This morning I woke up to the news that Donald J. Trump had been elected the 45th US president and like so many people the news left me reeling. I am not a particularly political person and certainly when it comes to political elections of other nations, I don’t especially feel the need to comment or get involved. But Trump is different. His opinions, often designed to be provocative (sometimes intentional and even more worrying, often unintentional) clearly reflect a racist misogynist driven by greed, money and self-interest.
What Baby Massage Oil To Use
Recently, a piece of research was issued by the University of Manchester stating that natural oils such as olive oil and sunflower oil are not safe to use on baby’s skin. Vegetable oils have been used for centuries for massaging babies across the world, so what should you use?
As a company, we believe that natural is best. The research suggests that it’s better to use products that are petroleum-based. During baby massage, we massage every part of our babies body including their tiny little fingers and toes. As we know, babies are fond of nibbling on both! So, ask yourself, would you put something that is petroleum-based in your mouth and eat it?
Digging a little deeper into the research, the article highlights that many skincare products for babies have only been tested for cosmetic purposes. This is true. Many products haven’t been tested on babies and we do believe that is essential. As a concerned mum, I know that I would want that added reassurance, which is why the ‘Hugs’ Baby Massage Oil and the entire MamaBabyBliss baby range has been clinically tested and paediatrician approved as completely safe for babies. We’ve also won awards for our ‘Hugs’ oil and many of our other natural products – most recently by Jayney Lee Grace who only advocates the best of the best in the world of natural products. Thousands of mums have used the oil and love it and interestingly enough, because of the ingredients (jojoba which mimics the skin’s sebum and camomile which is calming), they’ve actually reported a reduction in eczema. Eczema can be caused by many environmental factors including pollution and nutrition.
Ultimately, it should always be a matter of choice as to what parents prefer, but it would be a shame to start abandoning what is natural and has been used for many centuries and is still widely used used in other cultures, in favour of chemical and synthetic.
As per midwives and health visitors’ recommendation, skincare products should be avoided on newborn skin up to the age of 4 weeks as their skin is still so delicate and sensitive.
Baby Loss Awareness Week
As a 14 year old child, I was mortified and embarrassed that my mum was pregnant with another baby. My eldest sister was 23 and pregnant with her first baby, how embarrassing that our mother was pregnant again! It was suggested I give up my bedroom for the new baby that was coming. How dare they? I was going through my GCSE’s and needed my space!
The resentment I felt towards that baby was immense. My life revolved around me. I never once considered how my mum felt.
At 24 weeks my mum lost the baby. And then begun my mums downward fall into a black hole of pure emotion.
I was an onlooker and completely confused by the whole thing. She suffered afterwards with lots of infections and had a “DNC” in hospital with various antibiotics and painkillers. Once the physical healing was done, the emotional healing was nowhere to be found. She was often found staring out of the window, and crying for no apparent reason.
Life wasn’t the same and everything was too much for my mum to handle.
One day a ring appeared on my mum’s finger, I had never seen it before. A simple gold signet style ring. I asked where it had come from and my mum said that dad had bought it for her.
GCSE’s and general teenage years overtook me and I never really gave anymore thought to that time in my life.
At 22 I was married and wanting to start my own family. After a year of trying and a few tests it turned out I needed a little help to get pregnant. I was starting to obsess over pregnancy and babies. Suddenly everywhere I looked, there were prams with newborn babies, blooming pregnant ladies were appearing in their masses. I was imagining pregnancy symptoms every month hoping that I would actually be pregnant. Several rounds of Clomid later, and I still wasn’t pregnant.
A couple of days after the last pregnancy test was negative, I started my period. I always had really painful periods, but this was off the scale. After 8 hours of pain that didn’t subside, I knew something wasn’t right and that I needed to go to hospital.
It was there that a nurse announced to me that I was pregnant, but having a miscarriage.
My world fell away from my feet. I didn’t show any emotion. I am officially on expert level, when it comes to boxing up emotion and storing it for another time.
After returning home from hospital the next day, my mum came to visit. She fussed around me, cleaned the house, made cups of tea.
Fussing subsided, another cup of tea appeared and she sat down. She begun to tell me how important it is to look after myself emotionally. Her words drifted over my head and I didn’t really listen to anything she was saying. Until she handed me her Gold ring.
She said, “look inside the band”. I held the ring and squinted to read the inscription which said “Baby”.
That’s when I realized what a huge loss my mum had experienced a decade before. That’s when I realized she was still grieving. That’s when I realized you never forget.
For my mum losing her precious little baby was a grief that I didn’t know about or appreciate. I had never counted that baby as a lost sibling. Now I do.
What helped my mum get through this difficult period of time? It was the support of the various charities that gave her counseling, support and advice when she needed, and a safe place to cry. Also having a permanent reminder of the child that was, in the form of a simple Gold ring that gave her comfort when she felt it on her fingers.
