutral - though he was very open in telling me the story and letting me make my own choice.

In pregnancy and birth, understanding how decisions are made and knowing you can be part of them - is an important part of preparation.

This is something we spend time on in my antenatal courses, alongside birth preparation, early parenthood and newborn care.

⭐️ My next course starts 7th January in Linlithgow, with a few spaces still available.⭐️

02/01/2026

After many years of supporting parents, this is what I know helps most.

Yes, understanding labour, birth and the early days matters, but what makes the biggest difference is feeling supported, reassured, and helped to make sense of what’s happening - emotionally as well as physically.

My antenatal courses prepare you not just for birth, but for early parenthood too - including newborn care and postnatal wellbeing.

So many people arrive feeling they should feel more confident by now. Often, what they actually need is space, reassurance, and calm, down-to-earth preparation. Meeting other expectant parents who are also feel the same is also incredibly bonding.

That’s the heart of my antenatal work.

My January in-person antenatal course takes place in Linlithgow.
To find out more: www.birthprepwithjoy.com/birthandbaby

01/01/2026

As the new year begins, a gentle reminder:

You don’t need fixing.
You don’t need a new version of yourself.
You don’t need big goals, fresh energy, or answers right now.

If you’re pregnant, newly postpartum, feeding a baby, recovering, navigating anxiety, loss, or simply feeling tired, starting the year gently is enough.

This year:
Small steps count.
Rest counts.
Support counts.
Self-care counts.

Wishing you a calm, kind start to the year.
Joy x

31/12/2025

As this year comes to a close, I want to gently acknowledge all the different stories it has held.

Those who became parents.
Those who welcomed a baby after a long wait.
Those who are still finding their feet.

Also those for whom this year brought tenderness, uncertainty, or quiet heartache - experiences that don’t always have words, but still matter.

Birth, parenthood, longing, and change can shape a year in ways that are deeply personal. If this year held joy, exhaustion, sadness, healing, or a complicated mix of it all, you’re allowed to reflect tonight exactly as you are.

🎆 Wishing you a calm, kind and happy Hogmanay. 🎆

27/12/2025

The emotional dip after Christmas is very real. After weeks of build-up, stimulation and social expectation, it’s common to feel flat, teary, irritable or simply worn out, especially if you’re pregnant, newly postpartum, feeding a baby, running on little sleep or having dealt with lots of family and an excitable toddler.

This isn’t a sign that something’s wrong.
It’s a sign your nervous system needs rest.

If it helps, try this gentle grounding pause today:
Place both feet on the floor.
Let your shoulders drop.
Take a slow breath in through your nose and a longer breath out through your mouth.
Notice three things you can see, two things you can feel, and one thing you can hear.

Nothing needs fixing.
These days can be slow, quiet and gentle.

Be kind to yourself .... from someone who has experienced that dip many times - this is a normal part of the season.

25/12/2025

🎄 Sending Christmas wishes to you today.

Whether this day feels joyful, quiet, emotional, tiring or a mix of everything, I hope that you are able to enjoy it.

Christmas can look very different during pregnancy, early parenthood, recovery, or when life hasn’t unfolded as expected. There’s no right way to do today.

🎄Be kind to yourself.
🎄Rest where you can.
🎄Take the pressure off.

Thank you for being here, for trusting me with your questions, and for being part of this space. ###x

24/12/2025

As Christmas approaches, the pressure to fit everything (and everyone) is real.

Christmas Day and the days after can feel surprisingly full - visits, expectations, messages, and the pressure to “make the most of it.”

If you’re pregnant, newly postpartum, feeding a baby, or simply feeling depleted, it’s okay to put gentle boundaries in place.

Boundaries help protect:
💚 recovery
💚 rest
💚 feeding
💚 emotional wellbeing

They don’t need to be dramatic or confrontational. Often, simple, clear language is enough.

