Hey folks!! Exciting news!👇🏼 By popular demand, we have just released a ✨BRAND NEW✨ Hypnobirthing Workshop over on our website. This 7.5 hour course will take place on Saturday 20th November and is suitable for December, January & February due dates! Slightly shorter than our usual course, and at a reduced cost, this awesome workshop will feature labour, birth and Hypnobirthing basics - plus all the practical tools you need to get you feeling calm🧘🏼‍♀️ confident😁 and empowered💥 for your birth experience!💕 We’ve already had 2 bookings for our workshop, so don’t hang around if you’d like to join us! Dates are now online to book our refresher Hypnobirthing course in December too, for second and subsequent pregnancies! …It’s going to be a busy winter! 👶🏻👶🏻 #activebirth #fourthtrimester #newmum #mom #hypnobirthing #positivebirth #preggers #babyontheway #thirdtrimester #babybump #pregnant #birth #midwife #antenatal #newmum #channelislands #pregnantlife #womenareamazing #mumtobe2021 #momtobe2021 #photooftheday #instagood #love #mumtobe #breastfeeding #newlife #thirdtrimester #birthphotography #yougotthis #breastfeeding #newborn

I’m still here!! 😵‍💫 Trying to work full time, do on-calls, teach/run a small business and maintain social media accounts has been somewhat of a challenge… with 50% of my time over the past few weeks having constituted this… And I’m still napping at every single opportunity I get. Now out of the first trimester, I can definitely feel the nausea & vomiting lifting and it’s been a battle between feeling like utter CRAP and constantly trying to remind myself that I am actually ETERNALLY grateful for these symptoms I have wanted for a long time! 🤮 For weeks 4 & 5 (yes I found out that early!!) I was floating in a bubble of ‘enjoy it while you can’ and feeling fantastic - cue week 6 when my diet rapidly changed and consisted of bread, crisps, cereal, more bread, and chips 🍟 Be grateful… be grateful! 🥴 I tried a few things which I definitely think helped, but ultimately I know that there’s nothing you can do to stop it. 1. I’ve had, and will continue to have, accupuncture with Polly from @theneroliclinic and it has definitely provided relief from the sickness for 2-3 days post treatment. I saw Polly for a good few months before pregnancy for fertility support and I’m a big believer in accupuncture! 2. I wear these accupressure seabands on my wrists whenever I can (obviously not at work - bare below the elbow! Plus they’re a total giveaway when you’re not at the pregnancy—announcing stage!) 3. SLEEP. at. every. opportunity. 😴🥱 4. A packet of digestive biscuits EVERYWHERE! Next to the bed, in my bag, at work. 5. Exercise.. which sounds crazy but provided I’ve eaten, I’ve still managed to keep up training sessions twice a week (with a pre-natal qualified trainer!!) which has massively helped me stay happy and feeling positive 🤞🏼🏋🏼‍♀️ 6. Listened to my body and said no to quite a few things - social events, going out for dinner, staying up past 9pm and learning that the world won’t end if I don’t reply to an email or post on Instagram. 🙏🏻 Continuing to count my blessings every day that I am so lucky enough to be on this journey 🙏🏻 What are your top tips for the first trimester? 💕 . #pregnancyannouncement #firsttrimester #firsttimemum

