The Birds and the Bees Birth Education

The UK has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world! With around 80% of women & birthing people ending their breastfeeding journey before they wanted to.
This comes down to so many factors, including
• lack of consistent support
• pain & discomfort
• fatigue & inconvenience
• the demand of being the only person to feed your baby

Breastfeeding is biologically best - this is a fact that can’t be argued, with the research to support it. Our bodies produce exactly what our babies need.
BUT I will not argue that it is best. It is not always best for Mum or baby, and that’s what matters!

Breastfeeding IS demanding and it IS tiring and it CAN be hard.

Feeding is a very emotive subject, with people who sit firmly on both sides of the fence; one side will glorify breastfeeding and argue until they are blue in the face about how amazing it is. And the other will say that formula has done their babies no harm and that some people just can’t breastfeed. These are opinions, which we are all entitled to.

I truly do not care whether you breastfeed or formula feed, as long as the decision you’re making is an informed decision. As long as, if you stopped breastfeeding, you did this because YOU were ready to and not because there was no breastfeeding support for you to help through a painful latch, or to reassure you about cluster feeding.

INFORMED IS BEST!
If you decided not to breastfeed or stopped breastfeeding before you were ready, why was this?

• HELLO! •

So, after some lovely and very generous advice from , I’ve decided to switch up my logo so you lovely lot are seeing my face!

I’ve also realised that I’ve never done a proper introduction, so hello!
I’m Beth and I’m the face behind the Birds and the Bees Birth Education.
I’m a hospital midwife in the North East of England and I love all things birth! HOWEVER, what I love more than that is people coming into the birthing space feeling prepared and informed, and having a say on what that birthing experience looks like!

This is why I decided to set up the Birds and the Bees, so that people can access unbiased but comprehensive birth education classes outside of the NHS.

In work I think I would be described as extroverted and I do love to chat! I’m also very passionate about the things I care about.
But outside of work I’m fairly introverted and just enjoy Netflix in my spare time really! I love a cup of Yorkshire tea and being Mum to two gorgeous girls 💛

I would love for you all the introduce yourselves in the comments and I just want to thank all of you for supporting me on my little venture! Following and interacting with my page is just amazing and I appreciate you all so much ✨

• Home birth •
Did you know that your home is as much of an option for location to birth your baby as a birthing centre or obstetric unit (in hospital)?

This photo was minutes after the birth of our daughter, Cora, who was born during the pandemic and I couldn’t have been happier with my decision to have her at home. There was a lot of uncertainty at that time and being in the comfort of your home, where everything is familiar, is really good for feeling safe and that oxytocin! ✨
I wrote my dissertation on why home birth isn’t an option for more people and I found that a lot of people find safety in being in hospital, and that’s okay too. But, knowing what the research shows for outcomes when birthing at home, that brought me my feeling of safety!

For example, with second or subsequent babies, the overall outcomes for you and your baby are better at home than in hospital
• your baby is at a lower chance of being admitted to the neonatal unit
• you’re at a reduced chance of an assisted birth (ventouse or forceps)
• reduced chance of developing an infection
• increased chance of having a successful VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section)

There are of course situations where birthing at home wouldn’t be the safest option for some, for example if you have placenta praevia (where the placenta is covering the cervix), but it’s always worth discussing with your care provider!

There are other things to consider too, such as ambulance transfer times to your local hospital, your feelings around home birth etc.

We all find safety in different places but just know that an obstetric unit (delivery suite) doesn’t have to be your only options!
Did you have a home birth? If yes, how was that for you? If no, have you ever considering it? 💛

• Why would I pay for antenatal education? •
Invest in your pregnancy and birth! That’s my short answer really. I shared a post previously about knowledge being power and it truly is. I say this as someone who works in the NHS maternity services - having a baby right now can feel coercive, biased and not informed. YOU can change that. A lot of NHS trusts offer antenatal classes, which will cover birth, breastfeeding etc, and these are free. But often places are limited and some of the information may feel too generic for you specifically.
I am offering group or one to one sessions, refresher sessions (for people who have birthed before) or personalised sessions, where we can talk about anything you would like about pregnancy, birth, the postnatal period, feeding or babies!
You can accept or decline anything in your pregnancy or birth - it is your decision, it is your body and your baby!

• Fourth trimester •
Often the families I care concern when their baby will only settle when it’s held - not knowing that this is completely normal behaviour.
Babies go from a snug, warm and dark space, where they can constantly hear your heart beating and its parents’ hushed voices. This is a space where they are always being rocked and never have to express their needs.
Then they are born.
And it’s cold and bright, and there is so much space in their cots. It’s unfamiliar. They have to cry now to tell us they are hungry and they wear nappies and clothes. It’s all completely different.
But do you know what isn’t different and unfamiliar? You. That environment they had when they were inside you is replicated when they are held close to you, or in skin to skin. It’s familiar and it’s safe.
So I always tell parents to hold their babies close, for they aren’t tiny for very long 💛

• Due dates •
Did you know that only 4% of babies are born on their ‘due date’? That’s a very small percentage for such a major date in a pregnant person’s calendar!
Your due date or ‘EDD’ (estimated date date) is exactly that, an estimate. It’s originally based off the dates of your period, if you know them, and then it may be changed when you attend your dating scan, based off measurements of the baby.
But all of us are individual, so our bodies will grow babies for different lengths (or gestations) and it is believed that our babies will tell us when they are ready to be born!
How many weeks pregnant were you when your baby decided to arrive? Let me know below 💛

• Knowledge is power •
Every pregnancy and birth looks different, whether it’s your first baby or your fifth baby, but educating yourself on what you could expect will help you feel more prepared and is a good tool for making informed choices and decisions regarding your birth. There are a lot of areas in childbirth that some people didn’t realise they had a choice with, like induction of labour or the injection for the placenta - you have a choice regarding everything in your pregnancy and birth!

Finally, after talking about this for what feels like forever, I have finally started my own little business to offer antenatal education/classes in Durham! More information will follow once my plans are properly underway, but any questions, just send me a message! Beth # # #