Baby Bumps - Hypnobirthing South London

21/06/2022

And I was one of those people a 17 odd years ago. My experiences are what lead me to work in the birth world. They mean I'm passionate about informed decision making and ensuring women and their partners know what questions to ask and where to access good quality information and support

I hear from many women who really wish they had understood the consequences of having certain tests carried out.

One of those that has the most impact is GBS or Group B Strep testing.

These days, it is all too common for women to be handed a urine pot by a GP’s receptionist without being given appropriate information.

They aren't told that they are being offered a screening test.

No-one tells them that the outcome of the test that will be carried out might have a huge impact on the options and care that will be available to (and in some areas denied to) them and their baby.

They aren't told about the long-term consequences of antibiotics. Or that the result of their test may affect their options for years to come. Even in future pregnancies.

As I often say, this isn’t about telling women what they should or shouldn’t do.

None of us can decide what’s right for someone else.

Some women really want GBS testing.

But others don't. Or wouldn't if they were given the full facts.

It’s about ensuring that everybody has all the information before they decide whether or not to have a test.

Any test.

Loads more info about GBS on www.sarawickham.com/gbse

07/05/2022

A lovely share - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqcUOse-yUw

Considering a home birth but not sure what to expect, the logistics of it all and how it may be? From what the care is like down to the joys of being tucked ...

07/05/2022

A short video explaining how useful cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4BUaCgGTso

This is an 'in a nutshell' video touching upon what cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy is and how the skills and techniques can be used for labour and birth.

03/05/2022

Our services exist to support people going through experiences described in the graphic here.

Our recent research into parents and carers experiences during the pandemic and beyond has shown that many people felt lonely, isolated, and often scared.

NHS waiting lists and pressures they face within the system have unfortunately left many feeling like their concerns are not taken seriously enough.

It's so important that services like PANDAS exist to bridge the gap of service so many are experiencing. Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week is the perfect opportunity to highlight the experiences of so many.

If you click the our link below, you can donate to our week long campaign, which aims to raise as much as we can, to continue in our mission to ensure no parent, carer or their network feels alone ❤️

https://thinkdonate.com/c/PANDAS2

[ID - PANDAS logo with the text "I couldn’t leave the house. I spent all day in tears and felt like I couldn’t cope when my baby became upset. I wasn’t listened to in my telephone consultation with my GP and was just given a prescription with no further support or referrals offered."]

28/04/2022

Happy to help if I can ⛅️

28/04/2022

Nip feelings of overwhelm in the bud with these techniques 👇

https://www.innermedicine.co.uk/simple-discreet-techniques-to-calm-down-quickly/

Have you heard of grounding techniques? Grounding techniques are a great way to manage anxiety and feelings of overwhelm. They can help with flashbacks, negative thoughts, and challenging emotions. They ...

25/04/2022

I love how they all gather around and protect mum & baby 🖤🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘

Some amazing doulas right there :-)

https://fb.watch/cCuuYLAl0T/

And you can read all about just how beneficial birth doulas are here: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/

27/03/2022

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mums past, present and future

25/02/2022

So true. And Dr Rachel Reed's book is a wonderful read :-)

Supporting physiology should be simple. However, we have created a birth culture that makes it difficult.
https://www.rachelreed.website/rcrp

17/02/2022

I thought I'd share a birth story - this one came through today

16/02/2022

Sara's decades of research are so useful if you've been offered induction. Take your time, ask questions & allow plenty of time for an appointment with the Consultant Midwife to be arranged.

Our culture has really embraced the idea of due dates.

We accept that they are a ‘thing’ even though they are totally man made.

We allow due dates to dictate many of our actions, thoughts, conventions and conversations around pregnancy.

But many women and families will tell you that they and everything that goes along with them can be a source of considerable stress.

It’s really disheartening to know your due date but to have a professional (or, worse, a machine) insist on changing it.

It’s immensely stressful to have to fight to not have an induction when you KNOW your baby isn’t ready to be born.

As I wrote in In Your Own Time, “Assigning a due date, allowing a machine to change it and then using that date to determine the end point of pregnancy sends a very clear message. It conveys the idea than medical science knows more about when a baby should be born than either the baby herself or the woman whose body has created, grown and nourished her baby.”

But, when you look closely at what we know about the length of pregnancy, you find something rather curious: you find that it isn’t based on good evidence. In fact, you find – as I have done over the two decades that I have been researching this area - that, “the policy of induction at a certain point in pregnancy is largely based on fear, tradition, fashion and some outdated, misogynistic ideas rather than sound evidence.”

If you’d like to know more, visit www.sarawickham.com/time

28/01/2022

Birth partners: remember to remind your partner to empty her bladder every 2-3 hours as sometimes she may forget/may not get the urge to and as you can see by the video below, a full bladder can hinder the progress of labour.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=4946243805447730&ref=sharing

The same goes for the third stage (birthing the placenta). If the placenta is slow in coming out, emptying the bladder can help.

Also:

- Keep the environment warm, dark and cosy as per the birth - she is still in labour and so we need optimum environment conditions

- Wrap a blanket around her if she is shivery and shaky with adrenalin as lots of adrenalin can hinder the process

- Ensure she has skin to skin with the baby

- If she's planning on breastfeeding, put the baby to the breast to release oxytocin

- No hatting, no patting, no chatting - quiet and calm, hat off baby so Mum can breathe her baby in :-)

24/01/2022

Here's a blog post from our sister website about how to make the transition back to work after maternity leave easier :-)

https://www.innermedicine.co.uk/transitioning-back-to-work-after-maternity-leave/

23/01/2022

23/01/2022

"Suggesting there is a need to ‘prepare’ for birth contradicts the fact that women’s bodies are perfectly capable of preparing for birth without intervention. However, perineal stretching massage can increase some women’s confidence in their body’s ability to stretch and open for their baby. On the other hand, plenty of women don’t prepare in this way, and whether you have confidence in your body or not, your perineum will stretch." Dr Rachel Reed, https://midwifethinking.com/2016/01/13/perineal-protectors/

Here is a reassuring podcast on this topic: https://birthful.com/podcast-protecting-perineum-tear/

The thought of vaginal tearing can make any woman cringe. And let’s not even think about episiotomies. Are there ways to avoid tearing? What’s the evidence behind perineal massage? Will being told how to push make things worse? Rachel Reed tells us more about protecting your perineum during birt...

14/01/2022

Ask as many questions as you need to in order to make an informed decision. Remember the Consultant Midwife too - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9qk_4PgG4k&t=15s

There are sometimes really good reasons for recommending induction of labour.

But sometimes it's offered routinely, without thought for the individual, or for convenience.

One size doesn't fit all.

That's a quote from one of my blog posts, and it's based on my book about inducing labour.

The blog post is called 'How to cancel an induction.'

Because if you're happy to have an induction date, that's great.

But too many women are being given dates for induction that they don't want.

You can read the blog post at https://www.sarawickham.com/riffing-ranting-and-raving/how-to-cancel-a-labour-induction/

And there's loads more info on my web site and in my book if you or anyone you know want to get informed before deciding whether or not induction is right for you.

www.sarawickham.com/iol

11/01/2022

Good morning all! I've just added a new course starting in February taking place at Real Nappy Life :-)

04/01/2022

🙌 Strongly recommend this book as essential reading if you're expecting a baby 📚
(Read it alongside my hypnobirthing & antenatal preparation book too, obvs 😄😉)