News

Pregnancy and childbirth can wreak havoc on the pelvic floor, but did you know how?

There is an expectation that leaking urine or having other symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction is normal when you become a mother which is not true at all. Yes, it's very common and nothing to be ashamed of but it's not normal and you do not have to accept it. 

This week marks world breastfeeding week, organised by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action. This week aims to inform, anchor, engage and galvanise action on breastfeeding and related issues.

There is an expectation that breastfeeding is easy and that it comes naturally to every single mother and baby. This isn’t true at all. While breastfeeding is one of life’s most natural phenomenon's it certainly doesn't come naturally to most with practice instead being the key to success. 

Birth trauma is distress experienced by a mother during or after childbirth. Birth trauma often combines physical birth injury with emotional and psychological trauma. Birth trauma can be a form of PTSD but is often used as a blanket term to describe any feeling of feelings experienced after birth.

Birth trauma can mean upsetting flashbacks or nightmares, hyperarousal which means you are in a constant state of anxiety and high alert which can materialize as watching your baby constantly to make sure they’re breathing or not letting others hold your baby through fear they will hurt them or make them sick. Avoidance of anything that reminds you of birth or pregnancy is also common with birth trauma, like TV programmes or hospital visits.

Iodine is a hugely underrated nutrient for human health. It’s health impacts are varied and so important yet it’s rarely the first thing people would choose if asked what minerals and nutrients are important to their health.

Much like copper, iodine is required in tiny trace amounts by the body for it to function properly, especially the thyroid gland which is responsible for physical and mental development and function. Despite the body only needing trace amounts, many people are iodine deficient (usually in lower income countries where the diet may be less varied).

This week (the 3rd to the 9th of May) is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, an annual, week-long campaign dedicated to bringing awareness to and talking about mental health problems during and after pregnancy.

The campaign wants to raise awareness in the public as well as in health professionals and advocate for women affected by these conditions. The organisation that leads this campaign is The Perinatal Mental Health Partnership UK and they also use this yearly event to signpost where women and their families can access help and support if they need it and get them on the road to recovery. 

Today marks International Day of The Midwife where the efforts of midwives globally are recognised for the care they provide to mothers and newborns. This year’s event has the theme, follow the data: Invest in midwives.

The theme is in line with the launch of the 2021 State of the World's Midwifery Report, co-led by The United Nations Population Fund, The World Health Organisation and The International Confederation of Midwives. The report is packed full of the most current data and evidence on the impact of midwives on maternal and newborn health outcomes and the return on investment of midwives.