Caesareans and “One World Birth”

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Alto Films who made the brilliant documentary, “Doula!  The Ultimate Birth Companion” have set up a new website, http://www.oneworldbirth.net/ One World Birth is a free video resource about birth issues aimed at professionals, campaigners and parents who want to keep their finger on the pulse of what is happening in birth today.  There is a wealth of video clips on all topics birth-related with interviews from some of the most respected individuals in the world.  I am loving dipping into the videos and hearing so many opinions that echo my own about how women have become so fearful around birth.  I have been particularly saddened to hear of and read birth stories recently where women have felt so unsupported, out of control, bullied and cajoled into making decisions they don’t agree with.  No wonder the c-section rate is at almost 30% in London and the induction and intervention rates so incredibly high.  I appreciate that having a doula is not an option for everyone, or may not be something a couple feel comfortable with, so I am always happy to work antenatally with a couple – to spend time talking, listening, preparing and supporting them in the run up to the birth.  Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if that is something you feel would be of benefit.  I will happily tailor-make a package to suit you.
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Baby Led Weaning

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I have taken the following extract from www.babyledweaning.com which has a lot of information if you need more …

What is baby-led weaning?

Weaning is the process of moving from a diet consisting only of breast milk to one which contains no breast milk. For practical purposes, in the UK, it can also be taken to refer to the transition from full formula feeding to a diet with no formula.

For most babies the introduction of solid foods marks the beginning of weaning. Baby-led weaning is an approach that allows the baby to initiate this move and to play an active role throughout, and it is feasible for most babies (Wright et al 2010).

Why is baby-led weaning a good thing?

If babies are not presented with opportunities to develop new skills at the time those skills are emerging, their development can be hampered. And, if their keenness to explore is blocked, they become frustrated. Babies will pull themselves to their feet and walk as soon as they are able – no earlier and no later – but only if they have been given the opportunity to do so. They are rarely allowed to show their readiness for solid foods in the same way; instead, the choice is usually made for them.
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Aromatherapy oils

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I have promised so many classes over the years that I would let you know about my favourite Aromatherapy book. I have relied on “The Fragrant Pharmacy” by Valerie Worwood which has an excellent chapter on Babies and Children. We had a workshop with an Aromatherapist when training with Peter Walker who was at pains to explain that it is important not to overload a baby’s senses with lots of fragrances, especially chemical ones, and interfere with the Mother/baby smells. A lovely tip I learnt recently is to sleep on your baby’s blanket during pregnancy, take it with you to hospital so that your baby can be wrapped up in your smell after birth – especially lovely if you have to be separated for any reason.

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Nappies and chemicals in baby-products

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I have attempted to research into the tricky area of chemicals used in our everyday products. As many of you know I have been fairly vocal about how irresponsible some of the bigger brand name companies are in continuing to use chemicals in their products. The difficulty I have come up against is that there are plenty of environmentally responsible websites out there who make the subject very sensational, and I feel that most of us suffer a great deal of eco-guilt, particularly when it comes to our babies. So, I wanted to find specific information and give you some alternative choices.
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Mastitis

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Mastitis is a subject that has come up several times in the past few months, so I thought I would pass on some of the information gleaned from my doula course about it.

Mastitis – inflammation of the breast tissue – is a painful condition that sometimes affects breastfeeding women. It can occur with or without the presence of infection, and is almost always attributable to poor milk flow. Its onset can be sudden; generally you will feel “achey” and feverish as if developing ‘flu’ and part of your breast will appear swollen, red (sometimes shiny) and feel hot and painful to the touch.
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