Understanding Antenatal Anxiety: How to Manage Worries During Pregnancy
Antenatal anxiety is common and can affect up to 1 in 10 pregnant women, often causing worry, panic attacks, and physical symptoms. While stress is normal during pregnancy, excessive anxiety can impact your well-being and relationship with your baby. Learn about the common causes, signs, and effective treatment options for managing antenatal anxiety, including counseling, support networks, and self-care techniques. Don’t let anxiety define your pregnancy experience – seek help early for a healthier, happier journey into parenthood.
Things You Really Don’t Want to Hear (or See) From Your Partner During Labour and Birth
Labour is no time for partners to drop the ball! While your role might not be as physical, your presence and support mean everything. But beware—there are a few classic mistakes that can turn a stressful situation into a downright disaster. From falling asleep to scrolling on your phone or making ill-timed jokes, we’ve compiled a list of what not to say or do during labour and birth. Read on to avoid the pitfalls and ensure you’re the supportive partner your loved one needs in the delivery room!
Essential Aftercare for Caesarean Section: Healing and Recovery Tips
After a C-section, recovery can take time and patience, but with the right care and support, you'll heal and feel stronger every day. The first few days after surgery are focused on managing pain, preventing infection, and allowing your body to rest. You’ll likely need assistance with daily tasks as you regain mobility and strength. It’s important to monitor your incision for signs of infection, stay hydrated, and follow your healthcare provider's advice on movement, rest, and nutrition. Taking care of yourself during this time is vital, so don't hesitate to ask for help, prioritize rest, and allow your body the time it needs to heal properly.
Embracing Fatherhood: The Realities of Becoming a Dad
Becoming a dad is a life-changing journey filled with joy, challenges, and growth. From late-night diaper changes to being your child's hero, fatherhood is as rewarding as it is demanding. Embrace the ups and downs, find your stride, and remember—it's okay not to have all the answers right away. This is your chance to shape a bond that lasts a lifetime, one loving moment at a time.
Midwives are Amazing!
Midwives are the heart of compassionate care, guiding families through pregnancy, birth, and beyond with expertise, support, and dedication. Discover the incredible role midwives play in empowering parents, ensuring safe births, and celebrating life's most precious moments.
Stronger Together: Building a Thriving Partnership and Parenting Team
Discover how to strengthen your relationship and work as a united team in parenting. From effective communication to shared responsibilities, learn practical tips to nurture your partnership while raising happy, healthy children.
Thriving as a Single Parent: Strength, Strategies, and Support
Discover practical tips, empowering strategies, and heartfelt advice for navigating life as a single parent. From balancing responsibilities to finding support, learn how to thrive and create a loving, stable environment for your child while embracing your unique parenting journey.
Understanding Phantom Pregnancy: When the Body Believes, but There's No Baby
Some of us will have had moments where we thought we were pregnant when we actually weren’t. Maybe your period was a few days late, and you just had “that feeling” that pregnancy was underway. You may have even had some signs of early pregnancy, such as nausea or sore breasts.
Usually, though, your suspicions (or hopes) are easily answered by the coming of your period or a negative pregnancy test. This sort of thing is common for most women to experience a few times in their childbearing years: a hunch that they are pregnant—and maybe even a few light pregnancy symptoms—only to find out it wasn’t true.
Understanding Miscarriage: Breaking the Silence and Sharing Support
Experiencing a miscarriage is a deeply personal and emotional journey, and it's important to know you're not alone. This blog explores the causes, emotional impact, and ways to navigate the healing process after pregnancy loss. Discover practical advice, supportive resources, and heartfelt stories to help you honor your journey and find comfort. Whether you're seeking understanding or looking for a community, this space is here to support you through every step.
How can you, as her partner, be the support she needs?
We all know what Mum's job is during labour and birth, but by offering your support, you play a crucial role as well. Besides providing encouragement during labor and birth, you’ll be the point person for all sorts of duties — from distractor-in-chief to cord-cutter!!
So, how can you prepare for what’s bound to be a physically exhausting day for her and an emotional one for both of you? Check out these tips so you can proceed with patience and confidence during one of the most important days of your life.