Things like:
“We’re keeping things quiet just now.”
“We’ll let you know when we’re ready to have people over / come and visit”
“We’re focusing on rest and baby care this week.”
"We're adjusting to new parenthood and are taking the time to be together and bond as a family."

You don’t need to justify your needs.
It's ok for Christmas this year to be slower and more manageable.

Be kind to yourself - you’re allowed to choose what feels right.

22/12/2025

Alcohol and breastfeeding is something many parents worry about especially at Christmas / over the holidays, and there’s a lot of unnecessary fear and misinformation around it.

Here’s what the evidence tells us:

• alcohol passes freely into breastmilk and mirrors your blood alcohol level
• as your blood alcohol level drops, so does the level in your milk
• you do not need to express milk to remove alcohol
• occasional, small amounts of alcohol are different from regular or heavy drinking

If you want to limit your baby’s exposure, you can feed before drinking and wait around 2–3 hours after a drink before feeding again.

The biggest safety issue is not alcohol in milk - it’s sleep safety.
If you’ve had alcohol, it’s important not to bed-share or fall asleep with your baby on a sofa or chair. Follow the safer-sleep guidelines.

If you’ve drunk more than a small amount, it’s safest for another sober adult to care for your baby.

Christmas is about connection and hopefully having time to relax a bit. Having clear information helps parents make calm, confident choices.

If you’d like breastfeeding support over the holidays, the National Breastfeeding Helpline is available on 0300 100 0210 24hrs a day and the NCT Infant Feeding Line is open 8am-Midnight 0300 330 0700. Phone and speak with a breastfeeding counsellor with any questions or support you need.

19/12/2025

My January antenatal course is starting on 7th January in Linlithgow 🤍

It’s designed for expectant parents who want calm, clear, evidence-based preparation for birth, without overwhelm — and with space for both mum and birth partner to feel informed and supported.

We cover:
• how labour works
• comfort and coping strategies
• pain relief options
• informed decision-making
• emotional preparation for birth and early parenthood

There are still a few spaces available.

If you’d like to know whether the course is the right fit for you, you’re very welcome to message me, or you can find full details via the link in the comments.
😁😁

17/12/2025

📝 Many parents tell me they feel unsure about writing a birth plan because it sounds rigid - as if you’re expected to predict exactly how your labour will unfold.

That’s why I prefer the term birth preference list.

It’s flexible, responsive and focused on the things that genuinely help your midwives understand you, not just your labour outcome.

A good birth preference list isn’t about controlling birth.
It’s about:
• understanding your options
• knowing what matters to you
• communicating clearly with your care team
• preparing for decision points, not a perfect scenario

When midwives read your preferences, they’re looking for things like:
• how you like to communicate
• whether you prefer a calm/quiet environment
• how you’d like to move or position yourself
• pain relief options you’re open to
• whether you’d like continuous or intermittent monitoring
• newborn decisions (Vit K, immediate skin-to-skin, feeding intentions)

These things help them support your physiology, comfort, and emotional wellbeing, which can make a meaningful difference to how birth feels for you.

And one of the most useful parts?

Adding a short “if things change” section.
Not as a negative expectation, but to help you feel prepared for any scenario, including induction, assisted birth or caesarean.

💪 It’s not about expecting the unexpected, it’s about staying informed and supported, whatever path birth takes.

15/12/2025

💕 Newborn reflexes are some of the first signs of a baby’s developing brain and each one has a purpose.

From rooting and sucking to grasping and stepping, these reflexes support feeding, safety, bonding and early motor development. As your baby’s brain matures, the reflexes gradually fade and are replaced with more intentional, voluntary movements.

Understanding newborn reflexes helps parents feel more confident and reassured, especially in those early weeks where everything feels new.

If you’d like newborn education woven gently into your birth preparation, my January antenatal course in Linlithgow might be a lovely fit.

💕 check out: www.birthprepwithjoy.com/birthandbaby