greatvine.com guide pregnancy childbirth

8/3/2019 Greatvine.com Guide Pregnancy Childbirth

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A GREATVINE PARENTING GUIDE

Greatvine Advice for life

Pregnancy & Birth


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WelcomeHere at Greatvine were dedicated

to helping you nd the best advice,

quickly and easily. From parentingand health to writing and business,

great advice rom the UKs top

experts is just a phone call away.

www.greatvine.com


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Finding out youre expecting is such

an exciting time but it may also eel

a little overwhelming.

This Greatvine booklet is ull o invaluable advice and

expert tips on pregnancy and childbirth, rom how to

ease morning sickness, to thinking about the birth;

to preparing yoursel or relationship changes andgetting ready or lie with your new baby.

The specialists eatured have years o experience

helping parents through the challenges o pregnancy

and childbirth. Ranging rom experienced midwives

and leading health visitors to best-selling parenting

coaches, their support and advice can give you

condence or your big day.

I this booklet helps, remember that these pregnancy

specialists are just a part o Greatvine. For one-to-one

advice you can trust, visit Greatvine.com and see how

we can make a dierence to your lie. The experts areready to talk with you, whenever you need.

Pregnancy & Birth? There must be

someone who

can help...

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6

8

10

In this edition

How can I have a happy

Meet the pregnancy & birth experts

Expert Q&A with Ruth Armes

Top tips for pregnancy & birth

Next steps for more advice


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Caroline FlintThe recipient

o a Lietime

Achievement

Award rom the

British Journal o Midwiery,

Caroline has 33 years experience

as a midwie and has taught

NCT antenatal classes or 41

years. She was the rst elected

President o the Royal Collegeo Midwives, and has advised

the government on maternity

services. An expert in all aspects

o preparing or parenthood

including labour, lie with a

new baby, and adjusting your

relationship with your partner

Caroline oers sympathetic

and non-judgemental advice

and support. Caroline is also theauthor o several books on birth,

including Sensitive Midwiery

and is the ounder and director

o The Birth Centre, the rst

private birth centre in the UK.

Talk with Caroline on 0906 207

2675 - 1.00/min*.greatvine.

com/caroline-fint

Maggie HowellA clinical

hypnotherapist

and doula, Maggie

specialises in

supporting women through

conception, pregnancy and

childbirth. The ounder o Natal

Hypnotherapy, her courses have

helped over 50,000 women and

Maggie has trained many midwivesand birth proessionals. She

believes passionately in the bodys

abilities and the power o the mind.

Supportive o home birth, she gave

birth to her ve children at home

and has guided many other women

through their birth experiences.

A ormer expert panel member

o Pregnancy & Birth magazine,

Maggie has also appeared in mucho the UK press. Talk with Maggie

on 0905 248 0001 - 1.10/min*.

greatvine.com/maggie-howell

Sonya Murray

A ormer nurse and

midwie with 20

years o experience,

Sonya is the co-

Meet thepregnancy & birth

experts


Talk with a specialist,

whenever you need


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ounder o The Baby Gurus, an

educational organisation which

aims to modernise antenatal

education and parenting

support. The organisation has

partnered with the University o

Glasgow to assess the health andwellbeing o pregnant women in

the workplace. Sonya also works

with the Scottish Association

or Mental Health to improve

support or pregnant women and

new amilies and is passionate

about improving womens

emotional health beore and ater

birth. Shes an expert contributor

to national newspapers andmagazines. Talk with Sonya on

0906 207 1133 - 1.00 per/min*.

greatvine.com/sonya-murray

Denise Tiran

A midwie or over

30 years, Denise

is an international

authority on the

sae use o complementarytherapies or pregnant women.

Qualied in refexology, massage,

aromatherapy, moxibustion or

breech babies and an advisor

on herbal homeopathic and

Bach fower remedies, Denise

is passionate about easing

pregnancy discomorts, relieving

pain, aiding progress in labour,

and helping mothers breasteed.

