Simply Babies Magazine

EDITION 03 SPRING 2021

Herbal Wellbeing A healthy mind, body and spirit

Behaviour & Emotions Help your child manage and express their emotions

Emerging from lockdown From surviving to thriving

Wellbeing when breast feeding What do YOU need?

Reflexology A great excuse to put your feet up

Restricted Delivery Lockdown birth story

T H E F R E E M A G A Z I N E F O R N E W A N D E X P E C TA N T PA R E N T S I N N O R T H H E R T S 1

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As a business, we aim to provide the mums, dads and families of North Herts with a place to go to find all the information they may need, wherever they are on their journey, about the services, days out and local events that matter to them. Through our magazine we showcase the local service providers that are here specifically to serve the families of North Herts.

We would like to thank the following people for contributing to our amazing magazine: • Teresa Flanagan, local award winning newborn and family photographer, for providing our beautiful cover image • Yvette Lavender, from the Lavender Practice for providing a piece on balancing emotion health with herbal support, pages 8-9

Editors: Kerry Fox and Ria Oliver

Welcome to the Summer edition of Simply Babies Magazine! For this edition we have gone with a wellbeing theme in line with the national awareness days during the period the magazine covers including global wellness day, breastfeeding week and wellbeing week.

We thought following the theme of wellbeing would be a suitable fit as we come out of, what we hope to be, the final lockdown and social restrictions.

We hope that you enjoy the editorials in this edition to help you and your loved ones improve, or at least think about, your wellbeing after what has been a difficult year. We have also a piece inside from a North Herts mother about her experiences of being pregnant, giving birth and raising a baby under lockdown restrictions and the impact that had on her journey.

• Our very own Kerry Fox from BABIES for writing a beautiful piece on wellbeing while breastfeeding, pages 12-13 • Jo Diplock, from The Motherhood Movement for her piece going from surviving to thriving; a women’s health guide, pages 16-17 • Claire Plain from Cherry Tree Reflexology for her piece on the benefits of reflexology for mother and baby, pages 20-21 • Rachel Brown from Chakra Kids for her piece on wellbeing for children and helping to understand emotions and behaviours, pages 24-25 So grab a cuppa, sit back and indulge in the pages of our magazine....

Kerry & Ria CONTENT� Herbal Wellbeing

Herbal, holistic, health care 8

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Wellbeing when Breast Feeding What do YOU need? 12 Emerging from lockdown From surviving to thriving 16 Reflexology

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A great excuse to put your feet up

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The Feelings Behind Behaviour Help your child with their emotions

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Restricted delivery

Natasha Elliots’ birth story 26 24

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Business Directory Events

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NCT Herts North Your local branch offers….

Postnatal courses – First Aid, Early Days, Antenatal Refresher, Introducing Solids, Baby Massage Antenatal Yoga Weekly breastfeeding drop-in Sling Library Baby and Toddler groups Nearly New Sales, regular events and social activities

Find out more at www.nct.org.uk/hertsnorth www.facebook.com/NCTHertsNorth All events and activities are open to everyone; we are not just for NCT members!

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Herbal Wellbeing Hello! My name is Yvette Lavender, founder of the Lavender Practice, which is proud to offer a system of herbal, holistic, health care as an alternative to or implemented alongside conventional medicine.

I passionately believe that true health starts in the gut and that many symptoms of our physical, mental, and emotional health occur as a result of a disturbance in the intricate balance of our gut bacteria. I believe the body has an astonishing intelligence and a natural and innate ability to heal itself given essential nutrients and vitamins, water, fresh air, and sunlight. A healthy mind, body, and spirit are powerful weapons against a lifetime of chronic disease and prescription medication.

Why I believe true health starts in the gut Delivery through the birth canal is a crucial time for 100 trillion bacteria and 1000 different species (collectively known as the microbiome) to start the process of populating the gut of a newborn infant. Breast milk also contains bacteria and nutrients to feed the microbiome and jump start the neural development of the brain, the immune system, and the digestive system.

