Ellen Wood - To Birth and Beyond

If you don't feel like travelling far I have an upcoming antenatal course running in Caerphilly, starting in August! Perfect if your baby is due anywhere from September to November.

Covering topics like -
🌟Hormones and their important role during labour and birth
🧸Physiological birth
🌟Induction
🧸Other ways to birth your baby inc. Caesarean Birth
🌟Pain Management options
🧸Relationship changes and support
🌟Infant feeding
🧸Practical Newborn Care ...... and much more!!
Just head over to NCT.org.uk/antenatal to book your place!

In-person NCT Antenatal courses | Find a local antenatal class | NCT The original and leading antenatal class - preparing you for every stage of pregancy, birth and early childhood. Find an antenatal class near you today.

If you don't feel like travelling far I have an upcoming antenatal course running in Caerphilly, starting in May!
Covering topics like -
🌟Hormones and their important role during labour and birth
🧸Physiological birth
🌟Induction
🧸Other ways to birth your baby inc. Caesarean Birth
🌟Pain Management options
🧸Relationship changes and support
🌟Infant feeding
🧸Practical Newborn Care ...... and much more!!
Just head over to NCT.org.uk/antenatal to book your place!

If you don't feel like travelling far I have an upcoming antenatal course running in Caerphilly, starting in April!

Covering topics like -
🌟Hormones and their important role during labour and birth
🧸Physiological birth
🌟Induction
🧸Other ways to birth your baby inc. Caesarean Birth
🌟Pain Management options
🧸Relationship changes and support
🌟Infant feeding
🧸Practical Newborn Care ...... and much more!!

Just head over to NCT.org.uk/antenatal to book your place!

As many of you may know I am also training as a Doula this year and would be honoured to attend and support at your birth as a student Doula ❤️👶🏻

My full details can be found below -

https://www.nct.org.uk/courses-workshops/nct-doula/ellen-wood

Please feel free to get in contact if you have any questions or queries ☺️

Ellen Wood

BABY MASSAGE GROUP BLACKWOOD

STARTS TOMORROW SO LAST CHANCE TO BOOK ON - ONLY 2 SPACES LEFT

We are taking bookings for our next 6 week course of Baby Massage which starts on Wednesday 2nd March 2022 😍 (tomorrow)

We run 2, lovely, small, intimate groups ❤
Wednesdays
10 am (full)
and
11:30 am (2 places available)

Our Baby Massage group is suitable for babies from birth to 1 year old 😍 and will promote bonding between parent/carer and child, aid relaxation (for both the parent/carer and child) and sleep. It can help you to build confidence in handling your little one and there are also many health benefits to Baby Massage ❤

Please message our page directly to enquire or book x

Ellen Wood - To Birth and Beyond
Plasmawr Community Centre

New T-shirt and mandala for tomorrows massage class, thanks to Little Rainbows Play ❤️👶🏻🥰

Following on from our announcement two weeks ago that we needed to temporarily redirect births at our birthing pods to the Grange, we are now very happy to confirm that our pods will reopen at 08.00 hours on Monday morning (17th January 2022). Therefore all place of birth options will be available as before- home birth, Royal Gwent birthing pod, Nevill Hall birthing pod, Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan birthing pod, YYF freestanding birthing centre in Ystrad Mynach, the alongside birth centre at the Grange and the obstetric unit at the Grange. Please discuss your birthing plans with your midwife during pregnancy. The birth place decisions leaflet can be found in our links and resources group in the pinned post. All current visiting guidance applies as in previous posts. Thank you for your understanding throughout this challenging time and we look forward to welcoming you at one of the above areas when you have your baby 💕

**BLACKWOOD BABY MASSAGE GROUPS 2 SPACES AVAILABLE**

We are so excited to start our new 5 week block of Baby Massage this week 😍

If you've been thinking about joining us but haven't got around to booking yet then not to worry... its not too late 🤗

Our groups run on a Wednesday at 10am & 11:30 am in Plasmawr Community Centre ❤

Our Baby Massage groups are suitable for babies from birth to 1 year old 😍 and will promote bonding between parent/carer and child, aid relaxation (for both the parent/carer and child) and sleep. It can help you to build confidence in handling your little one and there are also many health benefits to Baby Massage ❤

Please message our page directly to enquire or book (pre-booking is essential) 😊

Ellen Wood - To Birth and Beyond
Plasmawr Community Centre

Be kind to me this Christmas—from a little person's point of view:

- You've probably let me eat more sugar than usual. I'm bound to have higher highs and lower lows.

- In the holidays I'm out of routine. I can cope better with transitions when I know exactly what's coming next, so please explain our plans for the day clearly to me.

- The anticipation of Christmas can be pretty overwhelming and exhausting. Help me to rest by keeping to my normal bedtimes.

- Travelling at Christmas is stressful for all of us. When possible, be flexible about when we travel and check the traffic before we leave.

- I have no idea about the value of money. If there's no way I can have that giant Lego set for Christmas, then please tell me well before Christmas morning. I'll have time to get over my disappointment, and I'll learn to trust your honesty.