4th Trimester Realities: How to Manage the Rollercoaster
The 4th trimester, the first 3-8 weeks of your baby’s life, can be a challenging and emotional time for new mums. With hormones fluctuating, sleep deprivation, and the pressures of caring for a newborn, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. In this guide, we’ll help you navigate this transitional period with tips on managing postpartum recovery, understanding your baby’s needs, and seeking the support you need. Discover practical advice on what to expect during the 4th trimester, how to ask for help from partners and family, and how online support groups like Mum Huddle NZ can provide the community and reassurance you need to thrive.
Healing from PTSD: Tools, Treatments, and Hope for Recovery
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects millions worldwide, disrupting daily life and emotional well-being. Recognizing the symptoms of PTSD—such as flashbacks, heightened anxiety, and emotional numbness—is the first step toward recovery. With effective treatments like therapy, medication, and support networks, individuals can regain control and rebuild their lives. Discover more about the causes, signs, and healing strategies for PTSD in this guide.
Single Dad Life: Navigating parenthood.
Becoming or being a single dad is by far the biggest challenge you may have faced to date. However your journey started as a father, finding yourself as a single parent can be devastating, during which it’s easy to become overwhelmed by emotions - heartache, pain, confusion, panic, fear, feeling like a failure, and more. Many newly single dads struggle to know where to start. What should be first on your list, and how do you even begin to get your head around the rest?
It’s important to stay focused on what’s important, the bigger picture, putting your kids first and keeping things amicable with your ex-partner.
When Fatherhood Feels Heavy: Understanding Anxiety and Depression in New Dads
Becoming a new dad is a life-changing event. Even when change is positive, it can still be challenging. Having mixed and complex emotions as an expectant or new dad is completely normal, but these can be confronting emotions to manage. Along with feelings of joy, excitement and pride, the experience of pregnancy and birth can be accompanied by feelings of apprehension, anxiety and exhaustion. Keep reading….
Hands-On Fatherhood: The Benefits of Baby Massage for Dads
There are lots of ways that dads can enhance bonding with their babies - from nappy changing, feeding, babywearing and bathing them but, baby massage is something that bit extra special. Continue reading here..
Teen Dad Life: Building Strength, One Day at a Time
Becoming a parent can be one of the biggest and most demanding changes a person can go through, and if you're a teen and you've recently learned that you are going to become a dad, this could be a confusing time for you.
It’s completely normal to have lots of different thoughts and feelings, and it may take a long time to get used to the idea of becoming a dad. Young dads are among the most socially excluded parenting groups throughout the world. Continue reading…..
Postnatal Depression - A Partners Perspective.
Welcoming your new baby is a time of joy, as well as a radical life adjustment for you both. Your partner is recovering from pregnancy and birth, you are both learning to meet the needs of your newborn, and throw in the lack of sleep, times can be trying to say the least! When postnatal depression is added into the mix, it can tip any sense of balance, and make the postnatal adjustment feel completely overwhelming. Keep reading….
Support Persons Role - it’s important.
Supporting your partner through pregnancy is a very important job. Pregnancy and childbirth can be exhausting both physically and emotionally, so helping her in any way you can will benefit her, your relationship and ultimately your baby. Going to check-ups and antenatal classes are an important part in supporting your partner during pregnancy. Learn more….
Natural Pain Relief - and your options.
The topic of pain in labour and birth is a hotly debated subject around the coffee table and while pain in labour can't be entirely avoided (for most people), the fear of pain can be addressed and reduced. Taking good birth education classes, working with a trusted and supportive midwife, and having good continuous support from a partner, friend, or family member all can help greatly reduce your fear of pain in birth. It also helps to know a few things about labour pain.
Get UPRIGHT !!!
Birth moved from home into hospital during the 1900s. The medical model of maternity care became entrenched in society, along with the expectation that women would labour on a bed. Flat on their back, and sometimes with their legs in stirrups. There is a complete lack of evidence to support this physiologically dysfunctional birthing position, which simply came down to doctor preference, and subsequently, how they were then trained (bugger!)