We always appreciate our mums when we get older and wiser. My appreciation went that little bit deeper.
My Gold ring was a song. Every now and again I hear the song, and remember the baby that might have been. Now I have 2 grown children of my own and one day I will share with them my special song and why it means so much to me.
Baby Loss Awareness Week – Wave of Light 15th October
Please take part in this global event to remember all the babies that have died during pregnancy, at, during or after birth. Simply light a candle at 7pm and leave it burning for at least 1 hour.
Celebrate Breast Feeding
When I had my first child, 6 and a half years ago, I knew I wanted to breastfeed her. I expected it to be very hippy like and enjoyable and yet I had a very marmite relationship with it. In hindsight my anxiety about feeding her, especially if I felt rushed with it and worrying about her getting enough milk, contributed to me not enjoying the experience as much as I thought.
Fast forward and I now have two boys under two, as well as a daughter. Our middle boy was breastfed until 8 months just like his sister, but our youngest will be breastfed for much longer due to a cows milk allergy. I’ve made the decision to try for a year of breastfeeding him and although we are trying a few bottles of special formula now and again, I am trying to take joy in feeding this baby for as long as I can, without feeling that stress that I have done before.
I’ve a few simple tips to get you through the tough breastfeeds as well as the totally enjoyable ones.
Try and find a comfy feeding posistion for you and baby. My youngest hates to be cradled and so we often lay next to each other having a stare. He’s getting more fidgety now he is older but the laying down also tells him it is time to relax too. Put your phone away and resist the temptation to be distracted while you feed.
In the early days you often feel like you’re trapped under a feeding baby, so I advise all new mamas to make sure a few things are grabbable. Water is a must to keep yourself hydrated and keep your milk production up. You need to look after yourself by eating and drinking well to ensure you are able to keep up your supply and not feel drained. A fruit bowl nearby or a packed lunch made by your partner before they leave for work, will feel like a godsend! Remote control and a box set will almost certainly help your sanity at stages too. It’s nice to have some time with just your and baby. But I know when you’re racking up hours of cluster feeds it can feel like a lifetime and your brain is turning to mush!
As baby gets older why not try to express a little, so your partner can feed while you grab a much needed “Me time” and a long soak in a bath? Grab some cool flannels for your boobs to relieve them, if you needs be and switch off! I totally recommend popping some music on so you’re not asking how the baby is every 5 minutes too.
Chelle is a mum to three children, wife to one living in Brighton where she also freelances as a professional chatterbox.
Baby Yoga Training at Leeds Mother & Baby Unit
Congratulations to the wonderful staff at the Leeds Mother and Baby Unit, who recently completed their MamaBabyBliss Baby Yoga Training. There are 15 Mother and Baby Units in the UK, this is now the 2nd unit to have participated in training with us. It was lovely to see the staff being so enthusiastic about the many ways they will be able to use the techniques to benefit the parents and babies at the Unit .
The staff loved the fact that the training was onsite andspecifically tailored to their needs as a Unit and also the fact that their Outreach Team can use the techniques at home visits after discharge from the Unit. The Baby Yoga is going to offer them a wider repertoire of weekly group activities that can be done when mums return as part of Outreach Support and to encourage socialising between mums and babies. At the Nottingham Unit a member of staff was inspired to write her own relaxation script, that was specifically relevant for the mums she worked with which was just beautiful . The work these staff do in supporting women at such a difficult time in their lives is amazing, so it was a privilege to provide them with new ideas and see their enthusiasm and confidence in adopting these new techniques.
The Baby Yoga includes a quick 5 minute Dry Massage section that is done with baby fully clothed, but covers all body parts and encourages eye contact and bonding. This will be valuable for those patients with low concentration levels, or for whom undressing and redressing their babies’ takes a lot of effort and stress. The Dry Massage is also beneficial for short term patients who may not get the chance to learn a full Baby Massage routine.
Both the Nottingham and Leeds Units loved the fact that there are so many different elements to the Baby Yoga that can be used separately, according to the needs of patients on that day. For example deep breathing and stretches for mums, relaxation and exercises for babies. Many of the stretches, deep breathing and relaxation techniques can even be done in bed, if the patient is struggling to get out of bed that day. The staff were so pleased to learn breathing and relaxation techniques and physical yoga moves, that can be used to calm distressed mums prior to medical procedures or meetings with consultants. They also liked the exercises for mums who are still physically active, despite being so fragile emotionally, with exercise being a great way to release natural calming and uplifting endorphins.
