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Category: Newborn Care

How to Become a Maternity Nurse in the UK: A Step-by-Step Guide

Quick answer: There is no single legally required route into maternity nursing, but most people follow the same practical path: specialist training, the right practical essentials (DBS, insurance, first aid), strong references, and registration with agencies. This guide covers each step in detail. About this guide Written by the Babyem team. We have been training maternity nurses since 2010 and run a dedicated newborn placement scheme, supporting graduates to gain real experience.Our maternity nurse training is accredited at Level 3 and Level 4 by Open College Network (OCN), the largest vocational awarding body in the UK, Ofqual-recognised. If you are a nanny, nursery nurse, childcare, or healthcare professional thinking about becoming a maternity nurse, or if you are someone who has had your own children and wants to turn that experience into a career, this is the guide for you. What does a maternity nurse actually do? A maternity nurse provides practical, non-medical newborn and postnatal support in the family home, typically during the first 0–3 months after birth. But the role is broader than most people expect before they start. You may also see this role described as a maternity practitioner, newborn care specialist, baby nurse or occasionally baby nanny. In some countries, particularly the US, newborn care specialist is the more common term. In the UK, maternity nurse has remained the most widely used and recognised title, and is the term agencies and families use when searching for and hiring practitioners. At Babyem, we describe the role this way: a maternity nurse is a nurturer. They are there for the mother, for the baby, and for the whole family. It is about supporting that family coming home from hospital, helping everybody settle in, building their confidence, and leaving them feeling more capable than when you arrived. In practice, the role involves three distinct types of support: Practical support newborn care, feeding routines, bathing, winding, settling, safe sleep foundations, gentle routines, nursery duties Informational support helping parents understand newborn cues, types of formula, products, safe sleep guidelines, development and knowing when to refer to a midwife, health visitor or GP rather than advising beyond your scope Emotional support reassuring exhausted parents, building their confidence, recognising when a mother may be struggling and knowing when to signpost professional support Importantly, the role is also a teaching role. The goal is not to take over but to empower parents to feel confident caring for their baby when you leave. That distinction shapes everything about how a good maternity nurse works. For a full breakdown of how a maternity nurse differs from a midwife and a maternity support worker, read Maternity Nurse vs Midwife vs Maternity Support Worker: What’s the Difference? Understanding the different working arrangements Before choosing training or registering with agencies, it helps to understand how maternity nurse work is actually structured. There are three main formats: Type Hours Typical arrangement Best suited for 24-hour Full day and night, usually 5–6 days per week Live-in with the family for the placement duration Newborn period, intensive support, higher earnings Nights only Typically 10pm–7am Daily or live-in by arrangement Families who need overnight cover but manage daytime independently Days only Typically 8am–8pm Daily Families where a parent covers nights or where daytime support is the priority Most families book a maternity nurse on a 24-hour, live-in basis for the duration of the placement. A standard working week runs five or six days, with one full day off. Continuous seven-day cover is not sustainable long-term and most experienced practitioners do not accept it. Your rest matters because your quality of care depends on it. You are also entitled to paid breaks within each 24-hour period, typically two to three hours, which you can use as you need. Placements typically run for four to eight weeks, though some families book longer, particularly with twins or where they want continuity through the early months. Back-to-back placements become common once your reputation builds. Is maternity nursing the right career for you? Maternity nursing suits a specific type of person. Before committing to training, it is worth being honest with yourself about whether the reality of the role fits your life and your temperament. You are likely a strong fit if you: genuinely love the newborn stage and find it energising rather than draining are comfortable working intensively in someone else’s home for weeks at a time are a natural nurturer who also understands the importance of professional boundaries can maintain a calm, reassuring presence with exhausted, emotional parents at 3am are self-employed and comfortable managing your own bookings, contracts and income want flexible, placement-based work rather than a fixed employed role The professional boundaries point matters more than most people expect. You are not the mother’s friend. You are a professional she has brought in to help and support her. You can be warm, caring and genuinely interested in her family, and that is exactly what makes the best maternity nurses. But there is a line. Your personal life is not part of the arrangement. Previous clients are confidential. You are there to do a job, and doing it well means holding that distinction clearly, even when families feel close. This is a skill every new maternity nurse has to develop, and the sooner you internalise it the better your placements will go. Step 1: Complete specialist maternity nurse training There is no single legally mandatory qualification to become a maternity nurse in the UK. However, families and agencies will look for evidence of training, and the quality and credibility of that training will directly affect which roles you are put forward for and what rate you can command. What to look for in a maternity nurse training course: evidence-based curriculum covering newborn care, feeding, safe sleep, settling, colic, reflux and postnatal recovery responsive and attachment-informed practice, not just routines and schedules safeguarding, professional boundaries and scope of practice consultation skills: how to work with families, not just how to care for babies recognised accreditation,… Continue reading How to Become a Maternity Nurse in the UK: A Step-by-Step Guide

