Antenatal Support & Classes
While pregnancy and childbirth is a normal physiological event for most people, sometimes there are challenges to be faced or difficult decisions to be made.
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I am not currently offering full clinical services or intrapartum care but there may be times you want some time and space to explore a situation with a professional and be guided to information to help you decide on the right course of action for you and your family.
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I may be able to point you in the direction of support in the NHS, or if appropriate, I can offer an unhurried appointment with follow up by email to complement any clinical care you're receiving - contact me for a 10 minute, no-obligation chat to see if this is something that would benefit you.
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I can issue a MAT B1 form during consultations if clients are happy for me to confirm their pregnancy with palpation and auscultation.
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​I offer 1:1 classes, and occasional group classes, on preparing to breastfeed and the full KGH Hypnobirthing course (10-12 hours) either in my Office, or in your own home.
Postnatal Support
However you're feeding your baby the early days are a time of adjustment and transformation. Whether it's your first baby or your umpteenth it's usually a tiring time and you may feel overwhelmed to start with.
Postnatal visits at your home, or consultations in my Office / via Zoom, are available to supplement the care you'll receive from your community midwives. Enjoy an unhurried appointment to talk about any concerns you have and receive gentle, expert support with feeding your baby. The aim is to leave you feeling calm and confident in your ability to meet all of your baby's needs.
Often a little bit of help and support in the early days can get breastfeeding / chestfeeding off to a really good start so that baby is feeding well and doesn't cause pain or damage to the feeding parent.
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If you have decided to formula feed your baby it's still important to practise responsive, paced feeding and this can be discussed during a postnatal consultation.
Specialised infant feeding support
Tongue Tie & Oral Restrictions
Firstly, it’s important to understand that a lingual frenulum - the fold in the membrane and connective tissue under the tongue - is a normal part of our anatomy, but there are differences between individuals in how long it is, how stretchy it is and its exact placement.
Having a visible frenulum does not automatically equal a tongue tie.
If the frenulum is very short or inflexible it can restrict how the tongue moves and functions this is what we call a tongue tie. In babies, a restrictive frenulum can cause difficulties with feeding - either at the breast or the bottle - and this is a common reason for families seeking support.
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We estimate that about 10% of babies may have some restriction but not all of them will have difficulties with feeding.
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More info here
Rewind
If you or your partner are affected by difficult feelings left over from a previous pregnancy, birth or postnatal experience I can offer a gentle but effective method to release the unhelpful emotions you're struggling with and build a calmer, more optimistic future. You don't have to tell me all the details of what happened (unless you want to) and the sessions are completed via Zoom or in the privacy of your own home.
This method can be used by the birthing person or their supporters and maybe useful whether you are expecting again, planning for a baby or have completed your family.
Usually two 90 minute sessions, with relaxation audios between and a third follow up session, are enough to see a marked change in how the past affects your life. Occasionally further sessions may be required, if so they are available at a discount.
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In the first instance contact me for more information and a free phone call if you'd like one.
