Hypnobirthing VS NCT

My Favourite Baby Items For My Hypnobaby

What baby items should I buy? Where do I start?

As a Mum to be it can be completely overwhelming with all of the decisions that need to be made. What course do I do? What is hypnobirthing? Which hospital will I have my baby at? Do I want a homebirth? Do I need to go to NCT? Then there’s the amount of baby items to choose from! Many friends shared their recommendations with me. I bought many items that I barely used much to the frustration of my other half! What I did find out though were the baby items that served me well. So here are my favourite buys that I bought for my very own hypnobaby.

Medela Breast Pump

Unfortunately I really struggled with breastfeeding. Therefore the breastfeeding counsellor advised to get an electric breast pump to express. As although we struggled to feed I still wanted to give Oliver the chance to have breast milk. Expressing was the perfect solution for us. It was really easy to use and not uncomfortable. The electric pump made it so much easier and quicker than a hand pump. Women really give themselves a hard time with breastfeeding. I’m a strong believer in as long as baby is fed and happy then you are doing your best. You’ve created a miracle – don’t forget you’re amazing! So if you’re struggling to feed, or wanting to express so that Dad or those around you can help with the feeds i’d highly recommend Medela.

Doctor Brown’s Bottles

I had so many recommendations for these bottles and I understand why. They are fantastic bottles. Oliver fortunately never suffered with colic whilst we used them. They were long lasting and I never had to replace the bottles. Well I did but only the ones I lost when I left them in various places!! They come with various teat sizes so I was able to keep Oliver on them until he gave up the bottle when he turned 1. If you’re bottle feeding my tip with bottles is to buy the full size bottles to start with. They move up so quickly to needing more milk that the smaller bottles become redundant quickly.

Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep

I bought this once I realised that I wasn’t going to be able to breast feed solely. This machine is brilliant! Especially at 3am allowing you to make an optimum temperature bottle in under 2 minutes. This made our lives so much easier. It’s really easy to use and maintain. Changing the filter is like changing any water filer and it alerts you when this is necessary. Considering the usage the filters last a good length of time – so don’t be put off by needing to change the filters.

Phil & Teds Travel Cot

This travel cot is fantastic! This baby item has gone on in to a toddler item as Oliver still sleeps in it now! It is more pricey than some others on the market but its well worth the money. It so compact it fits in a suitcase, is super light and the mattress is inflatable. An inflatable mattress might not sound that comfortable for your little bundle of joy but when the cover is on you’d know no different. Not bulky or heavy and very easy to put together. We have taken ours on many holidays and for overnight stays. Personally i’d always rather have my own travel cot than a hotel one but some may say i’m just being fussy. It doubles up as a play pen and they also sell a sun shade for it so it can be used outside. This was definitely money well spent.

Babyway Newborn Bath Seat

We had a flat folding bath seat we had never got used as I found the Babyway bath seat was so easy to use. Oliver was really secure and comfortable. It grips to the bath and allows the baby to sit in a comfortable position. Oliver never slipped in this seat he sat comfortably allowing us to play and wash him. The only downside its an awkward shape to store so ours took up residence in the bath!

Muslins

We went through so many muslins so I tried a fair few! Oliver still loves a muslin know to him as his ‘raggy’! I think raggy appears in our wedding pictures more than us! So as you can imagine they get washed copious amounts of time. 2.5 years on these are the ones I loved the most, kept their softness and wash up so well. Aden & Anais my heart still pangs every time i see a newborn with these – so sparkly white with the cute animal design. Given to us as a gift and because I know how well they have served us I now often buy them as a gift too.

Another excellent set that are great value are from Aldi by Kirkton House. These too were part of a newborn gift and I hunted them down once I realised how great they were. I signed up to the Aldi special buys emails so i knew when they were having a baby event and stocking them. 2.5 years on the original set are still going strong.

A couple of baby items I didn’t buy and in hindsight I would have…

So hindsight is a great thing and there are a couple of things I look back and think I would have bought that. Not that what I had didn’t serve me well but these would have been better buys.

Stokke Tripp Trapp highchair

At the time i looked at these highchairs and thought i’m not spending that much. Yes they are pricey but the lifespan of them is fantastic. Oliver now uses one with his childminder and they are the ideal size for dinner tables. Once they move out of the baby seat you can use this as a chair that a child can sit comfortably on. The height is adjustable and they come in a super range of modern and contemporary colours. This will definitely be one of my baby items purchase should we be lucky to have another baby in the future.

Uppababy Buggy

When we were looking at buggies I didn’t want to have a buggy with a carrycot. I wanted a buggy that could lie flat and also be a three wheeler. I was able to find a nice design that I liked and met these requirements. Unfortunately what I didn’t take into consideration was the amount of basket space. Why would I?! I wasn’t used to having to juggle shopping, a handbag, baby changing bag and a buggy! So this was a bug bearer for me that I had a pretty impractically sized, flimsy basket. The handle was adjustable but my back continued to ache as not being high enough. I often look at mothers with the Uppababy buggies and envy the basket space they have and how high the handles go. So if I was purchasing another buggy it would certainly be an Uppababy.

Hopefully these suggestions are helpful and don’t overwhelm or confuse you even further. They are just a few items that personally I think are good buys on the market. There are loads out there and it can becoming confusing. Just give yourself time to browse the stores and find the best items for you.

What I do when i’m not recommending baby items!

I’m busy helping expectant parents achieve the best birth for them. I offer hypnobirthing classes in Teddington, Twickenham, Richmond, Kingston and surrounding areas in London. So to find out more about hypnobirthing or to book your hypnobirthing classes get in touch – i’d love to hear from you.

Keep in touch

Follow me via my blog,  Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to keep up to date with my courses and workshops taking place.