From Corporate Career to Maternity Nurse: Gaye’s Story

Quick answer: You do not need a childcare background to become a maternity nurse. Gaye left a career in corporate travel and conferences, had no professional baby experience, and built one of the most in-demand international maternity nursing practices over 12 years. This is her story and a practical guide for anyone considering the same transition. ‘From Corporate Career to Maternity Nurse. Gaye’s Story’. Watch the interview → Watch: Gaye’s full interview how she left the corporate world 12 years ago and built an international maternity nursing career from scratch. If you are at the earlier stage of exploring whether maternity nursing is right for you, start with our full guide: How to Become a Maternity Nurse in the UK. This blog focuses specifically on Gaye’s path, what it looked like in practice for someone with no professional childcare background, and what she would tell anyone considering the same transition. If you’re wondering whether someone like you could do this Most people considering maternity nursing as a career change have the same question underneath all the practical ones: is this actually realistic for someone with my background? The answer depends almost entirely on the wrong things people assume matter most. You do not need to be a nurse or midwife. You do not need to have worked in childcare for years. What Gaye’s story shows is that the qualities that make a great maternity nurse, empathy, patience, professionalism, the ability to read a room and hold your nerve at 3am, come from all kinds of backgrounds. Including corporate ones. Gaye spent most of her working life in international corporate roles, travel, conferences, events. She was good at it. She was also done with it. In 2009, watching the financial crisis reshape the industry she worked in, she made a decision that surprised people around her and defined the next decade of her life. The moment she decided to reinvent herself “I could see there were lots of changes and I thought. I need to reinvent myself again. I need to do something that’s good for me.”. Gaye Her sister is a nurse and midwife. She had always loved the idea of working with newborns. But retraining as a nurse felt impractical at that stage of her life. What did feel practical was starting smaller. She contacted an agency outside London and took a nannying role with a family who had a six-month-old. She stayed for a year.“I learned so much through the family,” she says. “I thought, yes, I really like this.” That first year was deliberate. She was not trying to become a maternity nurse overnight. She was building the foundation, learning what working inside a family home actually felt like, what babies and parents actually needed, and whether she had the temperament for it. The answer was yes. So she kept going. How she found maternity nursing, by accident The transition from nannying to maternity nursing happened in the way most good career pivots do: unexpectedly, through a specific job that changed everything. A family she was connected to had premature twins. They had a maternity nurse, but needed someone to cover her day off. Gaye stepped in. “That was my introduction to maternity nursing. And I thought this was the most wonderful job. I just built on that.”. Gaye She did the Level 3 maternity nurse course. Then a breastfeeding course. A postnatal depression course. She started taking the odd night here and there with families while still nannying, building experience and references without burning bridges or taking a financial risk she couldn’t afford. Then she approached a big London agency. She had roughly two years of experience at that point. Not a long CV by some standards. But she had references, she had specific newborn experience, and she had done the training. The agency gave her a chance. Her first three agency placements were all premature twins. “The easy jobs. I was thrown in at the deep end. But it was wonderful. It was an amazing experience.” Gaye What the role actually involves day to day Gaye works 24-hour placements, previously six days a week, now five, with longer breaks between bookings. She has worked in Barbados, Switzerland, South Africa, the US and across Europe. She is, as Emma says in the interview, extremely hard to get hold of because she is always booked. Her day typically starts between 6 and 7am, changing the baby, taking them to the mother for the first feed of the day, running through the night’s details. She keeps a diary for every family: feeds, sleep times, nappy changes, anything worth monitoring. She teaches as she goes. “I’m in the background ready to help. But I let the mother sort of I like to teach her and empower the mother.” Gaye She involves fathers. She recognises when a mother is overwhelmed and adjusts her approach accordingly. She knows when a baby’s feeding difficulty might indicate something medical and knows when to say “I think we should get this checked by a paediatrician” rather than guessing. She explains sleep biology to parents, awake windows, circadian rhythm, developmental norms , in conversation, not in lectures. She also has a filter she applies before every booking now, built from early experience of getting it wrong. “I went into one or two families and I thought maybe I can change them. And then I thought, no. Now I’m a lot more discerning. I make sure that the family’s values are aligned with my values, because I have a very gentle approach..” Gaye She tells every prospective family from the first WhatsApp message: this is my approach. If they want a baby sleeping through the night in two weeks, she is not the right fit. That clarity, she says, makes every placement work better. Why her corporate background turned out to be an advantage This surprises people, but it shouldn’t. A career in international corporate work builds skills that are directly transferable to high-end private… Continue reading From Corporate Career to Maternity Nurse: Gaye’s Story