Factors such as severe stress, antibiotic treatment, and lack of nutrition in early life have the potential to profoundly

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alter critical signalling between the gut and the brain which can result in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, ADHD (attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder), learning difficulties, allergies, asthma, and other long-term chronic conditions. Studies show that wherever possible, breast fed, vaginally delivered, non-antibiotic treated infants have the best chance of developing a healthy gut flora.

How can the Lavender Practice help?

The Lavender Practice is a passionate advocate of natural plant medicine and diet and lifestyle intervention and can offer wrap around care from a first consultation to support gut health and pre-natal fertility right through to the physical and development milestones of the growing toddler, child, and teenager!

Herbal medicine is a personalised system of healthcare and prescriptions will be unique to you and your requirements.

Weaning Weaning can be an exciting time as your child begins to discover new foods, smells, and tastes. However, in general, a baby’s digestive system continues to develop and mature through the first two years of life and is directly linked with the development

of the immune system. Enzymes that digest carbohydrates develop around 6-7 months and fat digesting enzymes develop between 6-9 months. Complex foods introduced too early and too often amidst the excitement of the weaning process can quickly overwhelm a tiny digestive system. Any food, in excess of what your baby’s body can process, can become toxic and may result in eczema, skin rashes, bowel disturbance and respiratory conditions as the body tries to eliminate a build-up of toxic waste products. Baby’s diet and optimum nutrition to promote and sustain healthy gut bacteria during the early years of life is absolutely crucial for long-term health and wellbeing.

The Lavender Practice can advise on the importance of weaning with plant power to encourage optimum gut bacteria and how foods, herbs and plant medicines can be used to support gut health and immunity and help prevent distressing childhood ailments such as colic, constipation, allergies, and poor sleep conditions.

Lavender Practice support for the mother-to-be The Lavender Practice is passionate in supporting the holistic health of the mother-to-be and dedicated to ensuring she is supported, empowered, and fully informed at each trimester of

pregnancy. Herbal medicine, diet and lifestyle advice will seek to prepare her mentally and physically for labour and boost nutritional status and immunity to ensure your baby is offered the very best start in life.

The Lavender Practice can prescribe: • Fertility boosting herbal medicine for parents-to-be to encourage the process of detoxification and to nourish and balance reproductive hormones.

• Clinical grade essential oils to help soothe, comfort, and encourage the healing power of sleep throughout pregnancy and manage anxiety and stress during labour.

• First trimester herbs for nourishment, immune boosting, and relief from nausea/morning sickness.

• Second trimester herbs to support the health of the skin, general well-being, and immunity.

• Third trimester herbal support to help tone the uterus, build endurance, and encourage relaxation during the process of labour.

• Post-natal herbs to help support the physical and emotional impact of the birth process, stimulate breast milk and boost recovery and convalescence.

• Herbal support for the new father 9

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Wellbeing when breast feeding If you are a breastfeeding mother, or you are intending to breastfeed when your little ones arrives, you may have planned ahead and thought about equipment you need to support that, such as feeding chairs, pillows, nipple cream and maybe even a breast pump; items that may be a life saver, but that you may also rarely use!

But have you thought about what YOU need you breastfeed? To ensure that you and your own wellbeing are cared for and nurtured during your breastfeeding journey?

Ensuring we take care of our own physical health and emotional wellbeing while breastfeeding is really important.

Not taking care of yourself can result in a lower chance of you meeting your breastfeeding goals, as well as leaving you exhausted and emotionally drained.

So, here are some actions you can take to support your wellbeing when breastfeeding:

Prepare antenatally

Attending a class that helps you to prepare for breastfeeding can really help with ensuring you are aware of the signs feeding is going well, the indications that it isn’t, possible solutions and where to find support. Knowing how breastfeeding works and what to do if you face hurdles can make your breastfeeding experience more relaxed, enjoyable and successful and also helps you to set realistic goals based on what you learn and what you feel you are able to achieve.

