How to birth your placenta after your baby has been born
After the baby is born, you would think that there is nothing left to do. Your contractions have stopped, you are cuddling your baby and a wonderful feeling of relief …
Course: Journey to birth
The benefits of skin-on-skin contact after your baby is born
The moment you meet your baby It seems unbelievable now, but the moment when you will meet your baby gets closer and closer as you near the end of labour. …
Introduction to Week 3
Welcome back to the course. We hope that you have learned some new things about labour and birth that will be useful for you. This week, we will: talk about …
How to do perineal massages during the last month of pregnancy
Most women, understandably, do not like the idea of their vagina or perineum (the area between the vagina and anus) getting torn or cut during birth, and therefore needing stitches …
How to avoid perineal damage in the final stage of labour
When you are in the final stage of your labour, you will have an overpowering urge to push your baby out. This may happen suddenly, in the middle of a contraction, …
When labour begins
Julie explains in this video what to expect when labour begins. She explores the signs that labour is starting, what you can expect to happen and when to attend your …
How to talk to your birth partner about the options you have in labour
One important conversation you should have with your birth partner is about your birthing options: how you would like to labour and give birth. They need to know what your …
Introduction to Week 2
Welcome back! We hope that you enjoyed the first week of ‘Journey to Birth’ and that you found the information useful. In this week, we will give some more details …
Things to consider for a ‘gentle’ caesarean section
A ‘gentle’ caesarean section section promotes skin-to-skin contact with your baby, which is in turn linked with improved breastfeeding rates. Skin-to-skin contact also promotes bonding and helps keep your baby …
Things to consider about having a forceps or vacuum birth
Many women worry during pregnancy about having a forceps or vacuum birth. Forceps and vacuum births are vaginal births with the assistance of your doctor, who uses an instrument to …
Breaking the waters
Your baby is enclosed inside a bag made of two very thin membranes (like very thin skin). This bag contains a water-like fluid called ‘amniotic fluid’, which the baby is …
How to Hear Your Baby’s Heartbeat
Hearing your baby’s heartbeat is a special part of pregnancy and labour. Midwives have an important role in listening to and recording your baby’s heart rate throughout your labour. This …
Your Birth Plan
There are many things for you to consider when making your birth plan. Now is a chance for you to think about what you would like to do during your …
A breakdown of the natural labour process
There are many terms that your family and friends will use to describe their own labour. But just like pregnancy and birth, the labour process is an individual experience, one …
Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy
It is important to keep active every day. Half an hour of (brisk) walking each day can be enough, but if you can’t manage that, any amount of exercise is …