Prepare for a confident birth – The Birth Class
What is infertility?
The Two Week Wait
Non-invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT)
What is low PAPP-A?
Managing Labour Pain
Breech Birth
5 Tips for Travelling With Kids
Caesarean Birth Recovery
I’m a light packer – I really only pack the essentials because there’s nothing worse than lugging heavy suitcases through airports while keeping an eye on three kids. Plus, when we go to Fiji, we live in our swimmers.
If you’re planning a family holiday, here’s my five realistic tips for a smooth and enjoyable family trip:
This blog is proudly brought to you by Once Upon.
I’m not sure about your kids but mine love looking at old photos of themselves. I recently made Ottie a photo book with the help of @onceuponapp It was so quick and easy to make I just selected photos in my phone and the @onceuponapp suggested the layout and offered lots of choices at the click of a button. I’ve ordered an extra copy to gift to my mum for Mother’s Day too.
You can document your memories in a beautiful book today.
We think you might enjoy these articles
postpartum
Travel is a priority for my Australian/Fijian family. We try to get back to Fiji once a year so the boys can better understand and have a strong sense of pride in their cultural heritage. I’m also partial to a margarita by the pool.
If you’re recovering from a caesarean birth (c-section) it’s helpful to remember that your body needs to heal after major abdominal surgery. Caesarean births are common (roughly one in three in Australia) but significant surgery requires adequate recovery time. Here's what you can expect in your caesarean recovery.
There is so much talk about baby sleep - ‘is he a good sleeper?’ ‘How many naps does he have during the day?’ ‘Is she sleeping through the night?’ but we’re missing the conversations about maternal sleep.
If you had a caesarean birth and you’ve noticed an overhang or a bulge over your scar, we want you to know that it’s completely normal and a natural part of birth recovery. It’s not dependent on whether you had a planned or emergency caesarean nor is it a result of a bad incision or hindered healing process; it’s simply a common side-effect of wound healing.
If you’re in the third trimester you’re no doubt thinking about all that’s to come; labour, birth, and a precious newborn baby. There is so much to look forward to and prepare for. But often, we spend so much time thinking of what our baby needs that we rarely think about ourselves. So, we’re here to gently encourage you (read: implore you!) to start thinking about your post-birth recovery. It’s generally quite a slow process and for many women, especially first-time mothers, it can be quite confronting. We don’t want to scare you but research shows that realistic expectations pave the way for a positive postpartum experience
Typically occurring between day 3-5 after birth, breast engorgement is a common symptom in early postpartum when your milk comes. It can also occur later in your breastfeeding journey if your baby sleeps for longer and misses a feed, or drops a feed during the day or night. It can cause your breasts to be full and hard and this can cause pain and make it tricky for your baby to latch. Essentially, your breasts can feel like they’re about to explode which is quite disconcerting.
You may have heard some nightmarish stories about mastitis and frankly, it’s not something you want to contend with at any stage of your breastfeeding journey. It’s most common in the first three months postpartum but it can strike at any time, particularly if your baby has reduced their feeds, is starting to sleep for longer periods at night or you’re weaning.
In early postpartum, breastfeeding and sleep challenges are common and can contribute to anxiety and overwhelm. Unless you have a private midwife, there’s a distinct void of health services in postpartum which makes it challenging to access professional support. It’s definitely beneficial to be aware of this in pregnancy so you can adequately prepare for postpartum.