WondrousBirth Hypnobirthing

09/03/2021

Now I have heard it all!!
Apparently declining vaginal exams is a hypnobirthing thing. A nuisance. And not helpful.
Queue my thoughts on 'being a good girl and compliant for the patriarchal easy life'....
If you are low risk and a healthy mum and baby, whether hypnobirthing or not, it is about your welfare and that of your baby. So where is the good evidence that routine vaginal exams to assess progress are beneficial and not doing more harm than good?
There is none.
Does that mean vaginal exams are bad, no. Can they help clarify a situation if there are other signs that intervention might be necessary, yes.
Can they help tell how well you are progressing? No. They can tell how far you have come but are absolutely not a fair indicator of how much longer you have to go.
For low risk women who have no concerns, routinely examining it on the 4 hour clock is arguably a tick box exercise. If you want to know and feel it would help and understand the effect it might have on the physiological progress of your birth, then that is an informed choice and one you should totally go with. You can have one and decline the rest as the clinical picture changes.
Essentially, it IS your choice and one that you can only make if you are actually informed with risks and benefits, saying yes is not a choice, it just means you don't know any different.

14/12/2020

Some great tips for a physiological 3rd stage from the Riverside Midwives

Top tips for a physiological birth of the placenta.
•
✔️ Undisturbed skin to skin.
•
✔️ Baby initiated breastfeeding.
•
✔️Talking in quiet / hushed tones.
•
✔️ Dim lighting.
•
✔️ Warmth.
•
✔️ Patience.
•
✔️ Trust.
•
✔️ Love and tenderness.
•
✔️Leaving the cord intact or waiting for white before cutting.
•
✔️ Watchful waiting from midwives.
•
❌ No hat on baby so their head can be sniffed, nuzzled and kissed.
•
❌ No fussing around the woman / birthing person.
•
❌ No strangers in the birth space.
•
❤️ Keep that oxytocin flowing ❤️

•••••••••••••••••
This placenta was still attached to its baby when it was birthed into the pool.

Look at that lovely white empty cord!
••••••••••••••••••

Do you have any experiences or tips to share?

11/12/2020

Ever wondered what some of the ingredients are in breastmilk? Here's an easy mnemonic to remember some of them.

BOVINE WHAT?

Vitamins, water, proteins, carbs and fat,
Formula and breastmilk, they both have that.
But let me tell you, that’s not where it ends,
Most importantly ….friends tell friends that….

Breastmilk is unique, tailored and complete,
It is not just there for baby to eat.
The ingredients are actually quite a lot,
It will get you asking, “BOVINE WHAT?”

B - ifidus factors keep the gut acidic,
whilst feeding on
O - ligosaccharides, it’s very specific.
V - iral fragments trigger the immune system when you are ill,
So that
I - mmunoglobulin can destroy antigens with skill.
N - ucleotides are for cell repair,
whilst
E - nzymes aid digestion and help stop bacteria right there.

W - hite cells destroy bacteria when baby is feeling poorly,
H - ormones aid the endocrine system for feeding, happiness, pain relief, it’s quite a story!
A - nti-inflammatory properties reduce gut inflammation and disease,
whilst
T - ransfer factors help with absorption and sets up the immune system with ease.

So don’t be shy, it’s really quite amazing,
Breastmilk is the perfect food for our babies to be grazing.

W. Evans

13/11/2020

Really enjoyed today's skills lab!
We took blood pressure, looked at pulses, respiratory rates, unrinalysis, venepuncture and loved seeing the other students in my group. We need a group pic!
I do overthink the idea of blood taking which makes me feel very ill but actually doing it was not bad at all. Actually looking forward to doing it in real life!
Most of these skills are not diagnostic, they are screening tools to help identify areas that might become more concerning at a later date or after further investigation.
Love that informed consent is reiterated in our training again and again and again. 😍

03/11/2020

Definitely feeling like all I do is eat. Sleep. And study midwifery at the moment 😍
Just had a skills morning learning about moving and handling, using slip sheets and PAT boards.
I am 5ft 10 and really need to be careful about my back... as does everyone. As boring as the topic usualy is, I found it very helpful and definitely want to ensure I work correctly.
Also loved seeing my fellow students again!