How Much Do Maternity Nurses Earn in the UK?

About this guide Written by the Babyem team. Babyem is a training provider, not a placement agency. We do not set maternity nurse rates and we have no commercial interest in the figures quoted here. The rates in this guide are drawn from publicly available agency data as of June 2026. For the most current figures, always check directly with specialist agencies when you are ready to register. Quick answer: Based on UK agency data as of June 2026, newly qualified maternity nurses typically start at around £200-£250 per 24-hour day. Experienced practitioners work in the £300-£450 range. Twins, multiples and specialist cases command higher rates. These figures are gross income before tax and self-employment costs. Maternity nursing is self-employed work. That changes how you need to think about the figures. The rate you agree with a family or agency is not the money you take home. Before comparing these numbers to an employed salary, you need to account for tax, National Insurance, gaps between placements, insurance, and the cost of keeping your qualifications current. This guide gives you a realistic picture of earnings at different experience levels, what self-employment means financially, and how rates grow with experience and specialism. For the full step-by-step guide to training and getting started, read How to Become a Maternity Nurse in the UK. What are the current rates for maternity nurses in the UK? Maternity nurse rates are set by the market, not by training providers or awarding bodies. The figures below are based on what specialist UK placement agencies are publicly quoting as of June 2026. They will move over time, so treat them as a guide rather than a guarantee, and check directly with agencies such as Eden Private Staff, when you are ready to register. Experience level 24-hour day rate Nights/days only (per hr) Notes Newly qualified £200-£250 £16-£18 Building first newborn references 1-2 years experience £250-£320 £18-£22 Growing reference bank, agency registered Experienced (3+ years) £320-£450 £22-£28 Strong referrals, specialist skills Twins / multiples Add £50-£100+ per day Higher Rates increase with complexity International placements Varies significantly Varies Agree all expenses and travel costs in advance Important: these are gross rates. As a self-employed practitioner you are responsible for paying income tax and National Insurance from these earnings. See the self-employment section below before drawing conclusions about take-home pay. A note on geography: these figures reflect the London and South East market where most private placements are concentrated. Rates outside London are typically lower. The figures above are gross, before tax and National Insurance. See the self-employment section below for what that means for your actual take-home. For a clear breakdown of how the private maternity nurse role differs from an NHS maternity support worker or midwife, read Maternity Nurse vs Midwife vs Maternity Support Worker. What does a newly qualified maternity nurse realistically earn? The short answer is: less than the figures at the top of the table, and less than some training course advertisements might suggest. Agencies register practitioners based on their experience and references. A newly qualified maternity nurse with limited newborn placements behind her will typically be put forward for roles at the lower end of the market rate. This is not a reflection of her training quality. It is a reflection of the fact that families and agencies are placing trust in practitioners they cannot yet verify through a track record of completed placements. The rate builds with the reference bank. After two or three solid placements with strong verbal references, most practitioners find they can move upward. After several years with specialist skills and consistent repeat bookings, the upper ranges become realistic. If you are new to newborn care, the most effective route to building the references that justify higher rates is structured newborn experience before approaching agencies. Babyem’s Maternity Nurse Placement Scheme supports England-based graduates to do exactly this, matching them with real families. Placements are unpaid; families cover travel and food expenses. The scheme is optional and available to graduates in England only. Self-employment: what the rate actually means for your finances Maternity nursing is self-employed work. Every practitioner is responsible for her own tax, National Insurance, insurance, pension and the gaps between placements. This is one of the most important things to understand before making career decisions based on the headline daily rate. Tax and National Insurance As a self-employed practitioner in the UK you pay income tax on your profits and Class 2 and Class 4 National Insurance contributions. The exact amounts depend on your total annual income, but as a working rule of thumb, setting aside 25-30% of your gross earnings for tax and NI will keep you in good shape for your annual self-assessment return. You are required to register as self-employed with HMRC and submit a self-assessment tax return each year covering the period April to April. If this is new territory, getting an accountant early is worth the cost. Tools like QuickBooks or FreeAgent are widely used by self-employed childcare practitioners and make the record-keeping straightforward. What self-employment does not include Statutory sick pay, if you cannot work due to illness you have no income Paid holiday, time between placements is unpaid Employer pension contributions, your pension is entirely your responsibility Maternity pay, self-employed maternity allowance from the government is available but limited None of this makes maternity nursing a bad financial choice. It means the comparison with an employed salary needs to account for these factors. A maternity nurse earning £300 per 24-hour day is not earning the equivalent of someone on £300 per day as an employee. Expenses you can offset against tax Professional indemnity and public liability insurance Training and CPD courses, including any specialist courses you complete DBS check renewal costs Equipment used in your work Professional subscriptions and memberships Travel to and from placements (with conditions, take accountant advice) Keeping clear records of income and expenses from the start makes the annual self-assessment significantly less stressful. Open a separate… Continue reading How Much Do Maternity Nurses Earn in the UK?

