NCT Gloucester - Changing Times - Spring 2014 by Tina G

Changing Times Gloucester & District Branch Spring 2014

In this issue:        

Breastfeeding in Art Nearly New Table Top Sale 10th May 2014. Find out more on page 46. Two Birth Stories Boy or Girl ?- Bump Quiz! Top 10 Tips for New Mums Breastfeeding Challenges Slings….waste of money or indispensable? Cleft Baby - a mother’s story Here’s one I made earlier...

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About this issue and branch news

Welcome, To NCT Gloucester’s branch newsletter Changing Times Spring 2014 issue. I would like to say goodbye from NCT Gloucester as this is my last issue as newsletter editor for our lovely branch. I am expecting baby number 3 in Summer and am moving away. Therefore, I will step down from all my roles soon. I had a great time volunteering for the NCT Gloucester and met great people, made lots of friends and really enjoyed editing this newsletter and all my other volunteering roles. In this issue: Our cover star this issue is Robert :) Isn’t he adorable!? Pregnancy - Bumps Quiz Breastfeeding - Breastfeeding in Art and Breastfeeding Challenges Birth Stories - two accounts this time, one Waterbirth at Cheltenham birth unit and a Caesarean Birth Baby / Parenting - we have a story about Owen who was born with a cleft palate and lip, there are Top 10 Tips for New Mums, an article about slings, some information about NCT baby first aid courses and an account of a mum’s daily life (Here’s one I made earlier…).

Volunteers needed!

representative as well as PSA link. Welcome also to Louise (Bumps & Babies and Branch Publicity & Social Media), Anna (webmaster) and Annabel (membership Secretary). We hope you’ll enjoy your time with us and thank you for your help! The roles we still need filling to make sure we don’t have to close our branch are:  Joint/Co- Branch Coordinator * Additional roles that are available:  Bumps & Babies helpers  NNS helpers  Newsletter team members  Grants Coordinator *  Event Coordinator  Deputy Treasurer * The roles with a * require an NCT membership for insurance and data protection reasons, as you will be dealing with our members’ personal details.

If you are interested in volunteering, please get in touch by email Gloucester@nct.org.uk or pm us on facebook.com/gloucesternct Thank you!

A big but sad goodbye from me and all the Hopefully you’ll enjoy our Spring 2014 stories! best to all NCT Gloucester branch volunteers, members and supporters! Branch news: Tina (me) and Karen K are leaving NCT Gloucester and we are looking for more Newsletter Editor and Branch Co-ordinator volunteers to fill their roles. Thank you both Karen & Tina for all your dedication and hard Web: www.nct.org.uk/gloucester work! We are glad to welcome Gemma on board who will take on the roles of newsletter editor www.twitter.com/NCTGloucester and advertising coordinator once Tina has left. Thank you Gemma! www.facebook.com/GloucesterNCT Thank you also to Nikki who will become our branch coordinator, Salina who will add the role of parent support coordinator to her roles, www.facebook.com/groups/glosbumps Yvonne, who will be our new MSLC

Tina x

NCT Gloucester & District

In this issue Welcome.................................................................................................................. 3 Cleft baby - a mother’s story ..................................................................................... 5 NCT Relax, Stretch & Breathe .................................................................................. 7 Breastfeeding in Art .................................................................................................. 8 Pain in the Drain....................................................................................................... 12 Birth Story - Waterbirth at Cheltenham Birth Unit ....................................................... 12 Birth Announcements ............................................................................................... 16 About NCT ............................................................................................................... 18 Birth Story - True account of Induction and C-Birth .................................................... 19 Here’s one I made earlier… oh, and a Couple More for Luck...................................... 33 NCT Baby First Aid Courses ..................................................................................... 34 NCT Bumps & Babies............................................................................................... 36 Top 10 Tips for new Mums........................................................................................ 37 Bumps Quiz ............................................................................................................. 38 NCT shop................................................................................................................. 40 Slings… waste of money or indispensable................................................................. 41 NCT Courses ........................................................................................................... 45 Breastfeeding Support Groups.................................................................................. 46 Breastfeeding Challenges ......................................................................................... 47 Local Support & NCT National helpline...................................................................... 48 NCT Nearly New Sale............................................................................................... 49 NCT Gloucester Contacts ......................................................................................... 50

are supporting NCT Gloucester with a donation of £20 for any ceremony booked through NCT. So if you would like a baby naming, wedding, renewal of vows or civil partnership ceremony, contact Sarah and let her know that you found cotswoldceremonies.co.uk through NCT. Thank you!

National Childbirth Trust This publication costs £2.00 to produce and is sent for free to our members. Donations to support our work are welcome. The information in this newsletter is for the benefit of NCT (National Childbirth Trust) members and beneficiaries. It may be used only in connection with NCT activities and may not be used for any commercial purposes. The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of NCT. The information contained in this newsletter should not be reproduced without the editor's consent in writing. The appearance of an advertisement in this newsletter does not imply endorsement of the company or its products by NCT, nor does it constitute a recommendation. However, it is always worth mentioning when replying to an advertisement that you saw it in an NCT newsletter. NCT cannot be held liable for loss, damage or injury arising out of goods sold through any advertisements in this newsletter. Any discount offered to NCT members by any advertisement is done so entirely at the discretion of the advertiser. Our branch is run by volunteers. We are mostly parents with young children working from home which means we are not always available. Please be considerate of meal/bed times if you telephone us, and allow a few days for us to respond to emails. This includes our agents such as bra fitters, valley cushion and pump agents, and also our breastfeeding counsellors and peer supporters.

Cleft baby - a mother’s story By Sarah Hackett It was autumn 2002 and off I went to my local hospital for the twenty week scan, full of excitement to see my new baby ….. Having waited the inevitable time whilst ‘holding on’ (if you’ve been pregnant you’ll know what I mean), I entered the examination room …… There he was – my beautiful baby boy! It was so exciting to see him (I didn’t know he was a he, I was waiting for that surprise) until the sonographer went silent and then randomly announced “he has a hole in his mouth”. Shocked, I asked what she meant and she said I needed another scan …… My bubble burst, I waited anxiously to find out whether Owen’s cleft was just that or whether it was the ‘final’ symptom in a string of them. Fortunately, a detailed scan later, I was given the news that my baby was going to be born only with a cleft lip and palate. I was to have monthly scans until his birth and the specialist baby care unit would be on hand at his birth in case there were further complications. If you have ever been pregnant, you will know how exciting it is but you also wonder what your baby will be like, will you cope, how do you parent, and many many more things. Now I was wondering what all this meant for me ….. Luckily, we were introduced to Cathy. Cathy is a specialist nurse who works at Frenchay Hospital for the Cleft Team there. She talked me through what to expect and showed us pictures too. Nine days late, Owen made his entrance in to this world. My first born son, it was a special occasion! He was just perfect! Any worries I had about looking at him and not bonding melted in to the background as I cuddled this beautiful little man! His cleft was one-sided but so severe that it looked like a double sided cleft. He looked decidedly different. The hospital gave me my own room so I could look after him in a little privacy. (I soon learnt peoples’ reaction to seeing him was a shock for them!) Owen wasn’t able to breast feed (as with a number of cleft babies) because he couldn’t NCT Gloucester & District

