It’s a nut thing…………

Current advice says where there are allergies on either the mother’s or father’s side, women may wish to avoid peanuts in pregnancy.
But the Food Standards Agency says recent studies show no evidence of increased allergy risk in this group.
The Department of Health said it would consider the FSA’s recommendations.

Hospitals ‘have too few midwives’

Maternity experts have said they are concerned that several hospitals in the Souith East have failed to recruit enough midwives.
Only 5 out of 12 hospital trusts in Kent, Surrey and Sussex have met the NHS target of one midwife to 35 births.
But some of the trusts claimed not to have any midwife vacancies
So why the discrepancy?
As the RCM’s regional officer put it,
“If a trust has no vacancies but is still not meeting the 1:35 ratio, then their establishment figures are wrong to start with.
What happens is that the heads of midwifery go to the director of finance and say I need 30 more midwives, and he looks at her as if she is mad”

So is this another case of a great government headline-grabbing policy not being followed up by enough money to fund it. Or is it that NHS Trusts are setting their own priorities on how they spend our money?

Chocolate’s good for you (well we knew that didn’t we?)

According to scientists at Yale University, women who ate chocolate (especially dark chocolate) at least 5 times a week were 40% less likely to develop pre-eclampsia during pregnancy than women who had it less than once a week.

But (and there’s always a but with chocolate) only have a few squares a day, as it is also high in fat and sugar.

UK Government puts babies at risk

According to a survey by the Royal College of Midwives, overstretched maternity services face breaking point because cash-strapped NHS trusts are cutting the number of jobs available for midwives and diverting resources elesewhere.
More than 90% of final-year midwifery students are struggling to find a job says the RCM because the number of training places in England has dropped from 2,374 to 1,990 in the past two years because of government cuts in maternity services despite the increasing birth rate.

According to the RCM, there are around 19,000 midwives in England, but another 5,000 are needed to bring maternity services up to strength.

The Government has promised to provide one-to-one midwifery care to pregnant women and the Health Secretary has pledged to inject extra cash into maternity care and increase the number of midwives by 3,400 over the next three years. However the RCM maintains that this will still leave gaps in services as the birth rate continues to rise.
According to a Dept. of Health spokesman, “this is unacceptable scaremongering which does not reflect the evidence”

Is it scaremongering or are maternity services and the midwives working under unacceptable pressures?
Did your experience come up to your expectations?

Is chocolate a pregnant girl’s best friend?

According to research carried out at Yale University and published in the magazine ‘Epidemiology’, eating chocolate during pregnancy could help prevent pre-eclampsia.

It suggests that women who eat chocolate at least five times a week are 40% less likely to develop pre-eclampsia than those who eat chocolate less than once a week. It is believed that the chemical theobromine, which occurs naturally in chocolate (particularly dark chocolate) could be responsible for the protection.

According to the research project leader “becasue of the importance of pre-eclampsia as a major pregnancy complication, a detailed assessment of chocolate consumption is warranted”

Anybody interested in eating chocolate to test this out, form an orderly queue……

5 Tips for travelling in pregnancy

1. Take your antenatal notes – you never know when you’ll need to see a midwife or seek medical attention.
2. Check with the airline or ferry company - many vary as to when they no longer allow pregnant women to travel
3. Don’t sit for long periods - have frequent breaks and walk around and consider wearing support stockings when you travel
4. A European Health Insurance Card - is important while travelling in Europe
5. Drink plenty of fluids - to avoid getting too hot

Let us know you best pregnancy travelling tips!

How to feel relaxed using the Circle of Calm

1. Imagine a large circle on the floor.
2. Recall a time when you felt calm.
3. Imagine a holographic representation of your calm self in the circle.
4. Picture yourself stepping into the image – notice what you are saying, hearing, seeing, smelling and feeling
5. Intensify that feeling. Now choose a ‘trigger’ to associate with it (eg the word ‘calm’)
6. Step out of the circle. Use your trigger word to recapture the feeling

Your 2 minute pregnancy chill-out

1. Kneel with a cushion between your bottom and heels
2. Fold your arms on a chair in front of you and rest your head, using cushions for extra support.
3. Inhale slowly through your nose, imagining you are breathing into your bump. Feel your tummy expand.
4. Exhale slowly through your nose as you feel your tummy contract.
5. Focus on your breathing
6. Continue for one to two minutes or as long as you feel comfortable
(source: www.christinebickley.co.uk)

An apple a day

A University of Aberdeen study of 2,000 mums found that those who ate at least 4 apples per week were half as likely to have children who developed asthma. Those who consumed fish once a week also halved the chances of their baby developing eczema

5 tips for swollen feet & ankles

1. Put your feet up – ideally rest them higher than your heart for one hour each day
2. Try to wear comfortable shoes
3. Avoid standing around for long periods, but do take regular exercise
4. Drink plenty of water and avoid getting dehydrated
5. Have a leg massage – gentle strokes from ankle to thigh can be relaxing and effective