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Eat well

Eating well gives you the fuel your body needs to stay energised and healthy as you breastfeed. You don’t need to consume or avoid any particular food items, but is a good idea, as it is for everyone, to eat a healthy balanced diet.

Ensure you stay hydrated, too, particularly during a breastfeed (speaking from experience, the thirst that would hit as soon as the milk started to flow each time my babies fed was something else!)

It can be tricky to ensure you eat well or cook healthy meals when you are caring for a new baby, so it’s a good idea to prepare during pregnancy and batch cook and freeze healthy meals that you can heat up easily. Of course, not everyone has time or the freezer space to cook a vast number of meals and store them ahead of time, so another tip is when cooking your usual meals, make extra and freeze that instead, so you have easy to heat meals as you go along.

Another tip that can be helpful is, if you have a partner who makes a sandwich to take to work in the mornings, get them to make one for you and leave it wrapped in the kitchen, so you can grab it when needed.

Exercise

Gentle exercise can be great for boosting your overall feelings of wellbeing, both physically and emotionally. Be mindful of physical restrictions you may have following the pregnancy or birth and seek the

advice of your health care professional if you are unsure. Exercise is a great way to banish low mood as well as release tightness and stiffness you may experience as a result of new sleeping and feeding positions you may have adopted.

Ask your partner or friends and family to help. It is important you listen to your body and rest, rather than worry about entertaining people. Most visitors are understanding of this and will pack you off to bed while they enjoy baby snuggles!

Be aware of breast changes

Be mindful of how your breasts look and feel and act on any changes you may experience. Tenderness, redness, heat or feeling like you have the flu are possible signs of mastitis, resulting from a build-up of milk in the ducts that becomes infected. Massaging the breast in the shower can help release blocked ducts, but it is still important you seek advice from a health care professional to ensure the best course of treatment.

Sore, cracked and bleeding nipples can negatively impact on breastfeeding and can make you dread each feed, so seeking help to find out the cause is important. It could be an adjustment to latch and positioning, or it could be something such as tongue tie or thrush, but support from a breastfeeding professional is key.

Rest

Caring for a newborn and learning to breastfeed can be really tiring. Couple this with a lack of sleep and it can really affect your emotional wellbeing, so ensuring you are able to get enough rest is vital.

Sharing the load with your partner can be hugely beneficial, so have them be in charge of the nappies, if the feeding is your domain. Get some sleep as much as you can when you are not “on duty”.

GET HELP WHEN NEEDED If you experience challenges that could derail your breastfeeding relationship, seek support.

Finding help and overcoming breastfeeding challenges can positively impact not only the breastfeeding journey itself, but also its effect on you emotionally.

National Breastfeeding Helpline:

0300 100 0212

Association of Breastfeeding Mothers:

0300 330 5453

La Leche League:

0345 120 2918

National Childbirth Trust (NCT):

0300 330 0700 Find an IBCLC:

https://lcgb.org/find-an-ibclc/ KERRY FOX BABIES: Birth And Baby Information, Education, Support CIC

07985 500707 www.babies.uk.com

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Rosebud Nanny Agency match nannies to families needing childcare in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and South Cambridgeshire.

To find out more, please contact Abigail Plested on 01462 234216 or 07730 360282 www.rosebudnannyagency.co.uk info@rosebudnannyagency.co.uk

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Mrs L, Flamstead

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Emerging from lockdown Going from “survival” to thriving.

A woman’s health guide Written by Joanna Diplock owner of The Motherhood Movement – Women’s health and Pilates.

It’s fair to say that our stress levels have been elevated over the past year and little levels of stress over time can lead to higher risk of cardiac issues, spread of cancer around the lymphatic system, signs of premature aging in the bodies tissues and appearance, weight gain, hormone dysregulation, gastrointestinal disruption and mood fluctuations. None of which is something we want to live with going forwards.