Ali x

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Should I do Hypnobirthing or NCT classes?

Hypnobirthing VS NCT Classes

When i was pregnant I was lucky enough to be able to attend Hynobirthing and NCT courses. Some of us may not have that luxury be it due to money or time. I’m often asked what are the differences so luckily i’m able to give my views. What one would you suggest if i can only do one? Do they overlap in content? From experience they are both great but for different reasons.

I am firm believer in knowledge is power.  So to be as educated as  I could be would mean more control during labour. My hypnobirthing course was really interesting and opened my eyes up to how amazing the birthing body is. Both my partner, Jamie and I learnt so much. Jamie who was sceptical at first was an advocate by the time our course had ended. Hypnobirthing made him a great birth partner – I fundamentally believe this. Jamie gained a great understanding of birth. He knew what we needed to do to help achieve the birth i’d set out for. He also became very interested when he was able to liken it to sport!

Hypnobirthing Course

We did a private hypnobirthing course as I wanted that 1-2-1 experience. For me the 1-2-1 course would be in the comfort of my own home at times that suited me. I offer this 1-2-1 option for expectant parents. Many couples like the idea of a group hypnobirthing course. Therefore I offer this option too as they are able to meet other expectant parents. Perhaps discuss elements of pregnancy and birth they’d not considered.

My hypnobirthing course sets out to make the expectant parents as relaxed as possible. I work with the parents to understand what they want to get out of the course. I am then able to run the course taking their needs into consideration. If there are any fears what they are and how we can work through them. Hypnobirthing is an holistic approach to birth. With this in mind I don’t focus on pain relief in great detail. Most of my clients are hoping to achieve a natural birth. My teaching is around educating people how they can try to achieve this. How working with your breath is a natural pain relief.

For me its very important that we cover how birth sometimes can takes a different journey. If this happens how you can apply hypnobirthing techniques to that birth. Understand why it may have taken that course and be happy with the outcome. Hypnobirthing isn’t just about birthing naturally its for all types of birth and the best birth for you.

NCT Courses

The NCT class was a great opportunity to meet local expectant Mums in the area. Our teacher was great asking us what we wanted to get out of NCT and what we wanted to learn. You felt like you had ownership over your course. We covered things like what happens if you have a c-section. Preparing you for what would happen, how many people would be in theatre. The breastfeeding class was great and left me feeling very positive.

I think with group courses where you could have different views on birth it can be quite daunting. Some Mums are adamant they are having an epidural as they are convinced that birth will be a painful ordeal. Its understandable its what we’ve been lead to believe through gruesome stories, media, TV, films. This experience can be quite a negative one within a group environment. That’s where hypnobirthing steps in to help you overcome these fears and anxieties. To break down what can happen if you have an epidural. Expectant Mum’s need all the info to enable them to make an informed decision.

The main difference for me was that i found NCT a very functional approach. It felt like I was in a classroom learning but in a relaxed environment. With hypnobirthing I felt like I had left in a meditative state feeling so relaxed and excited about birth. NCT didn’t leave me feeling excited as it was quite matter of fact. Not in a negative way whatsoever but just a different approach.

The key things I learnt through hypnobirthing

With Hypnobirthing we break down the elements of birthing and the implications of procedures. For example epidurals and how they can lead to intervention. How an induction works and what the body does when its pumped with artificial Oxytocin. The body can’t break it down as it does with natural Oxytocin. For me these are key facts that women should be educated on as so they can understand what can happen.

Having a good understanding of this enabled me to know what i’d like to try and achieve during labour. I would never discourage anybody from having pain relief as sometimes its needed and birth doesn’t always go as planned. But having an understanding of the birthing hormones – oxytocin, melatonin and endorphins, this helps enormously with keeping you calm. Understanding why you need to keep your stress levels down to enable the body to birth more effectively. Keeping the stress hormone, adrenaline, at bay. Many women don’t have an understanding of these and by educating people about these we can help achieve better births.

For me hypnobirthing is far more than just downloading an app and listening to relaxations. A course is in depth and teaches you the importance of relaxation, practice, understanding how the body works. Most importantly it ensures the expectant Father or birthing partner is a fundamental part of hypnobirthing. They understand what is happening. What you want and can act as your voice when you are in labour and take control of situations. Most expectant fathers I teach are often really impressed. By the end of a hypnobirthing course they’ve have had their eyes well and truly opened. Left feeling like they have a true role to play during labour and how they can help in pregnancy. Hypnobithing isn’t only about Mum it’s about the Father and/or Birthing partner and baby too.

The choice is yours…

We’re all different so I never deter expectant parents from doing either course. Its all down to personal choice. There are elements in both courses that I found really interesting. For myself, who tries to take an holistic, natural approach to life I loved the hypnobirthing course. I found learning about how we can work with our bodies amazing. Understanding how a water birth can be a natural pain relief. How successfully women birth at home and why. How we can continue to use those birthing hormones after labour to encourage successful breastfeeding. NCT educated me on other aspects of birth i’d not considered – labour wards, c-sections, vaccinations. An in depth class on breastfeeding.

If you can’t do both understand what both courses can offer you. What is important to you and what you want to get out of a course. Have conversations with your local NCT teachers and hypnobirthing teachers to understand what they offer. Do you get support after the course? I offer all my Mums to be continuing support once the course has finished. I think this is vital in your role as a hypnobirthing teacher. We’re there to support expectant parents and beyond.

Interested in booking a hypnobirthing course? What to know more?

I offer hypnobirthing classes across Twickenham, Richmond, Kingston and surrounding areas in London. So to find out more about hypnobirthing or to book your hypnobirthing classes get in touch – i’d love to hear from you.

Follow me via my blog,  Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to keep up to date with all workshops and events taking place.

Ali x

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