I was recently interviewed with Liz Halliday, deputy head of midwifery at Private Midwives, by netdoctor.co.uk on the subject of postnatal depression (PND). With one in every 10 women experiencing some level of depression within a year of giving birth, it’s important to identify if it’s the baby blues, postnatal depression or simply plain exhaustion. When you have a baby you can feel like you are a totally new person, and nothing can prepare you for that.  It is completely normal to feel overwhelmed in the early days however if these feelings persist for over a week then it may be a sign something more serious is going on.

The article identifies the symptoms of PND and offers some simple yet effective coping strategies to help alleviate the feelings a new mother may be experiencing. Read the full article here.

There is lots of interest in the Meghan and her impending birth in the press. I was happy to talk to The Sun about the things that Meghan could use to support her in a natural birth.

Drinking rasberry leaf tea is thought to help, with a small amount of science that supports the idea that raspberry leaf tea is a uterine toner which can be beneficial post-natally in terms of regaining muscle tone down below.  Eating dates is another recommendation, as the protein released from eating them mimics the natural protein released by the baby, and there is evidence that eating them from week 36 can help women go into labour slightly sooner and slightly more dilated.

You can read the full article in The Sun here.

Meghan was recently under fire with negative press and twitter trolls when she was seen cradling her baby bump.  Fortunately she has not stopped her doing this, as it has many positive benefits for both mum and baby. 

Katharine recently shared details about these benefits with The Sun.  

"It is perfectly natural and even therapeutic for women to hold their bumps when pregnant," she told Fabulous Online.

Older Mothers - Should They Be Labelled High Risk?

Older mothers are often told they will be induced at 39 weeks as they are classed as ‘high risk’. As a result, their treatment tends to be different, interventions are often used sooner, and this negative bias can have a the knock-on effects on their birth outcomes.