Have you seen some of the videos doing the rounds on social media of dads in labour? These videos are obviously being created for entertainment purposes, but in a nutshell, they are trying to prove that men couldn’t possibly take the pain of labour and childbirth. And the way labour is simulated is by hooking these men to a bunch of electrodes that will send an uncomfortable amount of current through their abdominal muscles.

Ok, we get it. It’s kind of funny. It’s a joke, and we get that. Just like the widely accepted joke of Mum coming down with the flu and running around the house looking after everyone as usual, while Dad falls ill and lies in bed (dying) asking for soup. (True stories, by the way, although we won’t get into the why and how that is). We promise you that here at The Natal Family we do have a sense of humour, and we are able to take a joke and laugh at it. Honestly. Continue reading →

One of the things that our mums-to-be worry and ask us about in our MummyNatal classes is whether there’s anything they could do during pregnancy or labour to avoid tearing. Whilst every woman, baby and birth are unique, and there is no way of telling whether vaginal tearing will or won’t happen, it is a certainly a possibility. There are however factors that can play a part in helping a woman achieve a positive outcome in this sense (i.e. no vaginal tearing!)

But first of all, let’s take it a step back. Continue reading →

Two very important topics that we cover in our BabyNatal Practical Baby Care classes and in our BabyNatal Sleep workshops are co-sleeping and baby-sharing. Whilst these terms are often used interchangeably, we like to make a distinction between the two and clarify that bed-sharing is a form of co-sleeping.

What is co-sleeping?

Co-sleeping refers to the practice of sleeping in the same room as your baby. This can be achieved in several ways. Some popular options are for your baby to sleep in:

Continue reading →

This is a question a lot of expectant mums tend to ask us here at MummyNatal, especially when they inquire about attending a class. Our advice is that as long as you’re comfortable attending a class, you can most definitely attend. It’s important that you make your local MummyNatal teacher aware of your discomfort or pain, so that they can guide you through movements that will support your joints and keep you pain-free, rather than put additional strain on your pelvis.

In case you want to find out more about SPD and how to manage it, here’s some advice that you may find useful. Continue reading →

So you’re having a baby. “Forget about getting any sleep in the next 18 years”, they say. But is it really that bad? Probably not. We are pretty sure that you will most definitely get some sleep, but it’ll probably be interrupted sleep. If you’re not used to it, sleeping for short bouts and being woken up a few times in the night can really affect you at first. It can affect your mood, how easy/hard you find your days, and your general wellbeing. But not all is lost, as there are ways to cope with interrupted or lack of sleep when you’ve just welcomed a new baby into your family. Continue reading →

One of the questions that our MummyNatal teachers sometimes get asked is whether our weekly classes are safe for mums-to-be who have been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. We would say that as long as you haven’t been hospitalised, our MummyNatal classes are suitable for all expectant mums, at any stage of their pregnancy, and no matter what type of birth they’re planning, as long as you’re comfortable attending a class and that if you are experiencing any medical issues, that you have been given the go ahead by your midwife or GP.

We understand that if you’ve been told that you’re either at risk of pre-eclampsia, or you’ve been diagnosed with the condition, you may feel worried about what this means for you and for your baby. So here is some information that you may find useful. Continue reading →

If you’re a new parent, you’ll have probably been advised by your midwife or Health Visitor to give your baby plenty of ‘tummy time’. But what IS tummy time, exactly? How do you do it, and why is it so important?

Continue reading →

One of the questions our teachers often receive from new mums who have attended their classes is when a new mum should expect her first period after the birth of her baby. Unfortunately, this isn’t a question with a straight answer! Everyone really is different, and while some women report having their period as early as 5 or 6 weeks after birth, others may not see it coming back for a couple of years!

So let’s dig a little deeper into this topic, and we’ll explain what happens to a new mum’s body after birth. Continue reading →