13/03/2023
Finally Spring is coming, especially after the small dip in weather, snow & cold winds! Our eldest was born on the first day of Spring 21st March & I still clearly remember the day he was born at home. I could retell his birth like it was yesterday.
I also remember those first few weeks. Being a health care professional there was so much pressure that I 'should' know what I was doing. But having a new baby; learning to get to know him; learning to be a mum amongst all the emotions, breastfeeding & being told to do it this way & that; throw in jaundice & being admitted into hospital. It was a whirlwind to say the least! He was a very chilled baby despite us all running around.
Finally home, we settled into family life. With a few up & downs along the way & adjusting from being a couple to a family of three.
The hardest thing? The change of mine & my husbands relationship & how we would handle each stage of our baby's growth. But we got through it & went on to have our second.
He was a different kettle of fish. He was not so settled, probably due to a more traumatic pregnancy (I had a small car accident at 30 weeks). But my youngest inspired me to do what I do today!
I saw how an unsettled baby could impact the whole family dynamics. I was unsettled and then the whole family. Having worked in the Neonatal Unit I used my skills to help him. Identifying smells he disliked; covering his eyes when he slept and looking at his body, neck & positioning, as this can impact on feeding. We managed to get him calm, settled & a happy little boy.
Having a friend being pregnant at the same time was so valuable, we helped each other out. I also had a good support network & colleagues who I sought support from, helping with my sons tight neck, because as a mum I wasn't looking out for it.
Even though I had the knowledge to help support my babies I still needed help and support from others. Being a new mum & having so many emotions & sleep deprivation I missed out on vital signs/cues. So having that extra support helped me see what I needed to do for my babies.
Having personally gone through two pregnancies (two totally different babies) & having experience in my work setting I felt I could really support parents & their babies. Through the emotional elements of becoming a family, a mother/father, adding to the family & supporting babies development.
Rather than trying to find support when in desperate need I thought parents would benefit support before their baby arrives. Then have 1:1 support after to help put everything into place, support emotions & check babies needs and development. I feel so privileged to support parents to be, new parents & their babies.
Are you currently pregnant? Does any of this resonate with you? Do you worry about how you will manage once your baby has arrived? Or do you have a new born & finding things difficult? If so reach out I'd be happy to chat & see if there is anything I can help you with, especially having been there myself x
