Page 3 - Blog
September 03, 2024
By Illiyin Morrison, perinatal trauma specialist midwife and birth debrief facilitator
I stumbled into the world of perinatal / birth trauma as an uncomfortable accident. A series of happenings that shaped my whole life and changed the trajectory of my career. I am a midwife, mother, podcaster, author and birth debrief facilitator. I help people to work through their traumatic experiences using a technique that I created called the reflect, redefine and reframe process.
It was vital in my healing and has been an excellent tool in helping those I support.
What is “birth trauma”?
Illiyin Morrison
On paper, my first birth looked like a normal birth that had escalated requiring intervention and had been managed according to protocol with no adverse impacts. This amongst midwifery and obstetric staff was normal. It was what we see every day and in fact would be considered “normal”. This made my experience of birth trauma all the more difficult. Because sadly, it felt anything but normal.
August 29, 2024
Imagine floating weightlessly, hearing gentle splashes, and feeling warm water envelop your body… lots of would enjoy such a soothing and relaxing bath. Your baby certainly does. There are only a few who don’t. Babies are in their element when in water. After all, they've typically spent nine months living in amniotic fluid. But does this mean you can pop your newborn into the tub straight after birth? Not quite. So when can you start bathing a baby? How often should you bath them? And for how long? What precautions should you take? These are questions our midwife and baby expert, Katrin Ritter, will answer today. Let's ensure a worry-free bathing experience with your little ones.
When Can You Start Bathing a Baby?
After birth, your baby still has a bit of umbilical cord attached to their navel, which naturally falls off after about 10 to 14 days. If you want to be absolutely certain no germs from the bathwater enter the wound, the answer to "When should I give my baby their first bath?"
August 26, 2024
Are you a new mum? Or perhaps you're about to embark on this exciting journey? If so, you're likely wondering whether you really need a nursing pillow and, if so, which one is right for you. After all, the market offers a wide variety of options: large and small nursing pillows, firm and soft ones, filled with foam, beads, polyester, or natural materials. It's easy to feel overwhelmed, but don't worry – we're here to help you with the best nursing pillow. Today, we'll explore the pros and cons of different types, because ultimately, you'll decide whether a soft, large pillow or a firm, compact one (often referred to as “shape-stable”) will best support you in your daily routine with your baby.
Large or Small Nursing Pillow - What Happens When You Chest/Breastfeed or Bottle-Feed Without One
Before we dive into the advantages and disadvantages of various nursing pillows, let's consider why using one – and choosing the right one – is important. When you're nursing or bottle-feeding your little
August 22, 2024
Our UK sleep specialist Gemma Coe is a mum of two and a certified baby and child sleep consultant. She helps families all over the world develop healthy sleep habits and has shared a lot of her knowledge over on our blog. Everything from tips for helping baby sleep in winter to knowing when to switch from a sleeping bag to a duvet to managing baby’s sleep after travelling Today she’s sharing with us her thoughts on the best baby sleeping position and why it’s the best.
When it comes to ensuring the safety and comfort of your newborn during sleep, understanding different sleeping positions, and which are safest for your baby, is crucial. Parents often ask me about the best sleeping positions for their babies, especially when their newborn starts to show signs of rolling to one side.
Let’s take a look at baby sleeping positions, focusing on safe sleep practices, and addressing some common concerns that crop up such as reflux and wind (gas).
What are the best positions for baby sleep?
Sleeping
August 22, 2024
Our UK sleep specialist Gemma Coe is a mum of two and a certified baby and child sleep consultant. She helps families all over the world develop healthy sleep habits and has shared a lot of her knowledge over on our blog. Everything from tips for helping baby sleep in winter to knowing when to switch from a sleeping bag to a duvet to managing baby’s sleep after travelling Today she’s sharing with us her thoughts on the best baby sleeping position and why it’s the best.
When it comes to ensuring the safety and comfort of your newborn during sleep, understanding different sleeping positions, and which are safest for your baby, is crucial. Parents often ask me about the best sleeping positions for their babies, especially when their newborn starts to show signs of rolling to one side.
Let’s take a look at baby sleeping positions, focusing on safe sleep practices, and addressing some common concerns that crop up such as reflux and wind (gas).
