Michelle Tant

My 4 year old son starts school in September and of course in any family this is big news. My baby boy is growing up, leaving nursery and joining big school with his big brother and his baby sister is taking his place at nursery. Part of the normal cycle of family life. For us though, this has been anything but normal. When I think back to when number one son started school, my feelings couldn't have been more different. I was confident about his ability to fit in, to progress, to get the most out of school. I took it absolutely for granted that this next step in his life would go smoothly, that after a couple of (expected) tears at the classroom door, that he would be flying. And he has... he is happy, popular, well behaved, progressing academically and apparently a pleasure to have in the class. My second son is a sociable, beautiful character with a delightful sense of humour. He has brilliant rythym and loves music. He is a speed demon on his scooter and he will bounce happ...

When I started as a Breastfeeding Counsellor, I used to cram as many things as I could into my antenatal classes. A year later and some more direct experience supporting brand new mothers in their early breastfeeding experience and I find my classes to be a bit different. I used to go to great pains to tell parents how they could do it properly, not quite step by step, but almost. I'd justify this approach by thinking about how I would have appreciated the information before I breastfed my first child. It took being on a postnatal ward with a brand new mother with an hours old newborn to remind me in exquisite shock just what it is like to be a new mother. It took me right back and I started to think long and hard about just how I felt in those first 24 hours. Morphine induced haze aside, when the mist started to clear, I was overwhelmed with the enormity of the task ahead and the minute and beautiful creature in my arms. The realisation that all the information I'd bee...

I haven't posted in a while as I have been a little distracted! On October 3rd, 2011, I applied to University to study Midwifery. I was invited to interview in February and then on 29th March 2012 I heard that I had an unconditional offer and I start this September! Despite wanting this more than I can explain, I was still overwhelmed by the emotion that poured out of me! All the waiting, the tension... the pure emotional rollercoaster that is the Midwifery application process... When I first started looking at this all those years ago, people said to me that mature students literally just walk into courses and so in a way I just kind of thought that I wanted to do this, so I'll go to uni and it'll all be wonderful. Back then there wasn't a lot of info online about midwifery applications but the timing wasn't really right anyway. I looked at it again when I was pregnant with my daughter and found www.studentmidwife.net and it was there that I had my eyes opened...

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait til tomorrow, For babies grow up... we've learnt to our sorrow. So quiet down cobwebs, Dust... go to sleep! I'm rocking my baby, And babies don't keep. Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.9

Mothers milk is the gold standard in infant nutrition. It provides absolutely everything a child needs in order to survive and thrive. It is food and drink. It continually adapts in order to pass on mothers antibodies and immunities. We know that it literally saves lives, reduces chances of illnesses such as gastroenteritis, ear infections and more. There is evidence to suggest that colostrum actually lines and seals the babies immature gut to help prevent infections. We know that it also reduces the incidence of obesity. We know that in mothers that it reduces the risk of ovarian and breast cancer, diabetes and helps you to lose weight as an added bonus. These things are just the tip of the iceberg. We know that artificial milk, or breastmilk substitute does not even come close. Try as they might, the manufacturers cannot perfectly imitate mothers milk. It is unable to support the babies immature immune system in the same way that mothers milk can. However we (breastfeeding ...

My first child was born via cesarean section, my second born naturally in hospital and my third born naturally... and unexpectedly at home. So I feel that, anecdotally at least, I may have a little to say about the subject. On the 23rd November, I was woken by the radio announcement of 'NICE guidelines recommend that all pregnant women be offered caesarean section'. As the day wore on they tracked down a couple of women who said that they would definately have a c-sec if offered, in order to avoid the pain. Needless to say, I was a little bemused. So I had a look at the new guidelines myself. And to say that the news got it wrong, would be to understate the situation. As usual they latched onto the bit that was most likely to make the news, and ran with it, regardless of the actual facts of the matter. If someone looked closer, they begin to see that the updated guidelines actually are to do with 2 groups of women who have in the past, been routinely offered c-sec. This ...

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