make a seal to enable him to get suction so I expressed my milk for him. I was given special bottles to feed him with that were soft so you can gently squeeze the milk in to a baby’s mouth. And home I went …… Well, I guess this is where the fun begins! As with any new (first) baby, getting home and beginning the journey that is being a parent isn’t without its ups and downs. For me, I had the complication of Owen’s cleft. It made feeding him very difficult and he didn’t regain his weight. It was a very stressful time, added to which was my need to deal with the reactions of people who saw Owen for the first time …… When Owen was about three months old, he had his first operation. My tiny baby was put to sleep in front of me and taken away to have either side of his top lip glued together so they would stretch ready for operation number two which would be his lip being surgically stitched by a plastic surgeon. Operation three consisted of his palate repair and operation four was to re-fix his palate. Four operations and he wasn’t even one! I think he coped better than I did! Feeding Owen never really did get any easier. I remember my midwife triumphantly feeding him with his ‘squeezy’ bottle one day and being very pleased with herself. She ‘squeezed’ the milk in to him at pace and, within five minutes he was sick all over her!!!! I have to say I found it quite funny!!! I think one thing for me that made it difficult 5

was differentiating between what was ‘normal’ baby development and what was related to Owen’s cleft. I never really did work this out, all you can do is do what you feel is right. Owen is now nearly eleven. He has had another operation since his young age, which was to bone graft bone from his shin to create a new bit of his jaw which was missing since birth. Not the most pleasant experience, which actually is more painful for your leg that in your mouth! Owen coped admirably in the circumstances and I was very proud of him. Owen has regular hearing tests (cleft children can suffer with glue ear and deafness) and meets with the speech therapist to check he is on track. All cleft children stay under the umbrella care of their local centralised cleft team, which for the South West is Frenchay Hospital, Bristol. They have a complete team including orthodontist, psychiatrists and those already mentioned. The team regularly review a child’s development at key stages of their life. Owen just had his age ten review.

Owen will always look different to other children and is used to being asked why he has a “line down his lip”, however, I do hope that when he heads off to senior school, no one thinks to tease him …… Like any mother, you are always worrying! If you would like any more information about clefts, CLAPA is the best source of information. Check out their website at www.clapa.com.

Happy Easter from the NCT Gloucester volunteers! Advertising in Changing Times Advertise in our magazine and reach parents-to-be as well as parents. Our rates start from £12 (incl, VAT) Book for a year (3 issues) at a discounted rate. Please contact us for more details. Newsletter.gloucester@nct.org.uk

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Breastfeeding in Art From NCT newsletter shared files - author anonymous

Breastfeeding is depicted in the art of almost all Ancient civilisations. The earliest known examples have been found in cave paintings and dated to be over 20,000 years old. In the pre-historic world, day-to-day survival was never certain and procreation to guarantee the survival of the species was of utmost importance. Most of the earliest sculptures of women show them with enlarged breasts, bellies and buttocks, symbolising the ability to conceive and nourish their young. In some images, the figure is seen nursing a child, and it is thought that the early peoples would have prayed to these idols in order to ensure their own fertility. One of the most realistic depictions of breastfeeding in early culture is shown in a Babylonian terracotta bust, carved in around 6000 BC (fig.1). This is one of my favourite pieces as it shows a beautiful tenderness and detail of expression rarely seen in examples dating from this period.

allowed this devotion to spread beyond the bounds of the Egyptian civilisation and into the Greco-Roman world. However, this cross-over from Ancient Egypt was not the only place breastfeeding featured in the legends of Ancient Greece and Rome. As well as the well-known Roman foundation myth in which Romulus and Remus were suckled by a she-wolf, several legends grew up concerning the origin of the Milky Way. In one such legend it is said that Jupiter attempted to immortalise his infant son Hercules by holding him to the breasts of the goddess Juno. The milk which spurted up from her breasts was then said to have formed the galaxy the Milky Way. This legend inspired the work of several later artists including Tintoretto, who depicted the scene in "The Origin of the Milky Way" in 1575 and Rubens who painted his "Birth of the Milky Way" in 1637. Another legend grew around Sophia, the ancient goddess or personification of wisdom, who is said to have suckled philosophers at her breast.

But it was not just in the Greco-Roman world that such legends arose. The act of breastfeeding also finds prominence in Hindu As cultures developed, so did their forms of mythology. Legend tells worship, and simple devotion to idols grew into that the infant Krishna increasingly complex myths and legends, often was hidden away from intended to explain the mysteries of the world the murderous king or the origin of a particular Kamsa of Mathura to be society. Breastfeeding raised in safety in a formed an important part of small village. In many many of these legends. artworks, foster-mother Statues of Isis, Ancient Yashoda is depicted Egyptian goddess of nursing the young god. motherhood and fertility, One of my favourite often show her nursing her examples dates from the 12th Century, and son Horus (fig.2). It is again displays a wonderful level of realism, thought that Isisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; legendary including the infant Krishna holding playfully qualities as faithful wife onto Yashoda's other nipple and gazing and devoted mother are lovingly up at her, in a way that I'm sure many what ensured her a mother of a nursing toddler would relate to continued worship after devotion to many of today. (fig.3) the other Egyptian gods had died out, and 8

As the Christian church developed, the image of Mary breastfeeding the infant Jesus (Maria Lactans) was frequently used to show maternal love and devotion, drawing parallels between this relationship and the ideal of Christian devotion to the "mother Church". It is seen in many icons and artworks from the First Century up until the 1550s, when the Catholic Council of Trent declared that images of the Virgin Mary should show her fully covered and discouraged devotion to the nursing Virgin. In the Russian Orthodox church, where the rulings of Trent did not apply, devotion to the Virgin “Galaktotrophousa” (the Milk-Giver) is still popular and her feast is celebrated on 3rd July. (fig.4) This was not, however, the only way that breastmilk featured in Christian tradition. In some versions of the story of St Bernard of Clairvaux, the saint is said to have been given wisdom after being touched by the breastmilk of the Virgin Mary. (fig.5) It is likely that this story arose as an attempt to Christianize the earlier myth of the goddess Sophia, and as such the idea of breastmilk in some way transmitting desirable qualities - even knowledge itself persisted into the Christian world. Alongside artworks inspired by Christian tradition, such as Leonado’s Madonna Litta NCT Gloucester & District