HELLO BABY! What an absolutely incredible photo 🤩Believe it or not, your baby’s body does not usually come out straight after the head! 👶🏻The head is usually born with one contraction, and then there can be a pause of around 2-3 minutes before the next contraction allows baby’s body to follow! This short pause is absolutely normal and your baby is perfectly safe, continuing to receive oxygenated blood from his umbilical cord! After the birth of the head, and during this pause of about 2-3 minutes, your baby’s head rotates (usually from looking at your bottom) to look at your inner thigh. This movement is called restitution and it is necessary in order for baby’s shoulders to move underneath your pubic bone. After this amazing external rotation, baby’s shoulders and body will be born in one motion, and hopefully brought up onto your chest by you or your midwife! Again, more awesomeness from our amazing bodies😍 Who else LOVES the daddy’s expression on his face in this photo?! 😁 (📸 Photography by @dallasarthurbirthstories) #activebirth #fourthtrimester #newmum #mom #hypnobirthing #positivebirth #preggers #babyontheway #thirdtrimester #babybump #pregnant #birth #midwife #antenatal #newmum #channelislands #pregnantlife #womenareamazing #mumtobe2021 #momtobe2021 #photooftheday #instagood #love #mumtobe #breastfeeding #newlife #thirdtrimester #birthphotography #yougotthis #breastfeeding #newborn

I have my own exciting news! There’s my very own little baby brewing and I couldn’t be feeling happier or luckier as I embark on this amazing journey myself. 💕💕💕 #pregnancyannouncement #midwifetomumma #duein2022 #excitingtimes #positivebirthjersey

• WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK 2021 • As part of #WorldBreastfeedingWeek2021, Jo’s image has been shared almost hundreds of times around the world since it was taken in 2019 as part of our #MOTHERHOOD campaign. “I wanted to share my story and this very personal image because I hope it will inspire others who are going through a similar situation and for them to know that you should never give up on your dreams, and that you are never too young to check your boobs. Being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 26, we knew that having a healthy baby might not have been possible but we never gave up hope. After years of chemo, radiotherapy and hormone treatment, my body clearly never gave up because only a month after my first cycle, I was actually pregnant. The feeling when we saw our sons heartbeat at 6 weeks old is indescribable. All of our dreams had actually come true but I knew the next 9 months were not going to be easy. I was constantly on edge and questioning if my body was actually going to be able to provide and grow a healthy baby. I felt unbelievably proud of myself and my body the first time I held my son in my arms. Due to a mastectomy, only one of my breasts produced milk and therefore is more than double the size of the other one. At first, I was self-conscious about this as it’s pretty obvious. However, when I look at my son breastfeeding, I am reminded of how amazing my body is. My one ‘working’ boob has been able to produce enough milk for me to exclusively breastfeed Javi since the day he was born, which I think is just incredible. For me, there is no better feeling in the world, than when I am breastfeeding my son, knowing that I never gave up hope that one day I would be holding him in my arms. Our breastfeeding journey has not been an easy one and we have both struggled but for me it shows that with a bit of determination and patience, anything is possible.’’ 📸Photography by @sophiedarwinphotography as part of our collaboration - the MOTHERHOOD campaign. #cancersurvivor #breastfeedingmama #breastcancer #mastectomyrecovery #breastfeedingmama #aweinspiring #bodypositivity #photoshoot #positivebirthjersey #sophiedarwinphotography

Touching your baby’s head or feeling your baby as they emerge can be an amazing way for women to realise just how very close they are to the end! Or what about catching your baby and bringing them up to your chest? What an amazing feeling! ❤️ Did you feel your baby as they were born? What did that very moment feel like? Beautiful photography by @jessica_vi_photography #newbaby #birthannouncement #youdidit #positivebirth #birthstory #firsttimemum #hypnobirthingworks #waterbirth #smashedit #birthwithoutfear #jerseyci #midwivesrock #positivebirthjersey #newparents #tellmeagoodbirthstory #honestwords #heartfelt #waterbirthbaby #waterbirth #yougotthismama #fertilityjourney #fertilityawareness #strongwomen #newbabyboy #congratulations #catchingbabyfever #birthfacts #thefamilynarrative #midwifery

