Naturally, that begs the question: Can you be addicted to having children?
Amanda Bude, midwife at Groovy Babies, certainly thinks you can feel that way about giving birth.
“With positive birth experiences I’ve had many families say they could give birth over and over again – myself included.”
So, can a simple change in name really empower women? And should we start referring to C-sections in this way?
Midwife Amanda Bude from Groovy Babies thinks this is a great idea.
“Obviously positive language has a massive impact on reducing or removing fear and anxiety towards any birth. That in itself empowers any mum-to- be.”
She says many mothers feel that having a C-section is “robbing” them of having had a vaginal birth. “But I believe if a mum has a positive birth experience, supportive care provider, and educated birth preparation, then they are less likely to feel shame and disappointment about how their baby arrived.”
And, she says, a simple change in name can help aid that positive birth experience.
If you’ve been scrolling through social media lately, you’re probably familiar with the following photo: A father, deep asleep, with his baby dozing on his chest.
When we see these kinds of posts, it’s easy to coo over how adorable these pictures are.
In fact, these fathers are often hailed as “super dads” for letting mum have a break while clearly exhausted themselves.
But when you really think about it, the problem becomes clear: Falling asleep with a baby on you is not a good idea
Unintentionally drifting off with a baby is known as “accidental co-sleeping” or “reactive co-sleeping,” says midwife Amanda Bude from Groovy Babies.
And the issue doesn’t just relate to dads, but also sleep-deprived mums and carers.
Amanda says approximately 10-20 percent of women have inverted nipples, which she says is simply “a version of normal”.
While some women (and men) have two inverted nipples, many have one inverted one, and one normal one.
In Jade’s case, she says having short nipple length was a complicating factor, but that this doesn’t affect everyone with inverted nipples.
While she says some inverted nipples revert when pregnant, even if your nipples stay inverted through pregnancy and after delivery, Amanda reassures you should still be able to breastfeed.
“Babies latch onto the breast, not the nipple,” she says.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has just released new guidelines regarding cord clamping after birth.
These new recommendations advise delaying umbilical cord clamping for all healthy infants for at least 30-60 seconds after birth.
Instead of clamping a baby’s umbilical cord straight after birth, it means delaying the process to allow the blood that’s still pulsating in the cord to transfuse into your baby, as midwife Amanda Bude, from Groovy Babies, describes.
Amanda says delaying clamping can increase your baby’s blood volume by approximately 30 per cent. This can then lead to a reduced need for blood transfusion after birth, providing your baby with “four to six months of iron [reserves]”
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When you’re a breastfeeding mama, you’re likely to find yourself out and about when you need to feed your baby.
Sometimes that means feeding at a cafe, or in a library. It can also mean feeding on a plane, at the airport or in a shop.
US mum Anna Young faced a very different dilemma.
The mother from Salt Lake City decided to run a half-marathon before she even knew she was pregnant. The big event was to take place when her little one was five months old.
But Anna had a problem: she needed to leave her house at 4.30am and wouldn’t be able to feed again for hours.
So she came up with a plan: she would pump milk during the race. She pumped after running the first 8 miles (which is almost 13 km).
Others agreed, saying that running with engorged breasts would be a nightmare.
Midwife Amanda Bude from Groovy Babies applauds Anna’s decision – and ability – to pump while running.
“Wow! That’s what I call true dedication to her child and commitment of breastfeeding!” she says.
“Imagine preparing your mindset for a marathon and packing all your express kit as well as your Gatorade…”
While Amanda is clearly impressed with Anna’s actions, she says they also help normalise breastfeeding and pumping.
And that’s something Anna wanted to do, using the hash tag #normalizebreastfeeding on her caption.
Read More: http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/baby/breastfeeding/marathon-mum-pumps-breastmilk-while-on-the-run-20160919-grjalg?&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=social&eid=socialn%3Afac-14omn0583-optim-nnn%3Apaid-25062014-social_traffic-all-postprom-nnn-ebaby-o&campaign_code=nocode&promote_channel=social_facebook
When it comes to birth plans, most mums-to-be consider things such as pain relief options and skin-to-skin contact. Others have preferences for music, lighting and other environmental factors.
But now some mums are adding another item to their list: what kind of umbilical clamp they would like to use on their baby.
These homemade clamps are designed to be tied to the baby’s umbilical cord, with the decorative part hanging outside the baby’s nappy, explains midwife Amanda Bude from Groovy Babies.
Amanda Bude explains this trend has emerged for a number of reasons, saying some parents are concerned about the potential “discomfort” of a plastic clamp against their baby’s skin. Others “simply don’t want plastic” on their baby.
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Midwife Amanda Bude is a big believer in women doing whatever feels right to them when in labour, as long as they stay safe, of course.
“Often if there is an obstacle in their mind, they won’t labour properly until the issue is solved or rectified so they are then at peace mentally to move forward and welcome their bub,” she explains.
Focusing on something other than labour can also help distract you from pain, says Bude. She adds: “I don’t believe in telling mums to ‘save their energy’ for labour”.
However, she says that the majority of women in labour can’t even imagine sitting an exam or attending a meeting, which is totally fine.
“Once labour is established, most mums-to-be establish their mindset on meeting their baby, connecting with their support person and keeping calm and relaxed.
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Fiona Trewhitt sported a “very big” bump in her first pregnancy. In her second pregnancy, however, she carried small – “so it was a huge contrast”, she says.
She wasn’t the only one to notice the contrast. “People made loads of comments about the way I ate or exercised and about how concerned I should be,” she says of her smaller bumped-pregnancy.
While Fiona wasn’t overly concerned, her obstetrician was cautious, organising extra scans to monitor her baby’s growth. “I kind of felt [the scans] were unnecessary and expensive, but did it anyway to be safe and sure,” Fiona says.
Thankfully, the scans were all reassuring, and baby Tommy was born a healthy size.
Midwife Amanda Bude says your baby’s position, the position of your uterus and your pelvic shape can all influence how you carry.
She says there are also lots of reasons your baby may be small – your child’s growth can be limited in pregnancy if you smoke, drink alcohol, use drugs or have poor nutrition. Babies may also be small for gestational age (SGA), growth restricted, or just be genetically small.
And if there’s not much fluid around your baby, your bump may also appear less pronounced.
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Groovy Babies founder Amanda Bude is one of Australia’s most highly qualified baby & child specialist specialising in baby & child sleep, breastfeeding / lactation (IBCLC), HypnoBirthing® The Mongan Method, infant massage, attachment parenting and a range of holistic parenting strategies.
