The Cascade of Interventions: Understanding the Impact on Your Birth Experience
The cascade of interventions refers to the chain of medical procedures that can follow one initial intervention during labour. While some are necessary, each can increase the likelihood of more, potentially changing the birth experience. Understanding this helps parents make informed decisions about their birth plan and know when interventions are truly needed.
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!
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.
Navigating the Baby Blues: What You Need to Know
The baby blues, often called the "third-day blues," affect up to 80% of new parents in the early postpartum days. Caused by hormonal shifts, sleep deprivation, and the overwhelming adjustments of life with a newborn, the baby blues can bring mood swings, tearfulness, and anxiety. While these feelings are normal and usually fade within two weeks, support and self-care can make all the difference. Discover practical tips for managing the baby blues, when to seek help, and why it’s okay to ask for support as you navigate this emotional phase of parenthood. Read on …..
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.
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….
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….
Advocacy during labour and the postnatal period.
Whether you give birth in the hospital, at home, an operating room, or in a warm bath or shower, labour and birth can be an arduous process. Almost inevitably, there will be choices to be made. Also, inevitably, it’s probably not going to go exactly as you had imagined, planned, or expected.
Postnatal Depression - you are not alone.
Sometimes, parents have difficulty adjusting to the many physical, emotional, psychological and social challenges of parenting. We know that everyone experiences symptoms of perinatal anxiety and depression differently. The way it affects you can depend on a range of factors. Your own physical, emotional and mental make-up and stressful external situations may combine to increase the risk of you developing symptoms of perinatal anxiety and/or depression.