Our body responds stressful situation by releasing cortisol – your “fight or flight” hormone. If too much cortisol is released then this can disrupt your internal balance from physical to mental wellbeing. If you are finding that your resilience to stress is lower, that you are bloated or fatigued more often or are concerned about any of the above perhaps your mind and body is running in survival mode.

How can we switch over to thriving?

Exercise

Mindful exercise such as Pilates, Meditation and Yoga is useful for settling the brain and body and can be good for increasing your vagal tone. A better vagal tone would allow your mind and body to respond to stress

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in a more resilient way the next time it was challenged.

Try this breathing exercise – “Box Breathing” Breathe in for a count of 4 – Hold the breath for 4 Breathe out for a count of 4 Hold the breath for 4 Repeat for 1-2 minutes Perhaps measure your heartrate with a heart rate tracker from start to finish to see how this lowers your heart rate. You’ll be amazed at how such a simple thing can change how your mind and body performs.

I use breathwork, mindful Pilates movement and meditation in my Rest and Restore classes – currently available online, on demand to download from my website whenever you want to switch off from the world and re-connect with yourself.

Boost your heart rate

Studies have shown that increasing your heart rate for 30 minutes or more allows your brain to release endorphins – our feel good hormone. Why not try an exercise class that makes you feel good or a fast walk to get your heartrate up

Get outdoors

Have you ever heard of forest bathing or “shinrin-yoku” as the Japanese would say?

It is the art of getting outdoors into nature (preferably under the trees). Studies have shown that spending 15-20 minutes in nature decreased levels of stress and had long lasting results for up to 7 days after exposure.

With many of us enjoying our daily outdoor walks and time this year it’s easy to see why that is so beneficial for our brains and bodies.

As the world starts to “open back up” again can you encourage a balance of keeping some of those kind of things within your week?

Perhaps walking to school/the shop instead of driving? Meeting a friend for a walk/run instead of for a drink? Meet the family at the woods occasionally instead of soft play? Or simply making time for it in your week on a regular basis.

Nutrition and hyrdration

What we consume has the power to fuel or fry our nervous systems and can therefore lead to decreased/increased levels of stress on your body.

You can start by decreasing/removing foods that you have intolerances to.

Improving your plant-based food intake.

There is more and more emerging evidence that eating 30+ different plantbased sources per week improves everything from your gut health (lots of studies starting to discuss gut health with

mental wellbeing), hormone function, brain health, long term wellness and reduction in risk from chronic disease.

You can decrease common nutritional stresses such as caffeine sugar and alcohol. Overall losing body fat will help decrease your stress levels long term and improve your hormonal regulation.

Rest and recovery

Consider your rest and what you do for your “work in” to your body as well as your output. Perhaps you have become really busy and you’re not balancing that with resting well.

All of these things are optimal and instead of feeling that we should be doing all of these at 100% we must recognise that life is not as easy to navigate that way at all times and often we need accountability, guidance and support to reach our goals.

Understanding that progress is still progress if it’s small. For example, if you currently eat 5 different fruit and veg a week – could you increase it to 10 and then keep that a sustainable habit until it’s a normal part of life. If you don’t think you’ll have the motivation to stick to these things remember there are people who’s job it is to help. These seemingly small things add up to some big results in both aesthetics and physical/mental wellness over time.

You can find my support and classes directly at my website www.themotherhoodmovement.com

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Reflexology

Why it’s a great excuse to put your feet up and how treatments could benefit you & your baby I think we can all agree that Mums don’t put their feet up as often as they should! There are hundreds of reasons for this including being too busy looking after everyone else, not having enough time to ourselves or simply feeling guilty for ‘doing nothing’. Hopefully you’ve got a few minutes now to pop your feet up while you read this (and make a hot cuppa too if you haven’t already). By the end of this article I’m hoping you’ll have lots of reasons to put your feet up and relax on a regular basis.