The amniotic sac ✨ The sac that surrounds your baby during pregnancy is called the amniotic sac. This bag of waters contains the amniotic fluid which helps protect your baby during pregnancy, and also maintains their temperature! This thin, transparent sac features two layers: 1. The amnion - the inner layer contains the amniotic fluid and your baby 2. The chorion - the outer layer, that is connected to the umbilical cord Although it may look delicate, the amniotic sac is actually very tough! The fluid inside the sac actually begins to develop within the first 12 days after conception (!) and by the time of birth, there is approximately 600-800ml of ‘water’ surrounding your baby. In this beautiful photo by @kimberleyphotographymt you can clearly see baby inside their amniotic sac - just incredible! #newbaby #birthannouncement #youdidit #positivebirth #birthstory #firsttimemum #hypnobirthingworks #waterbirth #smashedit #birthwithoutfear #jerseyci #midwivesrock #positivebirthjersey #newparents #tellmeagoodbirthstory #honestwords #heartfelt #waterbirthbaby #waterbirth #yougotthismama #fertilityjourney #fertilityawareness #strongwomen #newbabyboy #congratulations #amnioticfluid #birthfacts #thefamilynarrative #midwifery

“I LOVE a good heat wave!” said no pregnant woman EVER. ☀️🥵 My top tips as a midwife for staying as cool as possible in this hot weather... 1. Drink! LOTS! At least 2-3 litres per day. Invest in a chilly bottle to keep your drinks as ice cold as possible.💦 2. Stick your feet in a bowl or bucket of iced water! This can be great for cooling down but also provides relief for some heat-related foot swelling! 🥶 3. Place a cold flannel on your chest or face to cool down. Keep one in the fridge or freezer!❄️ 4. Take a dip in the sea! It is perfectly safe to do so, and this is probably the best way to cool down! 🌊 5. Eat ice lollies! Keep a box in the freezer and tuck in. 🍭 6. Buy a face spray, or alternatively a garden centre plant spray bottle will do! Fill it with cold water and a few drops of pure lavender essential oil, and keep it in the fridge! The perfect go-to for a cooling spritz. 💧 If you ever have any concerns about feeling unwell, a change in your baby’s movements or any other concerns, always remember to contact your local maternity unit 24/7 - midwives are there to help, even during a heatwave! 💕 . . Post written by May at PBJ #pregnantandhot #july #hellosummer #heatwave #breastfeeding #breastfeedingweek #breastfeedinginpublic #newmum #postpartum #fourthtrimester #midwife #duein2021 #bottlefeeding #mumandbaby #mumlife #behappy #pregnancy #birth #doula #hypnobirthing #motherhoodrising #antenatalclass #knowledgeispower #motherhoodunplugged #authentic #hotweather #heatwave #thefamilycollective #theheartcaptured #motheranddaughter #lifeisbeautiful

☀️HOT WEATHER ALERT☀️ This weekend is going to be a scorcher… SPF at the ready! Breastfeeding provides the perfect solution to hot weather and here’s a few important things for you to remember. 1. Breastfed babies under 6 months DO NOT (I repeat: do NOT!) need water. 🧃 2. Amazingly, breast milk will become more watery in hot weather to provide greater hydration and more of a ‘drink’ for your baby. Baby is more likely to have shorter feeds, very frequently. 👶🏻 3. Your baby is therefore likely to breastfeed much more in hot weather, similarly to how we drink more water in hot weather! This is so they stay hydrated in the heat. 💦 4. Make sure you offer your baby a breastfeed frequently in this heat, meaning that baby has plenty of opportunities to quench their thirst. 🍉🍉 5. It is so important that YOU stay hydrated and nourished in this heat! Aim to drink at least 2-3 litres of water so that you are hydrated for your baby and milk production too. 🥛 6. Skin-to-skin contact with your baby can actually help to cool your baby down. Your body temperature will reduce by a whole degree to ensure your baby stays cool against your skin too! Amazing! 👩‍👦 7. If baby does seem hot and unsettled, placing a cool flannel on your skin between you both can help. ❄️ Remember to stay safe in the heat, carry on breastfeeding, remember the SPF and enjoy! Happy Saturday☀️ . . Photo by @peacewithnature & post written by May at PBJ. #worldbreastfeedingweek #heatwave #breastfeeding #breastfeedingweek #breastfeedinginpublic #newmum #postpartum #fourthtrimester #midwife #duein2021 #bottlefeeding #mumandbaby #mumlife #behappy #pregnancy #birth #doula #hypnobirthing #motherhoodrising #antenatalclass #knowledgeispower #motherhoodunplugged #authentic #hotweather #heatwave #thefamilycollective #theheartcaptured #motheranddaughter #lifeisbeautiful