Maternity Nurse vs Midwife vs Maternity Support Worker: What’s the Difference?

If you’re researching a career supporting families after birth, you’ve probably noticed that “maternity nurse,” “midwife” and “maternity support worker” often get used interchangeably online. They shouldn’t be. Each role has a different focus, a different working environment, a different level of clinical responsibility, and a different training route. A midwife is a regulated healthcare professional who provides clinical care during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. A maternity support worker usually works within NHS or healthcare maternity services, supporting midwives under supervision. A maternity nurse usually works privately in family homes, providing practical, non-medical newborn and postnatal support, typically during a baby’s first 0–3 months, you’ll also see this role called a newborn care specialist, baby nurse or baby nanny. If you’re exploring a career supporting families after birth, understanding the difference matters — because the right training route depends on the type of care you want to provide. Thinking about becoming a maternity nurse? Download Babyem’s free Maternity Nurse Checklist: everything you need to become a maternity nurse, including the training course, skills and practical steps to launch your career. [Download the Free Checklist]   Maternity nurse vs midwife vs maternity support worker: at a glance Maternity nurse Midwife Maternity support worker Where they usually work Privately, in the family home NHS hospitals, birth centres, community settings, or independently NHS or healthcare maternity teams Main focus Practical newborn care, feeding routines, sleep foundations, postnatal support Clinical pregnancy care, leading labour and delivering the baby, and postnatal care Supporting midwives and families with practical, day-to-day care Clinical responsibility None, unless separately qualified Full clinical responsibility; regulated by the NMC Works under supervision; limited delegated tasks Typical training route Specialist maternity nurse training (e.g. Level 3 or Level 4) Approved midwifery degree (BSc or postgraduate route), NMC registration NVQ/healthcare qualifications, often combined with NHS in-house training Best suited for Those who want hands-on, private, family-based newborn support Those who want a regulated healthcare career in maternity Those who want a structured, employed NHS role supporting maternity teams Note: “Maternity nurse” is also widely known as a newborn care specialist, baby nurse or baby nanny different names for broadly the same private, home-based newborn support role.   What is a maternity nurse? A maternity nurse provides practical, non-medical newborn and postnatal support in the family home, usually in the early weeks or months after a baby is born. Families typically bring in a maternity nurse to help them settle into life with a newborn, recover from birth, and build confidence in caring for their baby. You’ll often see this role described using different titles. In the UK, “maternity nurse” is the long-established and most widely used term, but the same role is increasingly referred to as a newborn care specialist — the term more commonly used internationally, particularly in the US and sometimes as a baby nurse or baby nanny. These all generally describe the same kind of practical, non-medical newborn support, though exact scope and experience level can vary between individual practitioners and agencies, so it’s worth checking what a specific role or course actually covers. A maternity nurse’s remit is typically the newborn period — broadly the first 0 to 3 months of a baby’s life, sometimes extending to around 4 months depending on the family. Once a baby moves beyond this newborn stage, families often transition to a maternity nanny or a nanny with newborn experience, who picks up weaning, daytime routines and the next stage of development rather than the intensive round-the-clock newborn period. A maternity nurse may support with: newborn care feeding routines and practical feeding support, within scope winding, bathing and changing settling and sleep foundations gentle routines helping parents understand newborn cues giving parents rest and reassurance supporting the transition after birth helping parents build confidence A maternity nurse is not the same as a midwife and does not provide clinical care unless separately qualified. Their role is about practical, hands-on support — not diagnosis, treatment or clinical monitoring.   Why maternity nursing suits career-changers Maternity nursing can be a strong path for nannies, doulas, nursery practitioners, childcare professionals and anyone who loves newborn care but doesn’t want to pursue registered midwifery. It offers a way to work closely and intensively with families, often with more flexibility and autonomy than an NHS-based role. Nannies often make this transition naturally. If you already have hands-on baby experience, specialist training builds on that foundation with focused newborn knowledge — feeding, sleep, postnatal recovery and safe practice — that agencies and families specifically look for, and it can support higher rates than general nanny work. Doulas are also a common fit. Postnatal doula work already involves supporting a family through the early weeks, so the step into maternity nursing is often about adding deeper, hands-on newborn care knowledge to existing postnatal support skills, broadening the type of work you can offer.   Other routes people often overlook It’s also common to see people move across from nursery nursing, health visiting or even midwifery into private maternity nurse work, drawn by the chance to support one family intensively rather than working within a wider team or service. Two other routes come up often and are easy to overlook. People working in adult or elderly care frequently bring across exactly the caregiving instincts and patience a maternity nurse needs — the setting changes, but the core skill of providing calm, attentive, hands-on care to someone vulnerable doesn’t. And many maternity nurses come to the role simply because they’ve had their own children, discovered they loved the newborn stage more than they expected, and decided to turn that into a career rather than leave it behind after their own family was settled. Whatever the starting point, families and agencies tend to care most about demonstrable baby experience, solid references and evidence of relevant training — not which route you took to get there.   What is a midwife? A midwife is a registered healthcare professional who provides clinical care… Continue reading Maternity Nurse vs Midwife vs Maternity Support Worker: What’s the Difference?

How to keep your baby toasty and warm in winter! (Safely)

Photo by Daisy D on Unsplash

How to dress a baby in the cold weather is often a source of anxiety for parents. Use our handy guide to help you feel confident dressing your baby in the cold, both inside and outside.