(fig.6) the Renaissance also saw a renewed interest in Classical myths and legends. The Fountain of Neptune in Bologna, Italy, which shows the god Neptune commanding the waters beneath him, is adorned with lactating nereids. The Italian Renaissance garden of Villa d'Este at Tivoli includes another interesting fountain which appears to show the ancient goddess Artemis (Diana) lactating through multiple breasts (fig.7). Historians now believe that this image derived from a misinterpretation of earlier statues of the Lady of Ephesus, which show her in a costume adorned by egg-shaped amber gourds and that this is what the “breasts” actually were. However, as gourds were regarded as symbols of fertility in Ancient times and placed decoratively over the breast, it is easy to see how a more literal interpretation arose later in history - and, to be honest, I rather like the many-breasted interpretation myself. Breastfeeding also features strongly in Oriental art. Traditionally, in both Chinese and Japanese cultures, breastfeeding was seen as especially important for those of noble blood, with Chinese Emperors often nursing into early adolescence. One of my favourite images of breastfeeding in art comes from this early 19th Century Japanese ukiyo-e (woodcut) print by Kitagawa Utamaro showing a nursing mother and her child. To me, the artist has captured the spirit of a nursing toddler 9

perfectly, showing the child taking comfort at the breast - perhaps even hiding behind it but also looking out towards the world with a playful curiosity, pulling at the breast as he turns his head to see all that is going on in this exciting world that is all new to him. (fig.8)

the same title in 1963 (fig.12). I feel that this later image has a more joyous and confident quality, perhaps reflecting the maturity of the painter as well as his subject. Another In Europe of the 19th of my favourite 20th Century, the portrayal Century artworks is a of breastfeeding in art sculpture by Danish artist changed to reflect the Kai Nielsen, showing the changing artistic “water mother” surrounded by tiny infants movements of the climbing over her to suckle at her breast. time. Whereas earlier (fig.13) artistic and cultural movements had shown breastfeeding as something mystical, often linked to the deities of the time, 19th Century painters often found beauty in a romanticised view of nature and the common woman. Renoir's painting "Maternity" (fig.9) presents a romantic image of his future wife Aline feeding baby Pierre, who lounges comfortably on her lap, playing However, throughout the early to mid-20th with his foot and Century, breastfeeding rates were steadily peeking out decreasing in most westernised countries, towards the largely due to the manufacture and promotion of viewer, whilst infant formula. As such, people were becoming Léon Frédéric's less and less familiar with images of "The Ages of the Worker" (fig.10) gives a breastfeeding in their daily lives. In the 1970s grittier portrayal of working women nursing there were moves to increase breastfeeding their infants, with this simple act of natural rates in the UK and USA, among other nations, beauty providing a stark contrast to the and as more and more health benefits became increasingly industrialised world around . known these currents became stronger. But in spite of this, the The early 20th Century saw images of generations in which breastfeeding in many more works of art. One breastfeeding had of my favourites is been discouraged had Picasso’s early work a direct impact not only “Maternity”, painted in on the practice itself 1905 (fig.11), which but on the way it was displays a beautiful seen in art and culture. tenderness between the mother and her newborn child. Picasso later reNowadays if you were visited the theme and asked to name painted a second image of famous images of 10

breastfeeding in modern art you would likely point to the sculpture of Angelina Jolie breastfeeding her twins (fig.14), or possibly even the infamous "mom enough" Time Magazine cover (fig.15). Whilst I commend any attempts to get breastfeeding talked about and better understood (especially the lesser known aspects, such as nursing multiples, or older children) my personal feeling about both of these pieces is that there is something stiff and awkward about them. Perhaps it is no wonder in a culture that has moved so far away from the most natural methods of raising our children that even our artists seem a little unsure of how to depict them, possibly expecting to excite controversy as much as wonder. If you look around the world, however, you will find some wonderful examples of breastfeeding

in modern art. One of my personal favourites is “Twins” by Philippine artist Tam Austria (fig.16), whose colourful works exude such beauty and warmth. And I will leave you with one of my favourite sculptures, found on Nami Island in South Korea (fig.17), which seems to me to be so full of joy and so real (although stylised in form) that it brings a smile to my face every time I see it.

Pictures: 1. Terracotta bust of a nursing mother c.6000 BC 2. Bronze statue of Isis nursing Horus, Karnak Late Period (664-332 B.C.) 3. Yashoda nursing Krishna, 12th Century, Southern India 4. 6th Century Russian Icon, Mary the Milk-Giver 5. “The Vision of St Bernard”, Alonso Cano c.1650 6. “Madonna Litta”, Leonardo da Vinci, 1491 7. “Many-breasted” fountain at Villa d’Este, completed 1572 8. Ukiyo-e print, Kitagawa Utamaro, 1801 9. “Maternity”, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1885 10. Detail from “The Ages of the Worker”, Leon Frederic, 1895 11. “Maternity”, Pablo Piccasso, 1905 12."Maternity”, Pablo Piccasso, 1965 13“The Water Mother”, Kai Nielsen, 1921 14. Angelina Jolie by Daniel Edwards (2009) 15. TIME magazine cover (May 2012) 16. “Twins” by Tam Austria 17. Sculpture on Nami Island, S. Korea

NCT Gloucester & District

Pain in the drain NCT 2013

If the sewer floods externally it can pollute watercourses and the environment.

The NCT supports the UK water industry's national Bag it and Bin it Campaign which asks people to avoid flushing items that can block sewers and pollute the environment. These blockages can cost families hundreds of pounds to clear and significant blockages can cause toilets, sinks and baths to overflow inside homes, causing extensive damage which is extremely distressing

Baby (wet) wipes are one of the biggest culprits. Even wipes described as “flushable” cause blockages and the biodegradable ones often don’t spend long enough in the sewer to start to decompose. That’s why water companies ask customers to only flush the three Ps – pee, poo and paper. Anything else should be put in the bin. Another pain in the drain which causes blockages are cooking oils, even vegetable and nut oils, which are poured down kitchen sinks. These solidify as they cool and can block people’s private pipes as well as the public sewers, leading to flooding. Small amounts of cooking oil can easily be disposed of by wiping pans with paper towels which can then be thrown in the bin. Oil can also be transferred into plastic bottles, once they have cooled, before being thrown away or taken to a local tip to be recycled into biofuel. Find out more information on what you can do to avoid nasty blockages and protect your home and the environment from flooding: http://www.water.org.uk/home/resources-andlinks/bagandbin

Birth Story - Waterbirth at Cheltenham Birth Unit By Caroline Magovern It was May 2012 and I had about 6 weeks until my due date. Having had one very normal pregnancy and labour I was probably a little blasé about baby no. 2 and thought it would be a breeze and was almost looking forward to my relaxed, low risk birth at the Midwife Led Birth Unit at Cheltenham General Hospital, however things didn’t go quite as planned. I arrived for my routine midwife appointment at my local GP surgery and after the usual preamble I heaved myself up on to the couch and got my belly out for measurement. Whilst staring around the room trying to avoid eye contact with my stretch marks the midwife measuring the same as two weeks ago. Let turned to me and said “Oooo, you’re bump is me just have another go”. So with a prod of 12

the pubic bone and wiggle under my ribs she took a second measurement and it came out the same. I could see the concern on her face but didn’t really connect it with the multitude of problems which could cause this lack of growth. It certainly wasn’t due to lack of calories on my part!