Although Denise advises on sae

ways to deal with heartburn,

constipation and headaches,

having endured morning

sickness when pregnant, her

specialty is helping other

women who experience

morning sickness. Author o

Teach Yoursel: Have a Happy

Pregnancy, Denise is a visiting

lecturer at the University

o Greenwich and research

consultant to Canterbury

Christchurch University. Talk

with Denise on 0906 400 6227

- 1.50 per/min*. greatvine.com/denise-tiran

Ruth Armes

As an active birth

teacher and ormer

NCT teacher

with 16 years o

experience, Ruth has supported

over 2,000 women and their

partners through the physicaland emotional challenges o

pregnancy, and in helping

them prepare or a satisying

experience o birth. She knows

how important it is to allow

all parents to plan or the birth

theyd like. Ruth has particular

knowledge o coping with

pregnancy-related ailments and

problems such as pelvic pain,digestive problems, energy and

sleep. A pregnancy yoga teacher,

Ruth can also advise about how

a mum-to-be can use yoga to

prepare or their big day.

Talk with Ruth on

0906 207 2681 - 1.00 per/min*.

greatvine.com/ruth-armes

Nikki Khan

The expert midwie

or Prima Baby

magazine or over

a decade, Nikki

has been a practising midwie

or more than 20 years. Shecurrently works or Epsom &

St Helier NHS Trust, and was

ormerly a midwie or baby

charity Tommys where she

answered questions about

pregnancy and childbirth. Having

been a midwie or 17 years

beore she gave birth to her own

child, Nikki has great insights

to share. Also a trained clinicalnegligence lawyer, Nikki has

a special interest in maternity

rights and benets, the law

when pregnant, and birth

injuries. Talk with Nikki on

0905 675 4618 - 1.20 per/min*.

greatvine.com/nikki-khan

* from a BT landline. Calls from other

networks and mobiles may vary. 18+.

A GREATVINE PARENTING GUIDE PREGNANCY & BIRTH 5

Choose from hundreds of great

experts in over 80 topics, only at

Greatvine.

www.greatvine.com


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Expert Q & A

with Ruth

Ruth Armes has helped hundreds o

mums-to-be cope with pregnancy

ailments. Here, she answers somefrequently asked questions

How do I cope with morning sickness? I

cant even keep water down.

Morning sickness (also called pregnancy

sickness, as its not just conned to mornings!) is a

miserable condition that can be tough to cope with.

It can begin rom week our or ve o pregnancy.

While it oten tails o at around week twelve to

ourteen, some women experience it right the waythrough.

Most cases o morning sickness dont normally

damage your baby, as theyll generally be able

to get enough nutrients rom your body. But i

you cant even keep water down, it may be more

serious and you should see your GP in case the

sickness is making you dehydrated.

Try to eat small amounts regularly, even when

you wake up in the night. Nuts, seeds, oat biscuits

or ginger in any orm can help. Remember to keep

sipping fuids, too. Peppermint tea, hot water with

a slice o lemon or ruit juices are all good options.

Some pregnant women are helped by

alternative therapies like acupuncture, refexology

and homeopathy. Make sure you see a qualied

practitioner with experience o treating pregnant

women. For some sel-help acupuncture, buy a seto sea bands rom a chemist. They apply pressure

to a specic point on your wrist to help ease

sickness.

What can I do about heartburn?

Heartburn is caused by acid rom your stomach

fowing up into your oesophagus. Pregnancy

hormones relax the valve between the stomach

and the oesophagus, and the baby presses up under

your stomach. As your baby grows, heartburn



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oten becomes worse.

There are a ew things that can help, like

eating resh apple ater each meal. Avoid sugar and

atty, heavy meals - the worst oender is chocolate,

with cakes, biscuits and cheese ollowing closely

behind. I you try cutting out rened sugar or

a week chances are you wont have heartburn!Peppermint or camomile tea are good choices, too.

Im seven months pregnant and keep

getting tummy aches. Is it serious?

Stomach ache is very common during

pregnancy. As the organs in your abdomen are

being squeezed or space, your abdominal muscles

are stretching, all the ligaments in the pelvis

stretch and soten, and theres upward pressure

under your ribs, stomach and diaphragm.But a bladder or kidney inection can also

cause pain. I the pain is severe, or i youre

worried, you should speak with a midwie or

doctor.

My eet and ankles seem permanently

swollen. What can I do about them?

Swelling in pregnancy is called oedema, and

its caused by extra fuid in the body leaking into

tissues. Its generally harmless, and more common

in hot weather or i youre overweight.

Exercise improves circulation and helps move

fuids around. Drinking plenty o water is also a

good idea.

Occasionally, a sudden increase in swelling

might be related to a serious condition called pre-

eclampsia. Other pre-eclampsia symptoms are high

blood pressure, protein in your urine, headaches

and sight problems. I you have any o these

symptoms, see your doctor immediately.

Im ve months pregnant and get

terrible constipation. What can I do?