Guide to Babywearing – Benefits, Tips, Research and How to Do it Safely

Photo by Kat van der Linden on Unsplash

Many people carry for a variety of different reasons, and it’s normal from an evolutionary point of view for humans to carry their children. All cultures around the world have some form of carrying in them, many having their own styles and ways of carrying. In this blog, we collaborated with Zoë Woodman, from The Sling Consultancy, to share more information about the biology of infant carrying, how carrying helps infants develop, plus our top tips for choosing a sling/carrier. What is babywearing? Babywearing is simply the practice of carrying a baby or toddler in a carrier. Babywearing is the more popular term and is used more often than the word ‘carrying’, even though it is a much broader term. However, it is important to recognise that often we ‘carry’ infants much longer than just the ‘baby stage.’ Watch this video with Sling Consultant Zoë who shares her experience and why she has continued to use a carrier with her youngest son who is now 5 years of age. How to find the right carrier There is so much choice when it comes to choosing a carrier that’s right for your needs. A great place to start is to check out a sling library in your local area. What is a sling library?  Like traditional (book) libraries and toy libraries, sling libraries’ main role is to loan out slings and carriers and to offer advice and information on babywearing. Each one is run by volunteers and they run in different ways, meeting anywhere from weekly to monthly in someone’s home, a children’s centre, a community venue, a play centre or a library. When at the sling library it’s helpful to try on different slings and carriers because we are all shaped differently; some people have shorter torsos, broader shoulders etc… and like trying on a pair of shoes you want to make sure it fits you perfectly so you feel comfortable. Carrier v Sling? It’s important to ensure your sling or carrier is well-fitted, and it’s sufficiently tightened. If the infant is slumping, you need to adjust the carrier or choose a different type of carrier. Below you will find different types of slings and carriers available. A wrap: A stretchy wrap is great for newborns, it’s a long piece of thin fabric that you tie it in a certain way, and the infant can slip in and out quite easily. This carrier supports skin-to-skin contact as the fabric is thin and due to its stretchy nature, it tends to fit all body types well. A buckle carrier: This is a square piece of fabric with buckles that can do up differently and they come in different sizes. Tie-on carrier: This is similar to the buckle carrier, it’s a square piece of fabric, but rather than buckling the fabric together, you “tie” this carrier together. Ring slings: A one-shoulder fabric carrier, with a ring you thread the fabric through. Frame back carrier:  These carriers are metal carriers, and are typically used for an older infant as they don’t offer much support. Wrap carrier: This is a fabric carrier that is very flexible and it will always fit your body because you tie them yourself. There are ways and means of adjusting the carrier you currently have if you’re finding it uncomfortable. Sling Consultant Zoe speaks about the different ways you can use a carrier/sling to carry an infant to support their development. Benefits of babywearing There are so many benefits associated with babywearing, for both the infant and the carrier. Many people carry for a variety of different reasons, and it’s normal from an evolutionary point of view for humans to carry their children. All cultures around the world have some form of carrying in them, many having their own styles and ways of carrying. In this blog, we collaborated with Zoë Woodman, from The Sling Consultancy, to share more information about the biology of infant carrying, how carrying helps infants develop, plus our top tips for choosing a sling/carrier. What is babywearing? Babywearing is simply the practice of carrying a baby or toddler in a carrier. Babywearing is the more popular term and is used more often than the word ‘carrying’, even though it is a much broader term. However, it is important to recognise that often we ‘carry’ infants much longer than just the ‘baby stage.’ Watch this video with Sling Consultant Zoë who shares her experience and why she has continued to use a carrier with her youngest son who is now 5 years of age. How to find the right carrier There is so much choice when it comes to choosing a carrier that’s right for your needs. A great place to start is to check out a sling library in your local area. What is a sling library?  Like traditional (book) libraries and toy libraries, sling libraries’ main role is to loan out slings and carriers and to offer advice and information on babywearing. Each one is run by volunteers and they run in different ways, meeting anywhere from weekly to monthly in someone’s home, a children’s centre, a community venue, a play centre or a library. When at the sling library it’s helpful to try on different slings and carriers because we are all shaped differently; some people have shorter torsos, broader shoulders etc… and like trying on a pair of shoes you want to make sure it fits you perfectly so you feel comfortable. Carrier v Sling? It’s important to ensure your sling or carrier is well-fitted, and it’s sufficiently tightened. If the infant is slumping, you need to adjust the carrier or choose a different type of carrier. Below you will find different types of slings and carriers available. A wrap: A stretchy wrap is great for newborns, it’s a long piece of thin fabric that you tie it in a certain way, and the infant can slip in and out quite easily. This carrier supports skin-to-skin contact as the fabric… Continue reading Guide to Babywearing – Benefits, Tips, Research and How to Do it Safely