control but this really did worry not just me but my husband too. We didn’t know what to expect from the coming days and inevitably thought the worst. We returned to the Cheltenham General hospital in the coming days and my levels of amniotic fluid had slightly decreased again although everything looked a-ok otherwise. The doctors were becoming more concerned now and as I was coming up to the 37 week mark where I would be considered ‘full term’ there was talk of imminent induction. I started to panic and went home and read all these long drawn out horror stories from women who had been induced. I also read up on ‘Oligohydraminos’ (low amniotic fluid) and learnt that a deficit of amniotic fluid can cause complications in labour and could affect how our babies lungs develop. The only scrap of light I could salvage at the end of this tunnel was when I read that amniotic fluid is I was referred to Gloucester Royal Hospital supposed to decrease after 38 weeks so where I had the usual stats taken; blood perhaps I was just experiencing this a little pressure, monitoring, temperature etc. earlier than expected? Everything appeared normal. Once again the A day or two later I once again returned for doctor measured my bump and agreed that it monitoring, scanning and general was small for the number of weeks I had assessment. We were shocked to see our reached. I’d mentioned that I had been baby’s heartbeat was creating very significant experiencing some dampness and so the peaks and troughs on the trace created by the doctor carried out an internal examination and monitor and now our concern about this and swab to see if my waters were leaking and the amniotic fluid levels almost made me hence causing my bump to reduce in size. certain I’d be delivering a baby within a matter The results were negative – back to square of days. All I could think about was the fact one. that my hospital bag wasn’t ready – not We were booked in that day for a scan, as enough knickers by half! well as being able to see the baby; the However, the day took an unexpected turn sonographer measured the blood flow through when the amniotic fluid levels had shown an the umbilical cord and also the level of increase amniotic fluid in the amniotic sac. It was at to the this point we started to understand why my beautiful little bump had seemingly stopped growing. We were told that the level of amniotic fluid was not as high as they would usually see at this stage of pregnancy. We had already ruled out through internal examination that my waters had not broken and so the doctors were a little perplexed and agreed to rescan in a couple of days’ time at Cheltenham General Hospital to recheck the levels. I must admit, I’m not usually someone to over exaggerate or worry about things out of my NCT Gloucester & District

sonographer. The results were passed to a specialist within the hospital and I waited a while for them to consider our next steps. What seemed like hours passed whilst I sat in the waiting room, wondering whether I would have to give up my low risk birth at the Birth Unit in Cheltenham and have the very medically led, hospital bound birth I had first time around. In 2009, my son was born at a hospital in Warwickshire and the experience was not one I wanted to repeat. Every 5 minutes I had someone examining me, touching, prodding and poking me with their various instruments. My labour was about 14 hours from start to finish (pretty good for a 1st timer so I hear) and I had only gas and air but I was thrashing around on the hospital bed like a woman possessed. I was drifting in and out of consciousness and swearing a lot! I remember repeating over and over “I can’t do it” and almost giving up right before he was born. I felt strapped to the bed and I was in shock for probably 48hrs after birth – I felt utterly traumatised by the whole experience. Back to 2012 and I was finally called in to see the specialist and was overjoyed to be given the all clear to deliver at the beautiful midwife led unit in Cheltenham General Hospital. I felt like skipping all the way home, I was over the moon. Weeks passed and at 14:30 on 5th July 2012, just after I’d done a supermarket shop, I felt contractions coming on very gently. I kept my husband updated until 15:15 and thought best 14

if he came home and took me to hospital. I contacted the Birth Unit in the meantime and the lady was lovely, despite my heavy breathing, she advised me to make my way in as soon as I could. Off we went, a little apprehensively, to the hospital. Typically my contractions seemed to ease off in the car and I was half expecting to be sent packing upon arrival at the hospital but we couldn’t have been made more welcome. We were shown to a pretty lilac bedroom (yes, it was more like a hotel room then a hospital room) which had an en-suite, leather double sofa bed, birth couch, mood lighting, birth pool and birthing ball. After all the introductions with the staff I was offered a bounce on the birth ball whilst my husband rubbed my lower back with some lovely aromatherapy oils from the midwife, she had made a special blend based on how I felt. We’d been at the unit for a couple of hours and not once had anyone taken my blood pressure, monitored me or intervened in any way. I almost felt like I wasn’t in labour and I was still smiling.

At about 20:00 the midwife asked if I would mind being examined, I was eager to know what was happening down there so hopped onto the birthing couch and let the student midwife loose on me. I could not believe what she was about to say…..I was 7cm+ dilated and she could see the babies hair! I looked at my husband and smiled like a Cheshire cat. With the examination over and done with I climbed back into the birthing pool to continue labouring. By 21:00 the gas and air was being dished out and I was getting the urge to push. contact us on: Newsletter.gloucester@nct.org.uk

With what seemed like a few good pushes out popped our beautiful baby girl, Florence May Magovern weighing 7lb 8.5oz at 21:56. Whilst the midwives got to work taking Florence’s measurements I had a bath and left the new Dad to hold his daughter for the first time. The student midwife wrote all the vital stats on the back of a tape measure for us to keep. I could not fault the ladies that work on the Birth Unit at Cheltenham (they also make wonderful toast with jam)! I can’t begin to explain how pain free my labour was, I don’t know if it was the water, or the aromatherapy oils but I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.

Your NCT branch: Who are we? 

We are all volunteers. The only people paid in our branch are the trained specialist workers who run antenatal and postnatal courses and breastfeeding counselling.

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We don’t have offices. We have an email group and we meet once a month in each others’ houses or in a local pub. You’re very welcome to come along to meetings & see what we do.

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We are all parents. You don’t have to be a parent to volunteer, but using NCT services is how most of us got involved.

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We are old & new. Some of us have been involved since our teenagers were babies, others are brand new.

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We squeeze in our NCT work! Our volunteering fits in around our families, and the other things we do, like work or study.

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We are not Super! Okay, so some of the things we pull off are pretty amazing for a small bunch of volunteers (sometimes with lots of helpers) —like our Nearly New Sales. But don’t let that put you off! No special powers, previous involvement with NCT or previous experience are needed.

We’d love to have you join us. NCT Gloucester & District

Birth Announcements

Birth announcements are only available in our print newsletter.

NCT Gloucester & District

About the NCT NCT is here to support parents. We give them accurate, impartial information so that they can decide what’s best for their family, and we introduce them to a network of local parents to gain practical and emotional support. Our vision Our vision is a world in which parents are valued and supported to build a strong society, believing that a child’s early years significantly impact upon the future they help to shape. Our charitable purpose  We offer information and support in pregnancy, birth and early parenthood  We campaign to improve maternity care and ensure better services and facilities for new parents

 We aim to give every parent the chance to make informed choices  We want to make sure that everyone has access to our services and activities

Birth Story: True Account of an Induction and C-Birth By Elisa Le Prevost Irvine

Firstly, let me say that during my pregnancy I was in a bubble of positive thinking, listening to meditations and calming classical music, attending NCT classes, even preparing in some detail for a water birth. Despite the fact that all healthy food made me physically sick and my weight spiralled out of control, I remained positive. I couldn’t sleep well because of the weight on my hips, my feet swelled up beyond recognition every day during the last trimester. None of this deterred me! I talked calmly to the little boy I was carrying, who I affectionately named Ray (like a ray of sunshine) and I looked forward to my maternity leave and a swift, not-to-painful birth. How did I manage to stay this enbubbled? I had come through a few years of trying to get pregnant and a failed IVF cycle. I had been very disappointed by the way the IVF care was handled – tests that should have been done at the start to get the dosage right, only harvesting one egg, coming round from an anaesthetic to make choices that I should have been given months to research and make – hitting a real low, and how had I ended up? Pregnant - after being told by the specialist that it just wouldn’t happen for me unless I went abroad for egg donation – and even then the odds were stacked against me. So, of course, having managed to get pregnant miraculously, I was not going to mope! As the time approached for the birth, I was told I might be induced, since I would be forty by my due date. I did not think it would happen as I was enormous - surely the baby couldn't stay in such a squashed manner for long? I was wrong, because he braced his little legs across me for three weeks and tucked his head down, but still he didn’t come. What to do? I had to go in for the dreaded induction. Upon arriving in the maternity ward, in the middle of a heat wave with no air-con, I was told that I was too big to have my beloved water birth! It took a few hours for this to sink in and because I had asked to speak to a doctor, I had a 9 hour wait while they ‘just took care of a few patients downstairs’. Time plopped into a gaping chasm without trace... NCT Gloucester & District