- Grown-ups find preparing for Christmas stressful. I know you want it to be perfect for me so I'll have memories I can cherish forever. But I see you getting stressed, sometimes even before you do. I pick up on it and reflect it like a mirror. Please slow down, notice me, talk to me, play with me. That's what I'll remember.

- When I lose it—and I probably will at some point—please don't make me ashamed of my feelings by shouting at me. I never set out to deliberately disappoint you and I didn't try to ruin your Christmas. I'm really not that calculated. I'm just a little person whose brain deals with stress in different ways to yours. Please try to understand me, from my point of view.

And when all else fails, wrap your arms around me and hold me so I feel the strength of your love.

It’s offical! I had my certificate in the post 🎓

Perfect ideas to help a new postpartum mum 🥰

"I’ll meet you where you are."
During perinatal mental health week
we're reflecting on this beautiful phrase and powerful image from Emma of This Mama Doodles

Because new motherhood is a shock.
It's relentless.
It's painful.
It stretches your heart and makes you question who you are.
And it's lonely - the kind of loneliness you didn't know existed until you're awake rocking a baby at 3am or going on yet another long pram walk.

Never underestimate the power of showing up for your new mum friends.

Whether it’s having wine (or tea!) on the couch while they cry from sheer, pure exhaustion or simply checking in regularly, holding them from afar, letting them know that you're there.

It's telling them if they want to, need to, they can call and sob down the phone - and that you'll hold space for them while they do.
It's saying, "I'll meet you where you are."
Wherever that may be x


https://www.cope.org.au

**NOW FULLY BOOKED**

We are very excited to start our new 5 week block of Baby Massage this week on Wednesday 10th November! 😍

Our Baby Massage group is suitable for babies from birth to 1 year old 😍 and will promote bonding between parent/carer and child, aid relaxation (for both the parent/carer and child) and sleep. It can help you to build confidence in handling your little one and there are also many health benefits to Baby Massage ❤

Starting on Wednesday 10th November 12 pm @ studio 54 Blackwood for 5 weeks

Please message our page directly to enquire or book x

Studio 54 Blackwood
Ellen Wood - To Birth and Beyond
SJ Fitness-Real results for real people
Unique Health & Fitness Gym Blackwood
Caerphilly Baby and Toddler Groups
Mums of Caerphilly and surrounding areas
WHAT'S ON Blackwood
Parents of Ystrad Mynach & surrounding areas

Looking forward to meeting everyone for the new block of Baby Massage on Wednesday!

Here is one of the beautiful babies from our last session after enjoying her massage 🥰

**2 spaces left**

We are very excited to announce our new 5 week block of Little Rainbows Play 'Baby Massage group' 😁

Our Baby Massage group is suitable for babies from birth to 1 year old 😍 and will promote bonding between parent/carer and child, aid relaxation (for both the parent/carer and child) and sleep. It can help you to build confidence in handling your little one and there are also many health benefits to Baby Massage ❤

Starting on Wednesday 10th November 12 pm @ studio 54 Blackwood for 5 weeks

Please message our page directly to enquire or book x

Studio 54 Blackwood

It doesn't matter if the hospital states "no photos or videos." You still have the right to photograph or video your scan.

Because it's your own data you have the right to have a copy of it. "Data protection" doesn't apply.

A hospital is a public place and there is therefore no legal right to privacy for staff. However, it would be courteous to avoid having them in any photo or video if they didn't want to be shown.

If they tell you you're not allowed, remind them of these rights. If they refuse to scan you they're negligently refusing their duty of care which could lead to legal action in some cases.

Want to know more about your rights in pregnancy and birth? Join our workshop: https://developingdoulas.co.uk/product/consent-rights-in-childbirth/

In the last trimester, the placenta begins to secrete a corticotropin-releasing hormone, or CRH, which enables the mother to mentally and physically handle extreme amounts of stress; by the time of birth, most mothers have up to three times their pre-pregnancy levels of CRH[1] (or what we like to call the super-hero hormone).

I clearly remember wandering around my home in the postpartum period, unable to figure out how to accomplish my daily tasks because of an inability to act decisively in the presence of normal toddler activity, mess, and demands.

The ability to multi-task, overcome problems, and discover new solutions when obstacles arise are all skills directly affected by CRH hormones.

When the placenta is born, the feedback system that regulated the hormone’s production is interrupted, and the mother is left with only the CRH production of the hypothalamus. Because of this, postpartum mothers have low levels of this stress-fighting hormone making them more vulnerable to depression and less able to perform well under stress.

Studies from the National Institute of Health have found that consuming the placenta stimulates and stabilizes CRH levels. Endocrinologist George Chrousos, who led the NIH study, concluded that since the placenta contains large amounts of orally-active CRH, ingesting the placenta will stabilize CRH levels resulting in “a more stable emotional life for the mother.”[2]

[1] Chrousos, G. “Baby Blues-Postpartum Depression Attributed to Low Levels of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone After Placenta Is Gone.” Brief Bnet., 1995.

[2] Makrigiannakis A, Zoumakis E, Kalantaridou S, Chrousos G. “Endometrial and Placental CRH As Regulators of Human Embryo Implantation.” Journal of Reproductive Immunology. 62(1-2), 2004, pp 53-9.