Benefits of regular reflexology treatments include: • Reduced Stress & Anxiety • Better Sleep • Improved Mood • Greater Sense of Wellbeing

Reflexology is a relaxing therapy suitable for all ages. Treatments takes place in a calm, tranquil space and your first visit starts with a quick questionnaire. Then you remove your shoes and socks before relaxing in a reflexology chair (or on a massage couch) and reclining with your feet up. Pillows are positioned behind your head and under your feet to make you comfortable and you can have a snuggly blanket too if you wish.

Relaxing music plays in the background and for the next 45 minutes you can relax (or even catch up on some sleep!) While you’re relaxing, your reflexologist will sit in front of your feet and cleanse them before gently applying a balm or lotion. Then using their hands they apply pressure to different reflex points across the soles and tops of your feet and also around your ankles and lower legs.

At the end of your treatment you will be given aftercare advice and a treatment plan can be discussed if you would like to return.

Most clients leave a treatment feeling really relaxed and many report a good night’s sleep afterwards too.

And if you’re someone who doesn’t like having your feet touched, don’t worry - the same principles apply to your hands. So you can put your feet up and have hand reflexology instead.

Reflexologists can undertake additional training to offer specialist treatments for fertility & conception, all stages of pregnancy, postnatal care, baby & children’s wellbeing, women’s health and more!

What is Reflexology?

Reflexology is a holistic therapy based on the belief that reflex points in your feet correspond to body systems… your entire body is mapped across your feet!

Reflexologists work across these reflex points to rebalance your body and help you feel relaxed and recharged.

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Treatments

Maternity Reflexology

It’s not easy being pregnant and everybody’s maternity journey is different.

Having reflexology during pregnancy has many benefits and can ease nausea, promote sleep, relieve back and hip pain and reduce puffy ankles. Closer to your due date treatments focus on preparation for birth and can give you reflex points that you or your birth partner can use during labour.

Treatments are adapted to suit your stage of pregnancy; a reclining chair for the earlier stages and then post 35 weeks a massage couch. Plenty of cushions and pillows are on hand to make you as comfortable as possible.

Postnatal Reflexology

It’s amazing what our bodies go through to bring a baby into the world so it’s no surprise mums need Postnatal TLC. I call my postnatal treatments a ‘Mummy MOT’ and it’s a chance for mums to really relax in those early weeks. Treatments can support the body’s recovery, rebalance hormones, improve sleep and support you emotionally.

It can be hard to leave babies behind but there are therapists who either come to your home or welcome babies at postnatal treatments. If your baby falls asleep in the car you can take them in and let them snooze in their car seat. Or your baby can snuggle up on you and even feed while you have a treatment.

Baby Reflexology

It’s not just adults who enjoy reflexology; from 4 weeks old babies can have a treatment too! Better still, reflexology can be combined with baby massage to give an all over treatment and approach any issues

in two ways. This combination of reflexology and baby massage can support babies with: • Sleep • Colic • Reflux & Silent Reflux • Digestion & Constipation • Teething • Coughs & Colds There are lots of classes that teach parents baby massage techniques, but there are also classes that combine massage with baby reflexology. The routines are gentle, but effective and all you need is you and your baby. Once you’ve learnt the methods, your baby can enjoy a little reflexology and baby massage treatment whenever and wherever they need one!

Reflexology & You

As well as being a reflexologist, I’m a mum to a five year old and a 14 month old. I know what it’s like to be sleep deprived during pregnancy and then kept awake with colicky crying, so I encourage parents to look after themselves as much as they can. If this article has made you think about reflexology and how it could benefit you or your baby, contact your local reflexologist and book some feet up time… you deserve it!