Eventually the pessaries began. Gas and air, is all I’m going to say about them. On the third day of the heat wave and induction, I was told I could go down to have my waters broken. I was 8 days overdue and hadn’t slept for three nights due to (lucky) labouring neighbours in the wards. I was relieved. I gathered my things. Dom and I waited. Then, they were too busy again ‘downstairs’ in the delivery suite and Dom was sent home. Day four. I was offered a fourth pessary (!) No no noooo. Waters broken pleeeease. So down we went. The first midwife had tiny hands and had to call a bigger one(!?) and then it was done. Anti-climax – nothing happened. Baby Ray was still staying! I had a bath. Lunch. Nothing. So the drip was started. At this point I was so exhausted that I hadn’t realised it was the dreaded oxytocin drip! Pain came in waves and I crushed my tailbone and heels. I thrashed around for 5 relatively unproductive hours and then the midwife turned to me and said “Would you like some more pain management?” YES! The original birth plan sailed off to a distant place and I mutely accepted the epidural with the most gratitude I’ve ever felt in my life – probably. Eventually after much shivering, and no food – and most importantly, no birth! – I was taken fifteen hours after the drip started for a C-section. I never dilated adequately, and the baby’s heart rate had dipped again. You are told that there’ll be a lot of people in the operating room, and believe me, after such a long four days you don’t care, you don’t think who sees what or how or when; you just wait for the little wail of your baby and some reassuring words to let you know they’re fine. Then you sort of pass out. Shock meant that when I woke I was burning hot and thought I might be terribly feverish, someone as exhausted and medicated as me couldn’t understand what was happening, so I drank about 8 glasses of water and tipped 2 over myself to cool down. Little Raphael (Ray didn’t suit him when we met) was peaceful, but hungry. Thankfully, my husband was on hand, though ashen with exhaustion and he was able to give some baby-bonding hugs. We stayed in hospital for 19

5 more days while Raphael had some precautionary anti-biotics, lost weight, gained it back and ‘presented’ more healthily. It was a long time before I could even walk to the end of my street. Now I can do everything, but what is interesting is the amount of pain and discomfort that producing a baby causes, and how much of it is completely blown away by cuddles and snuggles, as if it was only a bad day-dream! I must add that I was not a typical case, and that the midwives and nurses were great, and that I had my own room after the birth, and that Dom was an absolute angel, because if I don’t, I’ll be leaving out a very important part of the experience. Also, the food is not very good, so take your own - just saying…. Even the staff don’t rate it! www.twitter.com/NCTGloucester www.facebook.com/GloucesterNCT

Saturday, 10th May 2014 at St. John’s Church Hall, Churchdown, GL32DB

www.facebook.com/groups/glosbumps

NCT Gloucester & District

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Please tell our advertisers that you saw their advert in the NCT Gloucester Newsletter â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Changing Timesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

NCT Gloucester & District

Please tell our advertisers that you saw their advert in the NCT Gloucester Newsletter â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Changing Timesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

NCT Gloucester & District

Here’s One I Made Earlier ... oh, and a Couple More for Luck Written by Charlotte Moerman for the Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted & District NCT Branch It’s a Thursday afternoon. We’re painting. The Sport’s section of the newspaper lies spread across the kitchen table. Arsène Wenger has been controversially splodged with blue, some rippling-muscled rugby toughie’s spattered pink, and Jenson Button is seeing red. Quite literally, all over his visor in fact. Painting, I always find, seems like such a good idea at the time. But the setting-up is never as easy as they would have you believe on Blue Peter. During what feels like the space of an average giant tortoise’s lifespan, you scurry about in search of pots and paints, brushes and aprons, water and wipes, and the European surplus scrap-paper mountain. All this is done with bated breath as you desperately hope that the delicate time : concentration-span balance doesn’t tip at the eleventh hour disastrously against your favour. (Whoever coined the “simply take a little such and such ... and, oh look, here’s something I prepared earlier” has an awful lot to answer for.)

with the aftermath at your leisure. Which is what I’m doing now. Dealing in my own sweet time with the fruits of my labours. Three of them to be precise. Because, I have chosen the route that is like Marmite to many. My children are now my occupation. I gave up work to be with them. It is fair to say that this is a divisive subject. 9/10 mums would either love or hate to be at home full-time with their kids. For me, I love it. I can say it loud and proud. “I am a Full-Time Mummy!” (Not, just to be clear, a SAHM which Google says would make me either a Special Access Hubbing Model or a Stay At Home Mom. I am neither a Kwik-Fit spare car part nor a woman (possibly American) who lounges endlessly around the home. I am out and about and up on my feet for the lion’s share of every day and I vehemently protest the “not working” inference. I do work. Often very hard. I am, if you must, a VHWWAHM. But cripes, “Full-Time Mummy” is less of a mouthful...)

But then you glance at your junior Picasso sporting a back-to-front apron, odd socks and an expression of delicious anticipation, and your heart melts. “Mummy” he says “can we start yet?” And I say “yes”. And so he begins, with a whirlwind of Crayola ready-mix and a paintbrush which though a little stiff and reluctant at first, soon gets into the spirit of things. (A bit like me in fact.) That is until Picasso loses interest, casts off his gloopy apron and heads for the hills, multi-coloured fingers aloft, threatening to turn our neutral interior walls into an art nouveau version of the Sistine Chapel.

When I entered into full-time motherhood, I wasn’t naive about what lay ahead. I knew there’d be a degree of toil, it wasn’t just walking about in the park. I would peg out endless whiter than whites, I’d make lots of macaroni cheese and I’d darn the occasional pint-size sock (probably). But I was fine with all that, even relishing the idea because I knew that compared with the job I was leaving behind, the task ahead would be manageable, a joy even! As I ... tra la la ... waved a white hanky over my shoulder to meetings, office politics and annual appraisals, I confess there was a gleeful spring in my step. I couldn’t wait to opt out of the hamster wheel of work. A I can’t help but think that in many ways, change, as they say, is as good as a rest. painting with a toddler is a bit like becoming a (Rest. Ha ha ha.) parent, only inversed. With one, you spend an age getting it ready then it’s all over in a I can’t remember exactly when it was that ... messy flash. With the other, the prepping’s the thunk ... the penny dropped. I hadn’t opted out quick and dirty bit, and then you get to deal at all. Rather I’d thrown myself, freefall into the NCT Gloucester & District