The staff are looking forward to empowering the mums in the unit with the calming Baby Yoga techniques, that will enable the mums to calm their own babies. They also liked learning the specific activities for aiding the digestive system in babies. Often in a medical environment, babies may be prescribed medication or formula milk; possibly prematurely, when activities to alleviate digestive ailments and build the digestive system may now be used first. The staff now have lots more activities to help stimulate babies who have a long day and potentially months on the hospital ward. The songs and activities are such fun too, so will be uplifting for the ward, for staff as well as the parents and babies. There are also techniques that staff will be able to share with dads if the mums are sleeping or with a consultant when they visit .This is a difficult time for partners too, being separated from their partners and babies. The staff were planning lots of activities to do with mum, dad and baby, to promote that re bonding as a family also, when families have had to spend weeks, or months apart.
The work in the Mother and Baby Units has come about from the MamaBabyBliss Charitable Foundation, this enables our teachers to support parents who wouldn’t ordinarily be able to attend our classes.
Fabulous course. Clear instructions. Vanessa really down to earth and approachable. Thank you very much for coming and delivering the training. We all enjoyed it and have come back with lots of ideas and inspiration
Angela Simpson, Leeds Mother and Baby Unit.
Seeing the benefits of what we do, led to the training in both the Nottingham and Leeds Units. Our mission is now to spread this to all the 15 Units in the UK. Bringing new life into the world is challenging enough and to do this whilst suffering with your own severe mental health issues and in many cases whilst miles away from home; due to the fact that there are so few of these units across the country, must be so desperately hard. If we at MamaBabyBliss can play a small part in adding some valuable, helpful techniques for the staff; who do such an incredible job, the parents and babies, then we are truly grateful and privileged.
The benefits of baby massage
Baby massage is truly a gift at our fingertips and massaging our babies regularly provides a range of benefits. We have put together the MamaBabyBliss A-Z of what a difference baby massage can make to you and your baby.
A is for Ailments. Baby massage can naturally alleviate a range of common ailments from colic, wind, constipation, sinus congestion and much more!
B is for Bonding with our babies. Through the release of hormones such as the ‘love’ and ‘cuddle’ hormone oxytocin, baby massage helps us connect and bond with our babies.
C is for Communication. Because babies can’t understand language, their earliest form of communication, even in the womb, is touch. Baby massage enables us to communicate our love to our babies through our fingertips.
D is for Daddy time. Dads often don’t get to spend a lot of one-to-one time with their babies. Research has shown that baby massage helps dads to communicate and bond with their babies
E is for Eye Contact. Babies love gazing into your eyes and vice versa. Baby massage enables us to come up, close and personal to our little ones and fall in love with them time and time again.
F is for Fun. Babies love to be massaged and you’ll love the smiles and giggles that you both will enjoy together.
G is for Growth. Babies who are massaged regularly feed better and put on more weight than babies who are not.
H is for Holistic. Baby massage benefits us and our babies on so many levels: physically, mentally and emotionally.
I is for the Immune system. Massaging our babies helps strengthen their immune system from birth and so can help keep away colds and other infections.
J is for Joy. Baby massage quite simply makes us happy. It keeps our baby happy and as they say, a happy baby is a happy mummy!
K is for Kindness. Baby massage is one of the most gentle and loving gifts that we can give to ourselves and our babies.
L is for the Lymphatic system. During baby massage, we boost the lymphatic system, which is responsible for removing toxins and strengthening the body’s natural defences.
M is for Mummy. As well as baby massage relaxing our babies, it also relaxes us. When we massage our babies, oxytocin is released in us as well, which helps reduce our own stress levels.
N is for the Neural system. When we massage our babies we are working on their nervous system. Lots of messages are sent to their brain, which helps with their neural or brain development.
O is for Oxytocin. Oxytocin is the ‘love’ or ‘cuddle’ home that is stimulated every time we massage our babies. This helps us to bond and connect with our babies
P is for Prolactin. When we massage our babies, the hormone prolactin is stimulated which helps with milk production and breast-feeding.
Q is for Quiet Time. Massaging our babies enables us to enjoy some un-distracted one-to-one quiet-time with our baby
R is for Relaxation. Baby massage helps reduce cortisol, which is the stress hormone. Baby massage helps relax both the baby and the person giving the massage so it is win-win all around!
S is for Soothing. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, baby massage can help quickly settle and soothe our babies.
T is for Touch. Who doesn’t love a hug or a cuddle. Baby massage provides vital skin-to-skin touch, which our babies love and need to thrive, develop and grow.
W is for Wind. Massaging our babies from birth helps strengthen their digestive system and can help alleviate wind, constipation and other tummy upsets.
X is for Extraordinary. Baby massage is quite simply magic at your fingertips. You don’t need anything else other than you, a natural oil and your baby.
Y is for Yes. Because you don’t need any fancy equipment, you can practice baby massage anywhere and at any time.
Z is for Zzzzz. Baby massage helps encourage sleep in our babies and who doesn’t want that 🙂