Claire Plain mar marr Reflexologist and Tiny Toes Reflexology & Baby Massage Instructor FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM cherrytreereflexology tinytoesreflexageuk EMAIL cherrytreereflexology@gmail.com WEBSITE www.cherrytreereflexology.com PHONE 07739 150053

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How you can help your child manage and express their emotions?

Behind every behaviour there is a feeling Is your child struggling with anxiety?

Are they unwilling to try anything?

Is their behaviour out of character and causing stress to the whole family?

Children can struggle to express emotions and if they are not taught to recognise, understand and work through them they can end up suppressing the negative ones which over time can be expressed as ill health or a behaviour.

Children have so much to give and yet we are seeing more and more children suffering with mental health issues. The National Health Executive states “One in six children and young people had a probable mental health disorder in July during the first wave of coronavirus, compared to just one in nine back in 2017” As an Holistic Therapist and qualified Pharmacist with experience working in special needs schools and as a parent of a dyslexic child, I understand how frustrating it can be as a parent and from the child’s point of view when they are struggling and can’t explain what is wrong.

I get it. For a number of years my son used to hide behind the curtain; he would storm out of the room if he knew he had done something wrong and he never appeared to hear anything I said.

I knew something wasn’t right but I felt totally helpless because I just couldn’t get through to him. I also became increasingly frustrated with the school systems for dealing with a child who didn’t quite seem to fit into a specific box.

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Then we discovered he had dyslexia and this led me on a path to understanding not just how dyslexics react to things but children in general.

All these experiences have made me realise that everything comes back to our feelings and the associated energy of those feelings.

Emotions are basically energy (the latin word for emotions is “emotere” = energy in motion) and in holistic therapy terms this energy affects the energy centres of our body which are known as chakras. If the feelings are negative and therefore the energy is negative it can cause blockages in the chakra system which leads to more disruption.

We have seven main chakras in our body, each represented by a different colour of the rainbow and each affected by different feelings. Children are generally very visual and even

though they may not be able to verbally express how they are feeling they can usually tell you the colour of the feeling.

By using a term I have created called “the behaviour equation” (behaviour + identified colour +/- physical issue = chakra and emotion) we can then employ the unique properties of the identified chakra and link them to activities that have, in their own right, been shown to improve mental health and well-being and in turn, correct the imbalances and help children believe in themselves, their unique superpowers and their special place in the world.

An example of the behaviour equation at work might be Your child is having a tantrum.

You show them the 7 colours of the rainbow and ask them to pick the one that matches their mood.

They choose red They may also be struggling with constipation or diarrhoea.

This tells us it is very likely their root chakra that is affected and they are probably feeling unsafe or insecure about something.

We can then use the properties of the root chakra to decide what activities your child can do to help them feel better.

This forms the basis of my Healthy Mind, Happy me Group programme and a series of 7 Chakra Monster Books I have written, the first of which Bixbite the Root Chakra Monster, suitable for ages 5-11, can be found via this link https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/ B08PJMS19J One of the activities suggested is linked to the fact that the root chakra is associated with the element of earth, so if you can get your child to stomp around in barefeet (outdoors if possible) it will help to ground them, focus on the here and now and shake off the negative energies from the body.

I believe there is no better time to empower our children to take control and actively create a life full of confidence, self belief and positivity rather than one of stress, anxiety and fear.

If this has resonated and you would like your child to be able to tackle whatever life throws at them with ease and be proud of who they are then please get in touch.

and Anxiety to Calm and Contentment – 7 ways to help your child find their magic rainbow within” https://www. subscribepage.com/freeforyouguide

Call Rachel Brown at Chakra Kids on 07952241215 or visit www.chakra-kids.co.uk

And for support, advice and inspiration, join my FREE, private facebook group Chakra Kids www.facebook.com/groups/ chakrakids

