By Hannah Dahlen Your baby’s development Pregnancy really begins when an ovum is fertilised by one of the 500 million sperm that approach it. Only twelve hours after the initial fusion of ovum and sperm the first cell division occurs. By the fourth day following fertilisation the tiny group of cells leave the
The Second Trimester By Hannah Dahlen What is happening? The second trimester is a period of rapid growth for your baby. By 18 weeks of pregnancy, the baby will weigh around 200gms and be approximately 14cm long. The body now grows more rapidly than the head, so the baby seems more in proportion.
Tess Anthony shares Remis's breech VBAC birth story. Expecting her fourth baby Tess discovers that her baby is again breech. Mia, Tess's third baby, was also breech. Mia's birth ended as a caesarean even though Tess wanted a vaginal birth. This time around Tess is determined to have a vaginal birth. Enjoy Tess's story
If you plan a hospital birth, one of the most important decisions you will make during pregnancy is which hospital you want to go to. Considerations might include: whether the hospital is public or privately funded, whether it has a birth centre, whether it is Baby Friendly Health Initiative (BFHI) accredited, and what specific options
Hannah Dahlen Gestational Diabetes is a form of diabetes that occurs during the pregnancy and then goes away after the baby is born. Around 3-8% of pregnant women will develop Gestational Diabetes at around 28 weeks of pregnancy, as this is the time that most women are tested. Certain women are at higher risk
At birth you will be asked whether or not you would like your baby to have Vitamin K. The human body requires Vitamin K in order to make blood clot. When babies are born, their level of Vitamin K is low in comparison to adult levels. Regardless, this level of Vitamin K is usually enough
Is it safe to during alcohol while breastfeeding? For the most part, women will abstain from drinking alcohol during pregnancy in order to provide the best start in life for their baby. However, once your baby is born, you may wish to enjoy a drink with a meal, when out with friends or on
Finding ways of inducing labour naturally has never been more imperative. Medical induction of labour has been increasing since the 1980s. Nowadays over 25% of women have their labours induced and a further 19.2% will have their labours sped up by artificial means (Australian Mothers and Babies 2009). Common methods used are sweeping of
What are the causes of infertility? Many of us take our fertility for granted. We presume that one day when we choose to we will be able to have a baby. We envisage one or two months of pleasurable ‘trying’ before pregnancy is achieved. This is not an unreasonable expectation considering the considerable lengths
Using rebozo sifting may help a baby rotate during pregnancy or labour more efficiently. Assisting the expectant or birthing mother’s hips to move in controlled motions may encourage the baby to shift positions. Women describe movements created by rebozo sifting as jiggling or rocking. Limited research exists at the moment about the effectiveness of