Birth Trauma Awareness Week 2022

Content Warning – This blog talks frankly about different types of trauma, including birth trauma. If you are sensitive to discussing these topics, you may wish to close this blog, or prepare yourself appropriately for reading. There is information at the end of this blog on how to access support if you are affected by any of the issues raised in this piece.  We are almost at the end of Birth Trauma Awareness week, which this year runs from 18th to 23rd July. The theme for this year is diagnosis and treatment.  What is trauma? Trauma is an emotional response to a stressful event, such as a natural disaster, a physical or sexual assault, the sudden death of a loved one, or witnessing the assault of another person, e.g. a shooting or stabbing. What is birth trauma? The NICE Guidelines on Antenatal and Postnatal Mental Health (2014) definite birth trauma as: “Traumatic birth includes births, whether preterm or full term which are physically traumatic… and births that are experienced as traumatic, even when the delivery is obstetrically straightforward.” This means that even if your labour or birth did not require emergency treatment or deviation from what is biologically normal – you have experienced the event as traumatic. You may have had a birth someone else considers totally normal and not stressful – that does not mean your experience was not traumatic. Giving birth and experiencing birth trauma are very personal. Some families experience trauma after giving birth, if their babies are taken to SCBU, or NICU and are separated from them for some time. Many women are unaware that they have experienced birth trauma until weeks, months, or even years after the fact. Shock and denial are common in the early days after a traumatic experience. Birth trauma can also cause physical symptoms such as nausea, headaches, heart palpitations and symptoms of mental illness such as postnatal anxiety, depression or OCD. According to research carried out by the Birth Trauma Association in 2021, 84% of parents are living with the consequences of birth trauma without effective treatment as a solution, and “84% of respondents with physical birth injuries said it had impacted their self esteem and body confidence.” (BTA, 2022) How can you support someone with birth trauma? Listen but don’t judge. Let them speak openly about their experience – when they are ready –without giving your perspective or advice. Validate their feelings. Telling someone it ‘can’t be that bad’ or ‘at least your baby is here safely’ can totally invalidate the difficult and complex feelings involved with birth trauma. How a mother feels absolutely matters – yes, it’s important that baby arrives safely – but this should not ignore the very real desire of a mother to give birth in a specific way and having this decision removed from her, or the lived experience of the fear, stress, and abject terror many women go through delivering their babies. Help them access the help and support they need. This may involve therapies such as EMDR or TFCBT, which require specialist training and supervision. Encourage parents to thoroughly check the qualifications of anyone they are working with after a traumatic birth, and that they are appropriately supervised by someone specialising in trauma. Some parents may also require medication. Connect with organisations such as The Make Birth Better Project ,the Birth Trauma Association and MASIC (for women with birth injuries). If you want to learn more about birth trauma and perinatal mental illness, we are offering a 20% discount on our Perinatal Mental Health Training (Including postnatal depression and birth trauma) until Sunday 24th July 2022. Use code FORTHE84PERCENT.

Top 10 tips for keeping your baby safe in a heatwave!

