A number of parenting, medical professionals, pregnancy experts as well as leading entrepreneurs, answer some of your most pressing questions.
Ask Georgina Fung
Georgina is the founder of Magnificent Mama, a hypnobirthing and pregnancy wellness company. As a hypnobirthing teacher and one of many pregnancy experts, she supports women to have a positive pregnancy and birth experience.
How exactly does hypnobirthing work and can it really help me have an enjoyable birth?
Hypnobirthing is absolutely not stage hypnosis and it most certainly can help you to enjoy your birth. At no point will you be asked to follow a swinging watch or to cluck like a chicken. Instead, you will be taught a series of relaxation techniques, which will help you attain a state of deep peace, calm and tranquillity. A great hypnobirthing course should provide a complete antenatal education programme, giving you all the tools, knowledge and techniques that you need to feel calm, confident and excited about giving birth. Fear causes tension and tension causes pain, so by ridding yourself of fear you are able to avoid the tension that would otherwise be causing you pain. It might sound simple or possibly too good to be true, but it works.
There are many benefits to hypnobirthing for the mother, birth partner and baby. These include a reduced chance of induction, shorter labour time, less need for pain relief, higher levels of birth satisfaction and less time in hospital post-birth. It’s beneficial for every type of birth, including if you’re planning for a caesarean, to help keep those wonderful, positive hormones flowing through you during the birth surgery process.
Hypnobirthing is on the rise and with all of these benefits, it’s not difficult to see why! If you’re looking for a positive, calm, empowered birth experience then definitely give hypnobirthing a go.
Ask Heather Morris
Heather Morris is amongst the best pregnancy experts, registered general nurse and state certified midwife. She is mum to Freddy, Harry and Jack.
Can nappy rash be prevented?
No matter how careful you are, most babies are likely to get nappy rash at some time. Nappy rash is usually mild and can be managed with a good skincare routine and a barrier ointment. Taking care of your baby’s delicate skin is essential in both treating and preventing nappy rash. Following these simple steps will help: Lie your baby on a towel and leave your baby’s nappy off as often as you can, to let fresh air get to the skin. Change wet or soiled nappies as soon as possible. Clean the nappy area thoroughly using plain water or alcohol and fragrance free wipes. Don’t use talcum powder as it contains ingredients that could irritate your baby’s skin. Try to bath your baby every day, but don’t use soap or bubble bath. Gently pat rather than rub your baby’s bottom dry and avoid vigorous rubbing. Use a suitable barrier ointment at each nappy change. Most mild cases of nappy rash can be easily treated with an ointment from your pharmacy and following this skincare routine, but if you are worried always seek the advice of a healthcare professional.
Ask Dr Larisa Corda
Dr Larisa Corda is a one of the best pregnancy experts. The top obstetrician, gynaecologist, fertility on ITV’s This Morning.
What are the top tips you’d give to someone wanting to get pregnant?
Most people are led to believe that getting pregnant is something that should happen naturally and quite soon after they set out to. But the truth is that you should start a lot earlier. Studies show that the lifestyle we lead not only influences our health, but also the health of our future children. The five main pillars of this lifestyle approach are featured in The Conception Plan, as followed by three of our couples on This Morning, each struggling to have a baby:
Diet: This needs to be as clean, unprocessed, nutritionally dense and as organic as possible.
Exercise: A minimum of 150 minutes per week is required as a mix of aerobic (cardiovascular) and anaerobic (resistance) training, to improve blood flow to your pelvis and maintain a healthy weight.
Environment: Aim to make this as toxin free as possible, from the food you eat, to what you use to prepare it, to products you use around the house and on yourself, eliminating as many of the harmful synthetic substances as you can.
Stress: It’s crucial that you become aware of any stress you carry and invest in dealing with this, whether it’s via counselling or hypnosis or acupuncture or reiki, you must align your mind and soul with what you’re asking your body to do.
Relationship: You must commit to free and open communication with your partner and prioritise intimate time together, including sex, not just around ovulation but throughout
your cycle.
Check out more of our Absolutely Mama’s Ask The Experts.
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