First Time Mum's Chat

I often talk with parents who are finding bathtime challenging with a little one who clearly is not enjoying the experience.

In this week's episode of First Time Mum's Chat, I'm going to share a number of ideas relating to bathtime, which you can include in your daily bath time routines. I've used these during my many years working as a childcare educator, and they have always been popular with both parents and babies

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During the episode, you'll hear me share:-

• A number of factors that could be causing your newborn to have negative associations with their bathtime.
• Important safety tips to ensure that your little one is kept safe and away from potential hazards during their bathtime.
• How often they should be bathed each week.

And much more!

This week, I'm talking with J'Nel Metherell who is a lactation consultant located in the UK about the obsessive weighing of newborns.

I was drawn to speak with J'Nel after reading a post she had written on Instagram about obsessive weighing. I could tell immediately that she had hit on a troublesome area because her post had plenty of comments from young mothers who clearly identified with its contents in their birthing journeys.

During our discussion, you'll hear J'nel talk about why "having blinkers on" and solely relying on the baby's weight when they are born often leads to decisions being made which cause both mums and babies unnecessary stress, setting them on a path that can lead to feeding and other difficulties.

When you're a busy mum and often time poor, making and maintaining friendships can be a daunting task. This becomes an even greater challenge when you are living away from family and friends. You've got to start over again from scratch, finding new friends, new schools and community.

Mum of 2, connection mentor and coach and host of the Connected Mom Life podcast, Emily Siegel has experienced these challenges firsthand after moving interstate on a number of occasions. This included a move shortly after she gave birth to her first child.

Over the years Emily has learned how to make friendships in new communities and she has a thriving community and is on a mission to help mums create more real life friendships.

During our chat, you'll hear Emily talk about the 5 types of connections that every mum needs in their circle of friends and much more.

In this week's episode of First Time Mum's Chat I'm chatting with midwife Beau Wilson about active birthing.

I'm a big fan of holistic solutions and was fascinated when Beau told me all about the holistic childbirth education and support that she provides to families. I particularly like the way in which she empowers and gives both the mums and partners that she trains a level of independence, so they are prepared for the birth process with a good degree of confidence.

During our chat you'll hear Beau talk about:-

• The process of active birthing, including its many benefits such as the advantages of being active and upright and mobilizing the pelvis during the birth process.
• The many advantages of having a waterbirth for both mother and baby and you'll hear all about the process.
• The advantages of delayed umbilical cord clamping.
• How homeopathy can help mums have more control over their birth experience and treat things that they wouldn't be able to do in conventional medicine.

And much more...

Whether your little one is on the way and you want to learn about how to plan a good bedtime routine or you've already given birth and are faced with sleep issues or queries, then this episode is for you!

This week on First Time Mum's Chat I'm chatting with pediatric sleep specialist, Hilliary Giglio. Hilliary battled with sleep issues with her child which left her sleep deprived and struggling. After experiencing an amazingly quick transformation when she sought help, Hilliary decided to make it her mission to help other parents faced with the same issues.

During our chat you'll hear Hilliary talk about:-

• Why bedtime routines signal to your little one's body and brain that sleep is coming, making them crucial for good sleep.
• Why you need to follow exactly the same steps in your bedtime routine each and every day without exception.
• Tips on when to schedule your little one's feeding and how it will impact their sleep cycle.
• How to help your little one sleep during the daytime and their naptimes.

And so much more ....

Mums face quite a challenge when trying to navigate their new life after giving birth. In this week's episode of First Time Mum's Chat I'm exploring the challenge of financial stress which is something many of the mums I speak with face.

I'm talking with financial coach, Candice Bakx-Friesen, who is a mother of 4 active kids. You'll hear Candice talk about what steps you can take towards being, even a bit less stressed in your home as you commence your parenting journey.

Whether this is your first time becoming a parent or the 6th, you'll want to listen to Candice's pearls of wisdom.

Having worked as a childcare educator for many years since the 1980's, I've spent many years planning activities for babies, infants and toddlers. Not surprisingly I've seen many changes in how we do things and in the family unit.

Being of an age where I knew life before the likes of computers and smartphones, I'm very concerned with the impacts of technology on infant development in this modern, fast-paced world.

My approach has always been to encourage the children in my care to develop their imaginations and come up with their own activities and this is getting increasingly harder. Computers and smartphones are taking away these abilities as children become more and more accustomed to having everything ready to go for them.

In this episode:-

• You'll hear me share how you can encourage your child's play in a natural way away from technology.
• You'll hear an excerpt of an earlier episode from Melissa Lowry, the principal of a kindergarten through 8th grade schoollocated in the US, who talked about recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics relating to technology access for children aged 0 - 2 years.
• I talk about the importance of letting your child find their own play activities and to be a passive observer.

And much more ...

Last week on First Time Mum's Chat I had my first of two chats about healing following birth trauma with Holistic Pelvic Care Practitioner and Restorative Pilates Instructor, Prudence Todd.

During that episode we discussed about healing your body and now in this week's episode Prudence and I are exploring healing emotionally after your birth when there's been trauma.

During our chat, you'll hear Prudence talk about:-

• Identifying what has been traumatic for you in your experience and not basing this on other people's perceptions or experiences.
• The importance of going from a highly critical inner dialogue to one that is loving, compassionate, supportive and nurturing.
• Why you need to learn to go within and connect with your body and build trust.

And so much more ...

The subject of healing your body after the trauma of birth is not surprisingly a topic that has been explored on First Time Mum's Chat in a number of episodes.

In this week's episode I'm talking with Prudence Todd, a previous Midwife and now Holistic Pelvic Care Practitioner and Restorative Pilates Instructor. Prudence helps women heal emotionally and physically after birth trauma in her healing sessions.

You'll hear Prudence talk about:-

• How women don't tune in enough to their pelvic floor and how releasing helps them in their postpartum healing journey.
• Why as a mother following birth, your pelvis carries so much emotion which can impact you physically.
• Why in our modern hustle and bustle lifestyle where we're all so busy, we need to learn how to take care of ourselves and not put everyone else first!
• Why you need to communicate your true needs openly and honestly and not ignore possible physical symptoms.

And much more....

When your little one is ready to start solids, they may experience challenges such as constipation. As a baby massage instructor I regularly teach parents techniques to help their little one through these challenges.

In this week's episode of First Time Mum's Chat, you'll hear tips on how to help prevent constipation in babies from Jennifer House, an author and Registered Dietitian from Calgary in Canada.

During our chat you'll also hear Jennifer share tips and insights including:-

• The importance of how you feed your baby and why you must learn to be responsive to their hunger and being full signals.
• Ways when your baby is starting solids to stop them from becoming picky eaters.
• How to determine whether your baby is gagging or choking.

And so much more ....