Photo by Marissa Daeger on Unsplash

With temperatures soaring in the UK, parents are flooding online support groups with queries about keeping their little ones safe in the heat. Infant feeding expert Charlotte Treitl shares her Top 10 tips for keeping your baby safe in a heatwave! Keep babies indoors during the hottest parts of the day There’s a reason people in very hot countries have a siesta in the middle of the day! During the hottest part of the day (11am to 3pm) it’s best to stay indoors and keep cool. You may even want to take a nap with your baby since the heat will probably make you feel more tired! Keep babies in the shade using a UV protective parasol or tent when outdoors. It’s really unsafe for babies to be in direct sunlight when temperatures soar, especially if they are under 6 months old, so keep them shaded whilst they play or sleep in the sun. Use sun cream appropriately  Babies under 6 months old should not wear sun cream. For older babies and children, look for a high SPF (Sun Protection Factor) cream that is made specifically for babies and children at 30-50 SPF depending on how hot it is. SPFs are rated on a scale of 2 to 50+ based on the level of protection they offer, with 50+ offering the strongest protection from UVB rays. You also want to look at the star rating on the packaging – a 5 star rating offers the highest level of UVA protection. Wearing UV protective clothing Lots of swim and beachwear now comes in UV protective fabric. These can block out harmful UV rays by as much as 98%. Hats with a legionnaire style flap of fabric at the back help keep the sun off the back of the neck and shoulders – an area that burns easily. Feed on demand! Breastfed babies of all ages will typically want to feed more often in the heat, and may enjoy more ‘snacky’ feeds. This can cause some worry for parents who may think their baby isn’t filling up or that their milk is drying out – don’t panic! Breastmilk is already around 88% water, and it adapts to the heat to keep your baby hydrated, so your baby will likely have shorter, but more frequent feeds. Baby poos may go greener as a result – again, don’t panic! Do not give sips of water to breastfed babies under 6 months of age.  This is highly dangerous. For formula fed babies, formula should be made safely using 70 degree freshly boiled water, but can be given in smaller quantities more often. Your formula fed baby may also enjoy or require more snacky feeds. The NHS does say that in extremely hot weather, formula fed babies can have sips of water throughout the day between feeds, this should be limited and should only be given in extreme temperatures. Make breastmilk ice lollies A great way to help your baby cool down is to make breastmilk ice lollies. Most home-use lolly moulds for infants only need 1-2oz of fluid to make up a lovely ice pop for your baby. It’s best not to give them to babies who are under 12 weeks old, as the very cold temperature of frozen milk could harm their delicate lips and tongue. Formula should never be frozen.  