Breastfeeding

And so I find that we are in the middle of World Breastfeeding Awareness Week and the theme for this year is "Breastfeeding: A Vital Emergency Repsonse". The aim of the week is to highlight the importance of breastfeeding especially in emergency situations around the world in developing countries. The rationale for this is that children are more vulnerable in emergency situations and that child mortality can increase dramatically from 2 to 70 times higher than average on account of diarrhoea, respiratory illness and malnutrition. In these situations, breastfeeding is a life saving intervention.

Back on home turf, the issues surrounding breastfeeding are, on the face of it, far more mundane but no less contentious for it. A recent survey carried out by Mother & Baby magazine asked 1200 breastfeeding mothers how breastfeeding friendly the UK is. I'm saddened but, unfortunately, not shocked to hear that 60% of mothers thought that the UK is not breastfeeding friendly. The full story makes interesting reading and I urge you to take a look by clicking on this link.

If you want more information on breastfeeding take a look at:
The Breastfeeding Network
The NCT Information Centre

In North Wales there are also the following breastfeeding support groups:
Bangor - Sackville Clinic (01248 362735)
Broughton - Broughton Clinic (Fiona Lee: 07913 658511)
Buckley - Westwood Centre (Fiona Lee: as above)
Caergwrle - Caergwrle Clinic (Fiona Lee: as above)
Conwy - St Mary's Church Hall (Susan Jones: 01492 593402)
Deeside - Sure Start Centre (Fiona Lee: as above)
Wrexham - Ma's Bar, Llay Resource Centre (01978 859020)
Wrexham - Ma's Bar, Chirk Clinic (01691 773581)
Wrexham - 24 hours helpline at Wrexham Maelor Hospital (01978 291100)

And, for support groups in and around the Chester area take at look at this page on the NCT website.

Finally, any clients who are considering breastfeeding their baby can ask me for a free sample of Lansinoh Lanolin.

Tracy x

Dr Miriam's Choice

I was pleased to read in The Mirror today that Dr Miriam Stoppard would choose HypnoBirthing if she were having another baby. Hurrah!

In a nice article, which is usefully called "Why pain is NOT a vital part of having a baby", she describes the various options available to you to help beat the "fear factor" including natural birth, water birth, TENS, pain killing drugs, epidural, gas and air and HypnoBirthing.

If you want to read the article you can click on this link.

Having read that article I went online and found that Dr Miriam makes lots of references to Hypnotherapy in her blog in relation to emotional problems, stopping blushing, anxiety, weight loss, IBS and phobias. You can read them all by clicking on this link.

Thanks for the endorsement Miriam.

Namaste,

Tracy

Musical Inspiration

Sometimes I find that inspiration can come from the strangest and most unexpected of sources. A recent example of such inspiration is from a couple of weeks ago when I took my 3 year old daughter to see a play/puppet show at The Lowry.

It was a production by Long Nose Puppets called "Flyaway Katie" based on the book of the same name by Polly Dunbar. It's a fabulous flight of fancy about a girl who's feeling grey and a bit bored at home one day when she takes inspiration from a bright and colourful picture on her wall. The lovely imagery from the book is reflected in the puppets but to make the production EVEN better there's music too. I assume that the music was written specifically for the production - but apologies if I have this wrong.

The whole thing was captivating for both me and my daughter and I was only too pleased to buy the CD of the music that was available in the foyer afterwards, which I thought would make good listening in the car for my daughter. However, a few weeks later guess who is listening to it - me, of course! I even have it on my ipod.

Unfortunately, I don't think that the cd is on general release, but I think you can get it from the company's website.

It's the combination of words and music (a bit folky) that have appealed to me and I have put the words below - perhaps they lose some of their power without the music but I thought I'd share it with you anyway. Perhaps you will be inspired to go and see one of their shows or buy the CD for yourself (BTW I have no financial interest in these products, I just like them!).

Flyaway Katie (by Long Nose Puppets - sorry if this is incorrectly credited)

You may need some black and white
Shades of grey when things aren’t right
Imagine though if that was all we see

Love and life
Fun and friends
Blues and greens, yellows and reds
The mutli-coloured hopes that fill our dreams

Fly, fly away Katie
Don’t let yourself be dull and grey
The world’s as bright as day Katie
So wonderful
A place to play

You may need some black and white
Shades of grey when things aren’t right
Imagine though if that was all we see

Love and life
Fun and friends
Blues and green, yellows and reds
The mutli-coloured hopes that fill our dreams

Fly, fly away Katie
Don’t let yourself be dull and grey
The world’s as bright as day Katie
So wonderful
A place to play

Fly away, Fly away, Fly away, Fly away

5 Minute Labour

I thought you might be interested to read this amazing birth story. No HypnoBirthing involved, just an incredibly quick and, in her own words, "enjoyable" birth.....

"I gave birth alone...in five minutes flat", Mail Online, 14 March 2009.

Great story!

Tracy x

Baby Gallery

At the suggestion of one of my HypnoBirthing clients, I will shortly be setting up a gallery of babies born the Hypno way.

I'm asking any former, present & prospective clients to send photos and information (such as birth details, birth stories etc) that they want posted on the website.

June and July is a busy month for births and I am waiting excitedly to hear about the new arrivals - I want you to know how very exciting it is for me to get news, photos etc of the little ones! Even though we talk about not fixating on your "due date" in the class, I'm afraid I myself am always aware of your expected dates and even keep a note of them in my diary, happily ticking them off when I get your news.

Tracy x

Have a Giggle

Laughter is a wonderful tonic isn't it. I was just feeling a little tired and miserable this afternoon when I stumbled across the audio recording of Evan Davis having a giggle on the Today Programme and his laughter proved to be contagious. After joining him in his giggling I decided to have a look around for some other giggly moments to share with you - call it a Bank Holiday weekend gift!

Here's the link to Evan as he tried to suppress his amusement at the story of the MP claiming on expenses for a duck house. DUCK HOUSE.

Here's the one of Charlotte Green, newsreader from Radio 4, from a few years ago - I heard it live and it was a lovely treat to hear it again this afternoon. CHARLOTTE.

And finally, Brian Johnston on Test Match Special way back in 19991 when Jonathan Agnew suggested that Ian Botham had "failed to get his leg over". JOHNSTON.

Classic entertainment. Enjoy!

Tracy x

Kids Being Kids

I've just recently heard about a photography service that might appeal to those of you who are expecting a baby.

Yvette and Marie run "Kids Being Kids", a Cheshire based photographers that has developed a specialist package for mums-to-be called "Bumps, Babies & Beyond". The idea is that they start by taking a picture of your bump followed by a picture of your new born baby and then into childhood.

I have some of their leaflets and the photography in them is lovely, I especially love the one of the baby girl lying on her back in the grass amongst the daisies. Absolutely beautiful!

For more information about their packages and prices I suggest you look at their website www.kidsbeingkids.co.uk or give them a call: Yvette 07707 830286 or Marie 07883 317113.

By the way, I have no financial interest in this company and am just recommending on the basis that I like the idea and the quality of the photography that I have seen.

Have a good bank holiday weekend - fingers crossed for fine weather!

Tracy xx