Constipation is another common side eect

during pregnancy. It happens because pregnancy

hormones relax the smooth muscles o your

intestine, and slow your digestive system.

Dont strain on the loo, as that can lead to

uncomortable piles. Nor should you take laxatives

unless your GP has prescribed them or you.

Instead, drink plenty o water, drink prune juice or

eat prunes, do more gentle exercise and careully

massage your abdomen in a clockwise direction.

Eating a tablespoon o whole linseed every day

might also help. You can sprinkle it on cereal or

drink it in a glass o water.

Constipation can also be caused by taking an

iron supplement. I this is the case, try swapping

it or Floravital, which you can get rom health

ood shops, or Spatone, which you can get rom

chemists. These are both iron-rich supplements,

which tend to upset the digestive system less.


Talk with Ruth

www.greatvine.com/ruth-armes

0906 207 26811.00/min from a BT landline. Calls from other networks and mobilesmay vary. 18+.


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1Eat healthy, regular

meals and carry

carbohydrate snacks

with you, especially in

the rst trimester to

keep the nausea at bay.

-Nikki Khan

2Catch up on yoursleep as and when

you can. 8 hours a

day is ideal, but can

be dicult in the rst

trimester and the last trimester,

so rest when you can during the

day. -Nikki Khan

3Wear comortable,

fat shoes as you are

more prone to twisting

your ankle due to the

pregnancy hormones

which relax all your muscles and

ligaments. Try putting your eet

up when you can, to prevent

atigue and swelling in your eetand ankles. -Nikki Khan

4Get tted or your

rst maternity bra at

about 6 weeks gestation,

then go or regular ttings

every six weeks or so as

youll just keep on getting bigger.

Top tips forpregnancy& birth



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Finally, at about 36 weeks, its

time to be tted or a nursing bra.

-Nikki Khan

5

Exercise can help

to relax you and

reduce stress. A daily,

moderate walk o at

least 15 to 20 minutes

will suce. -Nikki Khan

6

Get to know your

unborn child.

Remember your baby

has the ability to hear

rom about 21 weeks

gestation, so play music, talk and

even read to your baby.

-Nikki Khan

7

Be positive and

upbeat about your

pregnancy and the

eventual outcome

and dont listen to

horror stories! Remember to be

open-minded as every birth is

completely dierent.

-Nikki Khan

8Try to overcome

ear. Fear and anxiety

lead to an increase

in pain so by letting

go o any ears about

birth, your body is more likely

to labour in a relaxed, more

comortable way. -Maggie

Howell

9Learn to manage

pain. Learn techniques

to manage pain naturally

such as breathing,

relaxation and

visualisation. -Maggie Howell

10Know you can

do it. Many

women today

have lost trust

and belie in

their bodies ability to give birth

naturally. -Maggie Howell

11Prepare your

birth partner.

I your partner is

condent, well

inormed and

prepared, they will be able to

support you in a way that will

help you have a more positive

experience. -Maggie Howell

12Acquire

practical

skills. Think

through and

practice practical

things to help you be more

comortable such as massage and

visualisation. -Maggie Howell

13Relax during

birth you

will produce

pain-ghting

chemicals.

As soon as you tense up you

produce adrenaline and your

body prepares to escape the

situation rather than birth your

baby. -Laura Campbell

14

Ditch paper

knickers rom

your hospital

bag; they are

uncomortable

and they make a silly noise - a

bit like walking along wearing

a crisp packet. You can buy a

pack o 6 knickers or 2 in most

supermarkets - buy a size up or

comort. -Laura Campbell


Find more great

pregnancy & birth tipswww.greatvine.com/pregnancyandbirth


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more advice

Visit us online Email uswww.greatvine.com [email protected]

Pregnancy and childbirth are such

exciting times, but with so much to

prepare or its good to know where you

can nd advice thats unique or you.

Greatvine lets you talk on the phone with the

countrys best experts, whenever you need. Choose

rom leading specialists in over 80 topics covering

all aspects o pregnancy, childbirth and parenting

rom birth planning and baby sleep to postnatal

depression and child nutrition.

The team includes midwives, health visitors,

breasteeding specialists, paediatricians, practice

nurses, parenting coaches, child nutritionists, child

psychologists, counsellors and more.

With an average o ve qualications each the

experts oer advice you can trust. Friendly and

understanding, theyre here to help. Many also

contribute to TV, radio and to leading magazines &newspapers.

Simply browse the experts proles, choose a

specialist and talk whenever you need.

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