job equivalent of Extreme Ironing. The new job I’d undertaken seemed oddly familiar (responsibilities, routines, the occasional crisis) but the terms and conditions were extreme. The hours were longer, the pay rubbish, the clients more demanding than I’d ever thought possible. There was no time off. No training. No helpful job description. No line manager to guide you along the way. I soon realised that I had neither the time, nor the inclination to learn to darn socks. (Though come to think of it, there’s a cracking idea for a new extreme sport in there somewhere...) But all of that is quite beside the point. Because, getting back to our Extreme Ironing comparison (stick with me here), yes there’s no getting around the fact that there is a certain chore element involved. But it’s more than just chore, a great deal more in fact. If it were only about tasks and hard graft, why would people do it? Why would they write websites, magazines and books about it? Why would they talk endlessly to anyone who might listen about it? Why would they take more photos than the Paparazzi in the company of Kate and Wills of it? They just wouldn’t, would they? It is because of the thrill, the passion, the whiz, bang, pop of it all that they do it. Outsiders, of course, just don’t get it. It is only once you’re in the club that you fully understand. (Allegedly. Fool that I am, I have never Extreme Ironed personally.) And this, of course, is exactly what being a mum is. Forget the bit about the care of the kids being like just another job. Beyond the superficial enumeration of demands on your time and your resources, being a mum is something elemental to the core of your being. It is about who you are as a woman, not just your livelihood. It is also, amongst other things, amazing, hair-raising, magnificent, marvellous, spine-tingling, awesome, breathtaking and also quite a lot of fun. (Can I put away the thesaurus yet?)

All this, of course, is the reason that I willingly took my P45 and ran. To immerse myself in my children who are, really quite a lot of the time, more wonderful to me than any formal job could ever be. When I worked in the business world, I'd run around managing projects, producing tangible outputs for which... on a good day at least... I felt a sense of ownership and pride. But I could never feel for them what I feel about my children, that deep instinctive connection the strength of which you can only fully appreciate when you yourself become a parent. I have never felt a visceral connection with a spreadsheet or set of Powerpoint slides, and I would certainly not coo over, caress and/or wipe the snot off a Word document of my own producing. (I would just print off another one instead.) Back in the thick of arts and crafts Bedlam. That fickle brush has really got around. The paints have all turned into a similar muddycoloured sludge, there’s a greenish stripe, Adam Ant style, across young Picasso’s nose, and the bilge-grey water pot has just been regrettably upended. Blue Peter badge winners we are not. But now here’s the thing. Though the table looks like post-festival Glastonbury, we’re both grinning from ear to ear. We’re having a thoroughly lovely time. Life, I reflect, would have been a whole lot less fun – though potentially less messy – if I hadn’t stopped work to be at home with my chaotic, gorgeous brood. And you know what? I wouldn't change what I have for the world. ****** Charlotte Moerman is a mother of three and writes the Buggy Blog on www.raisingkids.co.uk. She has published her first book in 2009, Instructions Not Included: One Mum, Three Boys and a Very Steep Learning Curve with Virgin Books.

NCT Baby First Aid Courses by Tina Gibbs

First Aid is a vital skill. Whether you are at home or out and about; whether it is your child or somebody else’s, first aid saves lives! 34

The NCT has teamed up with the British Red course and join us on www.facebook.com/ Cross provide the opportunity to attend Baby gloucesternct or join our mailing list: http:// First Aid Courses. NCT Gloucester has run 3 eepurl.com/x7Aj1 courses so far and we are planning on running regular courses 3 or 4 times a year. The 2.5 hour course encourages you to take part in practical activities and to ask questions. A The course will be delivered by an expert British Red Cross trainer and will cover topics that typically concern parents such as

   

Delivering Choking Burns Meningitis

It also covers first aid for toddlers and children. Don’t miss out on our next Baby First aid

NCT Gloucester & District

Top 10 Tips for New Mums By Sinead Barker

So, you’ve recently gone through the most incredible, intense experience of giving birth. No matter how you brought your beautiful baby into the world, you’re probably exhausted and a little overwhelmed at the huge learning curve you’re now on. Here are some top tips for new mums to help make looking after a new born a little bit easier: 1.

Always accept help when it’s offered. Any help you receive means more time for you to spend with your baby, or looking after yourself. There are lots of people who want to help – friends, family, neighbours. If they’re not sure what to do, be specific, and see if you can arrange for their help again next week!

Buy as much as you can second hand. Although it’s lovely to have some new things, most baby clothes and toys will be used for such a short time, so it’s better to spend your money elsewhere. There are enough clothes and toys in the world - buying second hand (or receiving hand-me-downs) is vastly cheaper and better for the environment.

Buy in bulk. Make the most of supermarkets special offers on nappies, wipes, formula etc and stock up while you can. It’s cheaper, and it’s reassuring to know you have supplies to last you through the times when you have other things to deal with.

Tidy and restock your changing bag every evening. Empty out any used nappies or dirty clothes, and re-stock with nappies, wipes, nappy bags, muslin cloths, change of clothes, plus bottles and formula if required.

Look after yourself to ensure you can give the best to your baby. Looking after a newborn baby is physically and mentally demanding, so you’ll need to keep an eye on your health and nutrition. Breastfeeding is thirsty work and you’ll need to drink at least 2 litres of water a day (probably 3). Eat nutritious food throughout the day (and whenever you can) to keep your energy levels up.

Give yourself a goal for each day. In the first few weeks, give yourself just one goal per day …… getting dressed is a very good and acceptable goal! As the days go by, everything will get easier

Get walking. Walking is one of the best ways to promote healing in your body after childbirth Start out with short, slow walks, and build up gradually. Remember to speak to your midwife or health visitor if you’re concerned about any aspect of your health.

Meet up with other new mums regularly. Sharing experiences with other mums can be a source of reassurance, learning and fun. There are plenty of groups to join. If you don’t know anyone, just turn up, say hello and get talking – there’s plenty to talk about with a new baby!

Make time for yourself each day. A cup of tea, a browse on Facebook or a shower – whatever you do, give yourself a time out to refresh your mind and body.

10.

You’re doing a great job! You’ve just started doing the hardest job in the world. No one is perfect to start with, and it takes time and practice to become the type of mum you want to be. Keep going, keep persisting and you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful smile that will melt your heart…

NCT Gloucester & District

Boy or Girl? Bump Quiz! by Sarah Woodward

4 38

Solutions can be found on page 46. NCT Gloucester & District

5% off for you and 5% for our branch; quote BRNCT371*

Slings….waste of money or indispensable? By Ruth Fasham

Slings….waste of money or indispensable? A recent newspaper article claimed that baby slings are the ‘most pointless baby item bought’. As someone who has used slings and carriers on a daily basis with my boys (20 months and 4 years), it’s fair to say I have the opposite impression! It has been an essential part of our parenting kit – from soothing the baby who hated to be put down, letting me eat dinner while he struggled with teething, giving us freedom to head out into the hills and round the cities, to chasing after a toddler when his new brother appeared and coping with the onset of sudden walk refusal from the tired and grumpy pre-schooler. Why use a sling at all? Babies are born to be carried! When they are born they have spent 9 months being carried constantly, held in a warm place and hearing the sound of their mother all the time. Holding them close to you in a sling gives them the chance to feel back at home, comforted by the smell, sound and feel of you. They can get easily comforted by hearing your breathing and your heart rate, while the touch of skin on skin releases opioids and oxytocin in the brain. With my first son, who was unknown to us suffering from an allergy to cow’s milk, being held upright in the sling helped to comfort his colic and settle his stomach. He found lying down very troublesome and so almost all his naps were taken in a sling where he was comfy, much less stress for everyone! Keeping your baby close to you doesn’t just soothe them, it can also help you to bond, with that oxytocin flooding your brain too. After a traumatic birth and a forced separation with my first baby stuck in NICU, using a sling for skin to skin helped to ‘force’ me to regain that lost contact and to help us to find our way with each other in those early days. Now my babies are bigger, I love being able to chatter away with a toddler on my back as they point out all the things that both NCT Gloucester & District