For more top tips and activities please download my FREE GUIDE, “From Tantrums

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Restricted Delivery The birth story of Natasha Elliot Tell us a bit about your experience of pregnancy during lockdown: I went on maternity leave when I was 37 weeks pregnant. A week later the world went into lockdown, I felt a lot of pressure to keep myself and the baby so didn’t leave the house. My Husband, Simeon would do the food shopping and I felt like he was going out to war, I was worried he would bring the virus home. We would go for daily walks around our village but even that filled me with dread. I started mourning my maternity leave, I didn’t get to meet friends and family for lunches or do any last minute shopping before the baby arrived. I had too much time to think and worry, I would have really emotional days thinking about how our families wouldn’t get to meet the baby, would they love him? Would they bond with him? It really broke my heart. I had to limit the amount of news I was watching and how much time I was spending on social media because that fed into my anxiety. I just really missed out on normality!!!

Many support systems were stripped away during lockdown in 2020. How did you find this and what impact did it have on your wellbeing and journey as a whole?

In a weird way I was lucky because I was at the end of my pregnancy when we went into lockdown so I only had a few appointments to attend. My midwife appointments were

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all at the local children’s centre and I had to go in alone, have my temperature taken and of course use hand gel. I was just nervous about if any contact with the midwifes was safe but the baby’s safety and wellbeing was my priority.

As a new first time mum, do you feel that lockdown contributed to your worries about pregnancy, birth and motherhood? And if so how and why?

Yes, I would worry about going into hospital.

How many people were the midwifes and doctors mixing with, this is going to put me and my baby at risk. What would I do if I got covid and was alone in hospital. All mums worry, especially first time mums, but with covid this definitely heightened my anxiety about Hudson’s health. I had separation anxiety, it took along time to feel relaxed leaving Hudson. I still hate it now and have wobbles leaving him!!

Do you feel that your experience of giving birth during lockdown was impacted? If so, what was the emotional impact of this on both you and your birth partner?

The emotional impact was huge, having a baby is one of the biggest life changes anyone can go through and we did it in the middle of a global pandemic. I was overdue and the midwife was worried about the baby’s growth, so I was taken into hospital

to be monitored at 40 weeks + 4 days, again alone and had to do this for 2 days. Then they booked my induction on the Saturday (I was 41 weeks), I had to arrive at hospital for 7pm on my own not knowing what to expect. Simeon walked me to the hospital door but got told off by security for doing this. I went through early labour on my own, which was really hard. Simeon was able to come to the hospital when they decided to break my water at about 4pm on the Sunday. When he arrived contractions in full swing I could hardly even speak, with lots of doctors monitoring the baby. The labour was quite traumatic, ending in an emergency forcep delivery and on 13th April at 4:01am our beautiful baby boy Hudson entered the world. Simeon got to spend about 2 hours with us in the recovering bay and then left us in hospital for 2 days before we were reunited as a family at home. This was the hardest time for both me and Simeon, I was in huge amounts of pain with no support trying to manage breastfeeding and just feeling absolutely exhausted while Simeon was left at home wanting to be with us. We always joked that we only wanted one baby while I was pregnant but our experience has affected us so much that we do not want anymore babies, but we do feel our little family is complete and couldn’t be happier with Hudson!!!!!

Once your baby was born, how did you feel about having a “lockdown baby”? Did you appreciate the uninterrupted family time, or did you struggle without extended family and friends support around you?

Looking back we loved the uninterrupted family time, we got to get into our own

little routine and really bond with Hudson and as a family of 3. It was nice not having to pressure of visitors coming over and worrying about housework etc. We could stay in our pyjamas all day if we wanted too.

But we also couldn’t wait for Hudson to meet his family but that also came with worries and anxiety. Our family didn’t meet Hudson until he was 2 months old and nobody else held him until he was much older. We then finally felt more relaxed last summer and things felt ‘normal’ish but then this winter set us back and Hudson has missed out on making memories with his loved ones.

We were very grateful to be able to form a support bubble with my mum and step-dad.

