Ten Part Mini Podcast Series on Preparing for a New Baby
Simple overview of the main tips for expectant parents - great for dads, partners, grandparents and friends to listen to as well! Enjoy!
Episode 1: Choosing your maternity carer
A description of the main models of care available, followed by an assessment of the evidence on which models have the best outcomes. Probably not surprisingly, the best outcomes are from continuity of “woman-centred” care models where mothers can build up a relationship of trust over time, and carers can build a detailed profile of the mother’s needs. This leads to a highly customised level of care and therefore the best outcomes. |
Episode 2: How the body gives birth
There are only theories about how the onset of labour is triggered, but it is known that the limbic system in the brain releases a cocktail of hormones in a specific sequence. A small number of women will birth quickly, but for many it is a more gradual process that is very closely linked to her emotional state and physical environment. For the most efficient release of birth hormones, she needs to feel private, safe and unobserved. Featuring Dr Sarah Buckley. |
Episode 3: Informed consent - your rights in birth
This episode covers informed consent and the legal need for all decisions relating to maternal and foetal care to be in the hands of the mother, not the care provider. We learn that like all other people, pregnant woman has the right to informed consent and that once informed, their decisions must be respected. The information given birthing people must be evidence based and not just hospital policy or common practice, otherwise this could be viewed as coercion and not consent. Featuring lawyer Bashi Kumar-Hazard and academic Bec Jenkinson. |
Episode 4: Tools for preparing mentally for birth
The key to mental preparation for this period rests on understanding the environment a woman needs to give birth efficiently and therefore most safely, and what she and the baby needs immediately after the birth. When we understand these needs, we can prepare the birth and postnatal environment for the transformation into parenthood. |
Episode 5: Buying for baby
There is a huge array of baby products on the market but what do you really need in the early months for your baby? You may be surprised to find that it can’t all be found in a baby goods store. |
Episode 6: Sleep and settling
Eessential information for safe sleep for baby and how you can get the most sleep possible in the early months. They key to peaceful sleep for your whole family is understanding that a baby’s sleep patterns are very different to the 8 hour block of sleep we’re used to. We hear from Dr Howard Chilton, neonatal paediatrician, what a baby needs to sleep peacefully. The main rule is that there are no rules and that you take the time you need to attune to your baby and their unique needs. We also hear how this can be at odds with how parents did things in previous generations. |
Episode 7: Feeding - for mother and baby
In the early days and weeks, a mother and baby’s recovery from birth and transitioning to their new life together is assured by plenty of time to rest. This will also give them both the best chance of establishing breastfeeding successfully, or a calm transition to bottle feeding if a mother decides that. |
Episode 8: Getting support and attuning to your baby
A new baby is completely helpless and will need lots of holding and loving attention to acclimatise to the world around them. This means that their parents need a lot of support to give all this reassurance, and the parents need this time too so the mother can recover physically and both parents can get to know their unique little baby. This process is called attunement and best done with lots of time at home and minimal visitors. Featuring Neonatal Paediatrician Dr Howard Chilton. |
Episode 9: Preparing siblings for a new baby
Pregnancy and birth is a period of huge change for the other child or children too, so they need special preparation too. There are some simple tips for helping them feel like a part of the process. We’ll also be covering tips for having your other children at the birth, if you would like that, or how to manage a smooth transition if your child will be going elsewhere during the labour and birth. |
Episode 10: The babymoon - the cocoon for early bonding
While it’s important for parents to plan a safe birth of their baby, they also set themselves up for the best possible start in their new life. They can do this by also planning for a period of cosy cocooning with their new baby. This means a few weeks of very private time at home with minimal visitors or trips out of the home. Babies are easily overwhelmed by different people and busy environments, and mothers need more time to recover physically than what women usually allow themselves. Those of us in the extended circle around a family expecting a baby have a role to play in supporting them - more than they feel they can ask of you. But we can offer, and they will appreciate it more than words can say. |
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Let us know below or shoot us an email - anytime!