Leaving hospital with my one day old second son snuggled up in a sling

you can see. As well as the emotional and physiological side, slings have a lot of practical benefits for you, as they can help you to look after and comfort your baby while dealing with everyday life. Eating, walking, cooking, cleaning, dealing with pets and older siblings, all of these things are much easier to do with two hands and much less stressful is your baby is

Carrying a 3yr old through the centre of London after a long day’s sightseeing! 41

My husband carrying a 1 yr old in the mountains in France.

happy in a sling while you do them. Slings really came into their own when my second child was born. At that time I had a toddler who still needed to run around the park, have his meals and get lots of attention regardless of a baby who needed to be held and fed! Slings have also been essential for us on a day to day basis. Our eldest son grew up in Paris, while we regularly travelled back to London to visit family. The metro, the tube, the Eurostar and the busy city streets are not great for big pushchairs. For my more outdoor -minded husband, slings have given him the freedom to take his sons into the countryside and explore with them. But despite the usefulness of slings for me and for many others, there are others, who as the survey suggest, don’t manage to get the most from their slings. So why did I get on so well with them while others struggled? Hard to find…..then too much choice! You browse the big baby shops with list of ‘what to buy’s and when it comes to slings, if it does, then there are several all in the same basic style, and sometimes one or two others. So if you get one but find that it isn’t that comfy, or you can’t get it fit well and so you think it must just be you and it goes away in 42

the cupboard or to an NCT sale. Or at the opposite extreme you wonder if there are more options out there and google baby sling. And then find masses of different types and different brands and you realise you have entered into a minefield! Do you want a ring sling or a wrap? What is a mei tai? What is the difference between all those buckles? It soon becomes apparent that there is no ‘Best Sling’ – if you ask 10 people what is the best they may well give you 10 different answers! Hopefully you can get good advice and end up with something that is great for you. But if not, if the feel and fit isn’t quite as you hoped from the online pictures and descriptions, then that might understandably put you off spending the time, effort and money in trying anything else. If you do get through the buying obstacle and get a great sling, as with all new items there might be a learning curve. But unlike other items you might not be able to get the advice from the usual baby shops. Are you worried about doing it right? Does your real life, squirmy, awkward teeny baby look the same as the gorgeously behaved child in the instruction photos? Yeah, mine neither! Help at hand! While baby shops might not give you the help you need, there are other ways to try before you buy and get impartial advice: sling meets contact us on: Newsletter.gloucester@nct.org.uk

Stroud Sling Meet taking a walk across the fields of Stroud.

and sling libraries. A sling meet is a group with a selection of slings available for you to try out and a place for you to get advice and information about any sling or carrier that you have or that you are interested in. Other parents can give you tips and there is usually good chat and cake too! A sling library also gives advice and allows you to try out slings but also offers slings for hire too, giving you the chance to try out slings for a longer period and give it a proper trial before deciding it is the right one for you. If you want or need more detailed help, there are also Babywearing Consultants, who offer personalised one to one advice and help to choose the right sling and then can help you to get the most from it. So if you think that slings might be useful for

you, then I’d suggest making the most of your time and money by checking them out first and getting personalised advice, whether online or in person. The NCT has a good online guide (written by an NCT teacher and babywearing consultant) to help you choose which carrier is right for you - http:// www.nct.org.uk/parenting/babywearing-andhow-choose-sling. To find your nearest local help you can search the Babywearing UK site - http://www.babywearing.co.uk/localsupport for details of the local sling meets and libraries and consultants in Stroud and Cheltenham. Other Gloucester based sling using parents can also be found in the facebook group Babywearing in Gloucestershire – www.facebook.com/groups/ babywearingingloucestershire.

Modelling dough recipe From:http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/presenters/makes/presenters -modellingdough/

You will need:  An apron and washing-up gloves  Mixing bowl and spoon  3 cups of plain flour  2 tablespoons of corn flour  1 cup of salt  1 cup of cold water  2 teaspoons of vegetable oil  2 teaspoons of food colouring or paint 1. 2.

Put on an apron and washing-up gloves. Pour the flour, salt and corn flour into a mixing bowl. Add the food colouring to the water,

NCT Gloucester & District

3. 4.

then add the coloured water and vegetable oil to the bowl. Mix it together You should now have some fantastic modelling dough! Why not make other colours by adding different food colouring to the water? Your modelling dough should be kept in an airtight bag, then it can be used for up to a week. Remember modelling dough is great for playing with but not suitable for eating.

Advertising in Changing Times

Contact Caroline Advertise in our magazine on and reach parents-to-be as well as parents. bookings3F@nct.org.uk Our rates start from ÂŁ12 (incl, VAT) or at a discounted rate. Book for a year (3 issues) 0208 752 2494 Please contact Tina for more details. GlosNewsletter@nct.org.uk or 0844 243 6138 (Option 3)

www.nct.org.uk/courses

NCT Gloucester & District

Local Breastfeeding Support groups: Gloucestershire Breastfeeding Supporters’ Network (GBSN) groups: All groups are free and run by peer supporters. Peer Supporters – local mothers who have breastfed their own baby and have been through a short training course to learn how to support new mothers – offer support, and easy access to breastfeeding counsellors. There is also an NCT breastfeeding counsellor present at any of the GBSN groups. If you are pregnant or a breastfeeding mother who wants information, support, coffee or just a chat then please come along. Nearest group for Gloucester: Churchdown - CRIBS Thursdays, 9.30 – 11.30am – Church Hall, St John’s Church, Churchdown GL3 2DB There are 6 more GBSN groups in Gloucestershire (Cheltenham, Dursley, Stroud, Tewkesbury and Cirencester). To find these, please go to www.breastfeedingsupporters.org.uk/about-gbsn/groups/

Breastfeeding Network (BfN) groups: In some areas BfN Registered Volunteers may help run or may be involved in Breastfeeding Support Centres. These groups are a way of meeting supporters and health professionals who are committed to supporting breastfeeding. They are also a great way to meet other breastfeeding mums! There are many BfN groups in the Gloucestershire area (GL1, GL2, GL3, GL4, GL15 & GL12). Two of them are: The Bartongate baby feeding group: 1-2.30pm on Wednesdays at the Bartongate Children's Centre on Sinope Street in central Gloucester Beacon Children’s Centre group, next to Kingsway Primary School, Valley Gardens, Gloucester: 10.00 11.30am on Thursdays. To find your nearest BfN group, please go to: http://breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/breastfeedinggloucestershire.html

What do breastfeeding counsellors do? Breastfeeding counsellors are trained to help a mother have a rewarding experience of breastfeeding. We understand how difficult and distressing breastfeeding can be when it doesn’t go well/ We also understand the feelings a mother may experience when she decides she wants to change to formula feeding, and we can ease the transition to formula if this is what a mither decides she wants to do. Sometimes, a mother wants to use formula alongside maintaining some breastfeeding. A breastfeeding counsellor would share information with her, explain what the impact on breastfeeding might be and also explain ways of using formula which had the least impact on her choice to breastfeed. Solutions to our Boy or Girl? Bump Quiz (pages 38-39).