What would you say were the main pro’s and con’s in your experience to being pregnant, giving birth and being a mum in lockdown?

If you asked me a few months ago I would have listed so many con’s, but I’m in a much brighter place now and just feel so lucky to have a cheeky, happy little one year old who is doing amazing. One of the pro’s is that I have learnt so much about myself and have been on my own journey with my mental wellbeing.

As lockdown restrictions are now easing, what are you most looking forward to doing with your baby, family and friends again?

Seeing my friends and family on a regular basis and Hudson building bonds with them.

Also, we can’t wait to have family days for us three, going to the zoo or swimming etc.

I just want to be able to plan something without worrying about the weather or thinking about our safety.

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Directory BABY AND PRE-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

MONKEY MUSIC SING AND SIGN ARTIKIDS SIGNING COMPANY BUSY LIZZIE HARTBEEPS

7 10 18 19 19 22 & 23

BABY TOYS, GIFTS, KEEPSAKES

BARNEY AND BELLA

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ARTIKIDS

18

BIRTH PREPARATION

NCT BABIES

4 15

DOULA SERVICES

BABIES

2

EXERCISE

MOTHERHOOD MOVEMENT

18

BUSY LIZZIE

19

HYPNOBIRTHING

THE SIMPLE BIRTH COMPANY

30

LIFE COACHING

HRH LIFE COACH

10

MATERNITY CLOTHING

UBERE MAMA

14

NANNY AGENCY

ROSEBUD

14

ORACLE CARDS

SOL AND LUNA

6

PHOTOGRAPHY

LITTLE LEAVES PHOTOGRAPHY

6

REFLEXOLOGY

TINY TOES

10

THERAPY

THE SIMPLE BIRTH COMPANY

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VENUE FOR HIRE

SIGNING ROOMS

5

WEANING

NCT BABIES

4 15

WELLBEING

CHILLED MAMA THE SIMPLE BIRTH COMPANY

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4 11

Summer 2021 JUNE 2021:

JULY 2021

�wiss Garden at Night

Hitchin Festival

Relax and enjoy the Swiss Garden on a summers evening with live music. Each night will feature a different performer and music style. Events run on selected Friday’s and Saturdays from May-Sept 2021.

The annual festival of arts and culture starts today and continues through July

May-Sept, 18:00-21:30, Shuttleworth Gardens, Biggleswade

Vegan Market Hitchin market will be hosting another vegan market brought to you by Vegan Markets UK Saturday 12th June, Hitchin

Love Letchworth’s Food & Drink Festival Celebrate the best of local food and drink at this year’s food and drink festival, with world foods, festivities, refreshments, demonstrations, live entertainment and children’s activities.

25th-27th June, from 4pm, Letchworth

H-Town Unlocked An event celebrating the reopening of Hitchin town!

Saturday 26th June, Hitchin

Craft & Food Fayre With a fantastic range of stalls including; sweet treats, hand-made items, locally made foods and more, there is something for everyone!

Saturday 12th June, 10am-3pm, Jordan’s Mill, Biggleswade

EVENTS

CALENDAR

Thursday 1st July, Hitchin

Bucklersbury and �un �treet Day The shops and businesses of these streets in Hitchin, come together to showcase their services with an afternoon of live music and entertainment Saturday 24th July, Hitchin

Letchworth Garden City Live Live music, stalls and entertainment Saturday 24th July, 11:00-20:00, Letchworth

AUGUST 2021 Hitchin Beach Hitchin town square transforms into a beach for 3 weeks with sand, music and buckets and spaces.

Tuesday 3rd-Thursday 26th August, Hitchin

TotFest: TOTFest® 2021 is a family festival with babies and toddlers as its focus! With fairgrounds, baby raves, arts and crafts, character meet and greets, crazy golf and live performances, this is a family festival like no other.

Saturday 7th August 2021, Hertfordshire County Showground

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