With cases rising considerably here in Jersey, we’ve had a few questions in recent days regarding our courses going forward. At present, in line with Government guidance, our group courses will continue to run face-to-face. We are able to do so by adhering to strict safety measures including keeping group sizes below that required by the Government. We are also: 1. Adhering to 1-2 metre physical distancing; 2. Asking parents to wear face coverings when not seated; 3. Requesting parents do not attend if they are a direct contact, even if swabs are negative; 3. Ensuring extra cleaning & sanitizing procedures are in place. The Covid-19 pandemic is, as ever, rapidly evolving and we will keep all of our clients up to date if we do move online. Rest assured that if you would feel more comfortable attending online, we can easily Zoom you in to the session live! www.positivebirthjersey.co.uk

There is a very scientific reason behind why labouring and giving birth in the dark is so important! 🔦🕯 Melatonin is the hormone that our bodies produce when we are in dark and calm environments - it helps us go to sleep, and stay asleep! 😴 HOWEVER, we also know that the presence of melatonin in our bodies directly INCREASES oxytocin receptors in our body... and oxytocin is the hormone needed to power labour and maintain strong and regular surges (contractions)! Studies suggest that when present, melatonin will synergize with oxytocin to enhance the strength, frequency and duration of surges in order to achieve smooth progress of labour. MIND = BLOWN! 🤯 This actually explains why women are statistically more likely to go into labour at night, often when they have been asleep and relaxed in dark! Melatonin is at it’s highest, and women are in an environment where they feel SAFE, PRIVATE and UNOBSERVED - the 3 key ingredients for labour! 🙌🏻 So, wherever and however you give birth - keep your birthing nest dark and safe with melatonin and oxytocin flowing in oodles!😍 . . (Photography by @evarosebirth) #melatonin #oxytocin #dark #midwifeblog #midwife #blog #thoughtoftheday #hypnobirthingteacher #positivebirthjersey #thepositivebirthmovement #csection #waterbirth #midwifebirth #positivebirth #empowerment #power #newborn #motherhood #birthwithoutfear #birth #antenatal #labourandbirth #postpartum #knowledgeispower #yougotthis #yourbirthmatters #newbornbaby #family #newbeginnings #jerseyci

Did you know that the U.K. has some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world? Despite the fact that 81% of new mums will start breastfeeding after birth, sadly only 17% are exclusively breastfeeding at 3 months and only 1% at 6 months! Our Breastfeeding, Postnatal and Parenthood Preparation Course is next running on 10th July and provides parents-to-be with the perfect opportunity to understand how breastfeeding works and how to get off to the best start as a brand new parent! 💕 There are no manuals or guarantees with parenthood - but our courses aim to increase your confidence, build your knowledge and give you the tools to give your baby the best start in life 💪🏼 If you’re keen to breastfeed and feel as prepared as possible, log on to our website now to book 👶🏽 (Photography by @annelucyfotografia) #newmum #postpartum #fourthtrimester #midwife #duein2021 #chooselife #mumandbaby #mumlife #wildandwonderful #pregnancy #birth #doula #hypnobirthing #motherhoodrising #antenatalclass #knowledgeispower #motherhoodunplugged #authenticlove #asnatureintended #delayedcordclamping #thefamilycollective #theheartcaptured #ofhumans #lifeisbeautiful #speakingfromtheheart #fromtheheart #letsbehonest #honestconversations #lifeandlensblog #breastfeeding