1 - boy 2 - boy 3 - twins boy/girl 4 - boy

5 - girl 6 - boy 7 - girl 8 - boy 46

Breastfeeding challenges by Jo Turner

Now, I will admit, I was not certain about breastfeeding before I had my daughter. Don’t get me wrong, I knew it was the best thing I could give my child but I was not sure how I would feel and whether I could do it. I was so uncertain about my feelings that I had already bought some formulae, bottles, steriliser and expressing pump. So it rather surprised me the very strong feeling that flooded into me in recovery after having Abigail via caesarean section. In recovery we tried breastfeeding, not very successfully but I knew I wanted this to work. Abi was 4 weeks early and it took a few days for my milk to come down, so while I was recovering in hospital I was pumping the tiny amount of milk I could and adding to formulae to then feed Abi via a cup. Along with trying breastfeeding each time, this whole process took ages but I was determined. Maybe too determined as I ended up in tears and I think the ward being very busy and it being a weekend meant I did not get the help I could have done. Breastfeeding Counsellor Comment: It can take a while for your body to get used to expressing at first. The pump is not as effective as baby's mouth and milk-flow is dependent on a surge of oxytocin at each feed, normally prompted by closeness and intimacy with baby (which can be lacking when using a pump) I went home having not successfully breastfed yet, but grateful that the pumping seemed to slowly be getting more milk. I had regular check-ups with the health visitor, given Abigail’s small size (less than 5lb), and each time I asked about my struggles with breastfeeding. They were really good and told me not to put so much pressure on myself and pumping milk gave Abigail the goodness from my milk, even if it was not as convenient as breastfeeding. I was still unable to pump enough milk for my daughter so we were supplementing with formulae, but a little less each day, both now via a bottle (I gave up on the cup, it took far too long!). NCT Gloucester & District

When Abigail turned 4 weeks old my mum drove me to the local breastfeeding clinic. Now this was weird at first. A room full of mums breastfeeding with a lady wondering round moving breasts to assist the feeding, never have I seen so many boobs! However, this was the help I needed and I am ever so grateful. After 1 visit I was managing breastfeeding a little better, after 3 I felt confident in myself. However, by this time I was a little spoilt by having my husband help out. Abigail was truly was a mixed feed baby! Some breastfed, some expressed milk via bottle, some formulae. I was surprised that Abigail managed to finally cotton on to breastfeeding after feeding from a bottle. A lot of literature says that this will not happen, and I am sure for some it does not. But for those of you out there that may be struggling, don’t give up if you really feel you want to keep trying. Breastfeeding Counsellor Comment: There is no evidence to prove the whole “nipple confusion claim”. I wish breastfeeding had come more naturally to us. I see my niece get hungry and quickly there is a boob to feed her. Even when I managed to breastfeed I needed to help Abigail and could not do this covered up so I rarely did it in public. I felt embarrassed getting out a bottle in public too – I sometimes felt like shouting “it is expressed milk”. But these are my hang-ups and looking back I should not have been so concerned about either. Abigail had the best start I could give her, she got as much milk from me as I could give her. I must have done something right, despite being on 5th percentile when born she is now (just) above average height and weight! Which with a father of 2m tall is where she should be!

Help is just a phone call away Antenatal Teachers Kate 01531 820 959 Tina 0780 7098059 Yvonne 07903 932322 Breastfeeding Counsellors Elizabeth 01452 813 425 (early evenings) Sue 01452 305 957

Special care support Bliss, www.bliss.org.uk amy_lara_griffiths@yahoo.co.uk - available for support throughout the county for any family who have or have had a baby in special care (regardless of gestation!). Still Birth Support SANDS, www.gloucestershiresands.org.uk, 07805950547 & 07805950628

Electric Breast pump Hire Electric Breast pumps can be hired from NCT Valley Cushion hire Cheltenham branch: Sue 0844 243 6138-5 Breastpump@nctccheltenham.org NCT helpline 0300 330 0700

NCT Gloucester needs your help! Please join our fantastic and friendly team of volunteers and help us to keep our branch going! If you would like to join us, please contact Karen on GlosNCT@gmail.com

www.twitter.com/NCTGloucester www.facebook.com/GloucesterNCT www.facebook.com/groups/glosbumps

Index of advertisers Aquatots ...................................25 Babel Babies .............................20 Baby Massage ..........................20 Blenheim Photography .............51 Churchdown Osteopaths ...........36 Hatherop Castle School.............26 JoJingles ...................................44 JoJo Maman Bebe.....................28 Kate Wilkins Photography..........21 Lotusbud ...................................30 Monkey Music ...........................29 My Own Little Room ..................23 Natal Hypnotherapy...................35 Natural Health ...........................36 Photoglow Photography.............31 Play Go Round ..........................23 Puddle Ducks ............................2 Real Nappy Project....................22 Sands Resort Hotels..................27 Shooting Stars Nursery..............32 48

Tots Tennis............................... 24 Tumble Tots ............................. 21 Turtle Tots ................................ 44 Waterbabies ............................. 52 —————————————————Thank you for advertising in this newsletter. Without our advertisers we could not print this publication!

NCT Gloucester & District

Get in touch and get involved The Gloucester and District NCT is run by volunteers who give up a few hours of their time every now and again. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always looking for new volunteers. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to get involved simply contact us! Our branch is run by volunteers. We are mostly parents with young children, some of us work full or part-time. We are volunteering from home which means we are not always available. Please allow a few days for us to respond to emails. This includes our agents such as bra fitters, valley cushion and pump agents, and also Come and our breastfeeding counsellors and peer supporters. volunteer with us!

Branch Contacts Joint Branch Coordinators

Nikki + VACANT

Coordinator.gloucester@nct.org.uk

Treasurer Deputy Treasurer Parent Support Coordinator Branch Publicity and Social Media officer Membership

Karen M

Treasurer.Gloucester@nct.org.uk

VACANT Salina

ParentSupport.Gloucester@nct.org.uk

Louise

Gloucester@nct.org.uk

Annabel

Membership.Gloucester@nct.org.uk

VACANT

Event Coordinator NNS Coordinator

Salina

NNS.Gloucester@nct.org.uk

Course Bookings

Caroline

bookings3f@nct.org.uk

Bumps & Babies

Nikki & Louise

glosbumps@nct.org.uk

Antenatal Teachers

Kate & Yvonne

Please see page 48

Webmaster

Anna

Web.gloucester@nct.org.uk

Editor

Gemma

Newsletter.Gloucester@nct.org.uk

Co-Editor

Sarah

Advertising

Gemma

Branch Newsletter Team More help would be great! Advertising.Gloucester@nct.org.uk

Branch Breastfeeding Counsellors Elizabeth

01452 813425 (early evenings)

Sue

01452 305957 (daytime)

Homebirth Support VACANT

www.nct.org.uk/Gloucester www.facebook.com/gloucesternct www.twitter.com/nctgloucester NCT Membership: www.nct.org.uk/join 50

Please tell our advertisers that you saw their advert in the NCT Gloucester Newsletter â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Changing Timesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

NCT Gloucester & District