What are the best positions for baby sleep?
Sleeping
August 14, 2024
Moving around is fun! Whether it's from back to tummy, turning around on your tummy or crawling around the room - your baby loves to move. Especially once they learn to crawl, probably by the end of their 7th month. They are eager to play with a wide variety of toys and are approaching their next milestone on the way to walking upright. This is because the 8-month-old baby milestones include sitting at an angle.
Most babies have mastered this by the end of their eighth month, so that they can continue to move upwards. And don't worry if your little one is not quite ready at this stage. Every baby has their own pace and develops at different speeds. However, if they aren’t yet able to turn from their back to their tummy by the end of the eighth month, this is a good reason to consult your paediatrician.
In addition to reaching the milestone of "sitting on an angle", there are other baby development steps that you can observe at the end of the eighth month. Our expert and midwife Katrin
August 12, 2024
Summer is officially holiday season! And while many are drawn to faraway places, more and more people are spending that quality time together within the UK or simply at home, within their own four walls. This trend has a name: staycation. It is made up of the word "stay" and the suffix "-cation" from vacation.
There are many reasons to choose a staycation. The cost of international travel, because you’ve just welcomed a new baby, because life with children feels easier with home comforts on hand, or just because home is where you want to be. Whether you’re visiting somewhere new or staying home here are a few ideas for a fun-filled family staycation
📷 Yuri Shirota, Unsplash
The redesign: a child-friendly oasis at home
Kids only! A separate play area for the little ones in the house
If you haven't already reserved a corner in your living room or the room you spend the most time in for your little one and their toys, then do it now if you can. If this play area is well and clearly organised,
August 08, 2024
You've probably noticed that we have two new Ergobabies - the Ergobaby Alta and the Ergobaby Lift Hip Seat. Our little family continues to grow. But if we already had the perfect baby carriers in our range, why are we adding new ones? Because we are dedicated to giving you the maximum support possible through every step of your parenting journey. Whether you have a newborn, baby, toddler or a combination!
If you have already used, or at least seen, our Omni baby carriers, the similarity to the Alta may be confusing. Or you might wonder what additional benefits a hip seat could have if you already have a baby carrier that can be worn on the hip like the Omni? To clear up any confusion, we’re going to compare three carrier models: our all-rounder Omni, with our hip seats: Lift and Alta, to hopefully help you make the right choice for you and your family.
For a quick comparison of all the carriers in our range head to our website, but today we’ll compare our Omni, Alta and Lift models in
August 06, 2024
There’s few things more exciting than feeling your baby growing bigger and bigger in your belly. However, as they grow there is more and more weight to carry around with you - and that can be exhausting. One way to relax is to take a bath during pregnancy, with candlelight and soft music. Or perhaps you’d prefer a day at the spa to use the sauna, hot tub or even swim a few lengths. But sometimes rumours can be confusing and you might have heard some about bathing and pregnancy.
So, is it safe? Should you be worried about overheating, strain on your body, the risk of bacteria etc.? Yes and no, says our expert and midwife Katrin Ritter. In principle, there is nothing wrong with taking a bath or swimming during pregnancy and exercise is generally good for you. However, there are a few things to bear in mind before you throw yourself into the water while pregnant.
Bathing and pregnancy
Let's first take a look at the question “can you have a bath when pregnant”? The short answer is… Yes! For
July 31, 2024
Breastfeeding / chestfeeding (or whatever term you feel best describes your journey) can be one of the most beautiful and best things in the world. It is so intimate, so unique, so beautiful. But it can also be a challenge. It’s rarely easy straight away, without any complications. And we’re not saying that to scare you, we want to help you be prepared so that if this is how you want to feed your baby then you don’t give up before you’re ready. Or before you’ve had proper support. We have a LOT of tips and information on our blog, from a wide range of health experts. Today we’re sharing the ten most important and most read blogs full of breastfeeding tips / chestfeeding tips to hopefully give you a head start!
10 useful breastfeeding tips
1. Can you breastfeed with a nipple piercing?
Our blog ‘Can you breastfeed with a nipple piercing?’ probably only applies to some of you. Namely those who want to breastfeed with nipple piercings. In principle, it’s not a problem at all. However, there