31/10/2020

Love this image and the words 'Life doesn't come with a manual, it comes with a mother'🌺
Skin to skin for the first hour after birth is often called the GOLDEN HOUR.
Incredibly, that simple skin to skin connection releases oxytocin in the mother which contracts the uterus to reduce bleeding and warms up the mother's body
(or father if the mum is not able) by 1-2 degrees to regulate the baby's temperature.
The mother's heart and her breathing regulate the baby's breathing and heart rate too!
This contact promotes initiation of the first breastfeed. The baby can smell the breast too as the montgomery glands (little bumps around the ni**le) release a scent that attracts the baby. Skin to skin over the first few weeks of life helps boost breastmilk by releasing prolactin and oxytocin and the benefits don't stop there, holding your baby close has benefits throughout childhood.
Baby's who are well after a cesarean birth can and should have skin to skin as soon as possible too. If the baby is well and dry, the hat can be removed to allow the mother to smell the pheremones released from the baby's head which also help with breastfeeding. That's why baby's smell so good to mothers!
Skin to skin is beneficial no matter how you feed your baby, so remember to hold them skin to skin often to maximise the benefits of bonding and attachment.
Skin to skin just after birth also helps to colonise the baby's skin with good bacteria from your skin which prepares them for life outside the uterus.
The mother has all she needs to nurture her baby, it is really so fascinating!

🤱🏻🤱🏻🤱🏻


• • • • • •
• Life doesn’t come with a manual, it comes with a mother 🌼
by

29/10/2020

First day into the actual uni today to practice some basic life support and neonatal resus skills!
I know I have been quiet on here, been busy soaking up a lot of information on a daily basis. All is well though. Hope you are all well too?
Studying at this time is super weird but it has it's perks too. Really hoping we will start placements in January 🙏🤞🤞🙏

23/09/2020

What an epic way to start our course this week with a chat with Dr. OBE.
We discussed the massive impact that the book she compiled with the help of other health care professionals has had. is the proposed antidote to the fear which is pervading our maternity systems - compassion and courage.
We discussed how these skills can be used in our daily walk as midwives and it was incredibly humbling and inspiring to hear the enormity of the task but equally how much of a difference we can make.
So excited and inspired today, again. Thank you Sheena!

22/09/2020

I'm a day late uploading but yesterday was my first day 'at uni'. I never thought it would look like this but here I am, I am going to be a midwife, if all goes well ... in 3 years time!
My head is spinning a little with all the new info but it was a really good day and the lecturers really tried to make it interesting and even fun! The other students in the cohort are also super helpful😍

17/09/2020

In addition, to the info below, it amazed me that birthing your baby was not the massive rush shown on TV. It is not an emergency to birth and the birthing phase does not need to be rushed unless something is wrong which is something that can be diagnosed.
What's more, in a healthy, low risk birth, there is rarely any need for someone to be touching your baby or helping you especially if you are upright when birthing, which can be more comfortable and give you more space in your pelvis to birth your baby.


• • • • • •
United Kingdom

Hello baby 👶

This may come as a shock to some people, but your baby will NOT be born all in one go! It is more of a gradual process.

The head can take several pushes to get round the birth canal, before eventually emerging into the world. You will then feel a pause, whilst your baby just chills and does some fascinating rotations, to ensure they are in the best position for birthing their shoulders and body (the more babies you have had, the shorter this pause will be, generally)

Once the rotations are complete, your baby's shoulders and body will be born and quickly dried/stimulated and passed onto your chest for some much needed skin to skin 😍 (Hands on like this will not always be necessary!)

Have you given this a second thought, or do you remember it if you have already given birth? 💖

13/09/2020

Getting real! Just 1 week until our introductory week to Midwifery at BU starts.
🌈 - I have a new study spot set up due to the fact that my husband is currently working from my original spot (thanks Covid)
🌈 - I have a birth counter, knitted breast, fob watch, stethoscope, pens, notpads, bags, doll and laptop.
🌈 - I have downloaded zoom and microsoft office.
🌈 - I have done my reading and booked my childcare...
And I am so so so excited!🎉🙌