Never cover a stroller! Whilst it’s tempting to think that covering the stroller keeps your baby out of the sun and therefore protects them, what actually happens is the cover then reduces airflow, which can increase the temperature of the stroller to 93 degrees within 30 minutes, even if you’re using a thin muslin, which increases your baby’s risk of SIDS. It’s best to use a parasol to create shade. Keep car seats cool when your car is parked Car seats get very hot when left in cars, and this can mean metal buckles become so hot they can burn you or your baby. Additionally, the black seat covers can get really hot, which will make your baby uncomfortable when travelling and could potentially over heat them. When your car is parked, use an emergency foil blanket to cover the car seat and reflect heat away. A large white muslin will also help reflect some of the heat, so the seat will be cooler when you’re ready to use it. Remember to take your baby out of the car seat after travelling – whilst it’s safe for baby to sleep in the seat when travelling, it should not be used as an alternative to a chair or safe sleep surface. Keep the bedroom at optimal temperature and dress baby appropriately The ideal room temperature is 16-20⁰C, and it can be tricky to keep temperatures low in the summer months. Use a room thermometer to monitor the temperature, keep the bedroom door open, and if need be, use a fan to keep air circulating – but don’t aim it directly at the baby. It’s important to dress your baby appropriately for bedtime to keep them safe. The risk of SIDS is higher in babies that are too hot, so put your baby to bed in appropriate clothing to avoid overheating. This is especially important when bedsharing because you will be sharing body heat. In extremely hot weather, you may only need to put your baby to bed in a nappy. Choose a low tog sleeping bag if your baby sleeps in one of these. Drinking alcohol and breastfeeding If you’re at a BBQ or down the pub for tea enjoying the beer garden, or simply want to enjoy a cool alcoholic beverage in the heat then it is safe to do so. You do not need to pump and dump, nor do you need to wait any particular length of time to feed your baby. Very little alcohol is transferred into breastmilk. The main thing to be mindful of is alcohol dehydrates you very quickly, especially in the heat, so you may feel more drunk… Continue reading Top 10 tips for keeping your baby safe in a heatwave!

Life after baby.. Talking sex, poo, tears and fitness! with Sarahjane West-Watson, Pregnancy and post natal core Personal trainer

“One thing that drives me bonkers is when it does come in to the mainstream conversation about getting yourself a towel, put a pad in, and it’s fine if you leak – dont worry about it. But it’s SO NOT OK if you leak, it’s a warning sign” – Sarahjane West-Watson

WHY FORMULA FEEDING MATTERS with Infant Feeding Specialist Shel Banks

“Would I love it if more people who started to breastfeed actually could breastfeed for longer? Yes? But that’s not the intention of this book. The intention of this book is that if people pick it up wanting to know about how to choose a formula or what to do if they’re having a problem that there is a resource for them – that’s the purpose of this book.” – Shel Banks