Mummy Mothering
Our Mummy Mothering sessions are about you, because by supporting you, we help support your baby and your family unit.
At a time when mothers are at their most sensitive, making decisions about how to best care for your baby can seem daunting and confusing. Every newborn comes with their own unique challenges, and finding good support can be tricky.
Using varied skills, we will provide support without judgement and help without unwanted opinions. Ensuring you have relevant information and support to feel confident and secure in the choices you make for your baby as they grow and develop.
We will visit you and your baby at your home, any time in the first 6 weeks following birth, to talk through and discuss anything you wish. Mummy mothering sessions can also including the following topics:
Taking Care of Mum
You should be extremely proud of your body! It has, after all, grown, carried and given birth to another human being. That is a huge achievement and make no mistake, you are amazing!!
After spending 3/4 of a year attached, you and your baby will need this time get to know each other and adjust to life as two people. It is a significant change of lifestyle for you and your baby, and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
So during this period of adjustment, while you are taking care of your baby, it’s important that others take care of you.
We will discuss how your partner can support you, and family/friends can support your family unit. It’s important you are able ask for help, without guilt, freeing you up to take care of your baby.
Your Birth
No doubt you’ll be bursting to share your story and we will be bursting to hear it! After getting to know, care for and respect you, we want to ensure you are happy with all aspects of your birth.
Because of our time together on the Small Acorn antenatal course, we will understand your hopes and fears, so you will be free to share your experience wholeheartedly. This therapeutic process can have many benefits, leaving you with an even greater feeling of achievement and elation about your birth.
Breastfeeding or Responsive Feeding
In the UK exclusive breastfeeding rates are around 83% at birth, dropping to 22% by 6 weeks. These statistics are very low, when you consider that less than 3% of mothers are physically unable to breastfeed.
Although there can be many physical and emotional aspects that can impede a breastfeeding relationship, a majority can be resolved if you’re given the right assistance and encouragement.
We’ll be on hand with information and resources to guide and aid you, so you can concentrate on what is going right, rather than what might go wrong!
If bottle feeding is your chosen method, there can be many benefits to following your baby’s cues rather than a schedule (unless medically necessary) and ensuring feeds are baby led. Feeding in this way is closer to baby’s expectations and abilities, and can promote further bonding with your baby.
Babywearing
With a huge range of carriers, slings and wraps it can be hard to decipher which one would be best for you. This decision is made more tricky if you and your partner want to babywear, because not all types of carriers are suitable for all shapes and sizes of person. Understanding the pros and cons to each type of carrier prior to purchase is integral to reduce the likelihood of a disappointing babywearing experience.
If you’re undecided about babywearing, here are some of the many benefits:
Sleep
The usual disruption of living with a newborn can be stressful for you and your partner, and will likely by exasperated if you’re sleeping poorly. Although we cannot make your baby sleep better we can discuss what is considered normal infant sleep. Looking at ways in which you can maximise your baby’s ability to transition through sleep cycles, without using sleep training methods like Graduated Extinction (AKA “Cry it Out”).
Parents with an awareness of what is considered normal infant sleep, often have more realistic expectations from their baby’s sleep and a higher tolerance for night wakings.
Remarkable Food for You,
from COOK
During our Antenatal Classes we are often heard preaching “Any guests within the first weeks should at the very least bring dinner”.
Well we do… And not just any dinner! A lovely main meal for two, from the West Wickham branch of COOK. Then to top it off we’ll bring one of their “New Parents Discount” cards and you can get 10% off the entire COOK range for six months! How awesome is that?
Mystery Gift
The reason we call it a mystery gift is because it varies, sometimes there’s a choice and sometimes there’s not, it may change and it all adds to the mystery.
If you’re a present shaker, here’s the equivalent of jiggling and squeezing it:
- It’s boxlike and you could knock someone out with it, if you threw it at them…
It’s The Gentle Sleep Book by Sarah Ockwell-Smith - This one is not quite as easy…kind of rattles, but not loudly, it’s much smaller and lumpy…
It’s a Num Num Teething Rainbow necklace
Currently Mummy Mothering sessions are exclusively available to Small Acorn Family members
You can go here to find out more about the Small Acorn Family
Book now and become a member of the Small Acorn Family
or
Find out about the great value of all Small Acorn services
There’s More…
Prenatal Fitness:
Aquanatal
Yoga
Aquanatal Yoga is the ideal form of exercise for pregnant women, irrespective of your level of fitness or swimming abilites. You’ll experience numerous physical and emotional benefits from attending aquanatal yoga classes
Learn More About
Aquanatal Yoga
A Complete Antenatal Education:
Small Acorn
Antenatal Courses
Because parents deserve better!
Our Courses are jammed packed with everything you need to know from the beginning of pregnancy and on into parenthood.
Everything we do is based upon evidence and well proven techniques, free from judgement and opinion.
With unrivalled support you can be rest assured that we will always be there, ready to help, for as long as you need us.
Our Antenatal Courses
Well supported Mums have higher rates of breastfeeding and breastfeed for a longer duration
Well supported Mums are shown to have lower rates of PPD