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Mind the Mama

Postnatal Care Northampton & Online

Mind the mama Northampton postnatal care

Hello! I’m Lucy AKA Mind The Mama and I am passionate about informed postnatal care.  

I am a mum of two boys having two vastly different experiences from pregnancy through to postnatal period.  

When I started my postnatal experience with my first, I was overwhelmed, unable able to find the support and then of course Covid happened. Gosh what an experience, but it taught me as a society that we need to respect the postpartum experience much more that we do.

My first born is Bertie, he was born via emergency Caesarean section in 2019 after a not so pleasant pregnancy. I did a little hypnobirthing but not enough to prepare me and understand my birth rights. My postpartum period was rough, Bertie was constantly feeding, and I was sore and upset from the birth I was totally overwhelmed, and my husband then went back to work doing shift work. Sleep was nonexistent until I started doing some research into some gentle sleep tactics that worked for both me and Bertie. It was a big learning curve, and I knew with our next what I needed to do to make sure my pregnancy, birth and postpartum period was better.  

I fell pregnant again while still feeding Bertie and this was such a privilege. It allowed me to settle my son easily while I was not feeling so hot in the first trimester and had lots of lovely cuddles. My pregnancy was much better this time round and the amount of research I did I made me feel really reassured and luckily one of my best mates runs TBU so I got lots of support throughout my pregnancy. I prepped for the birth, but I also made sure that my husband and I had a plan for the postpartum period. Being informed meant I had a fantastic VBAC birth with Otis and I loved my fourth trimester and beyond. Planning and having support second time round helped and I had the most amazing postpartum experience, so now I want to shout out from the roof top the importance of planning for your postpartum experience.  

woman with baby in sling Postnatal care sleep consultancy Northampton

I did so much research on postnatal care (sleep, feeding, baby wearing and nutrition) I felt it was a great starting point to re-direct my career. Having the knowledge, evidence and support allowed me to really enjoy my birth and postnatal experience and I want to empower you to feel the same. We don’t have to enjoy every minute of the parenting journey but making informed decisions and having support makes all the difference.  

‘Work like you don’t have babies, raise babies like you don’t have work’ this saying resonates with how postnatal care and experiences are. With up to 30% of women** according to new research (those that admit to it) having postnatal depression and it is on the rise there is no wonder with fund cuts, social media expectations, higher costs, and lack of village support.  

There is also an expectation that you are just meant to know what you are doing. This expectation does not help anyone, with little support it’s hard to model yourself and the parent you want to be. I do not prescribe a one size fits all approach to feeding, nutrition, sleeping and postnatal care because all families are different (even all babies are different). The support I offer looks at the issues holistically (looking at all factors) to produce gentle responsive evidence-based solutions tailored to your family’s needs, there is no one size fits all.   

With my experience and knowledge, I want to give birthers and caregivers the support that we as parents need and deserve. You deserve the birth you want AND the postpartum experience you want. 

Courses and services I offer:

Holistic sleep coaching

Sleep! Baby’s sleep and parents sleep is a biological need however sleep deprivation is one of the top concerns of parenthood. While this is sold to us as only during the fourth trimester this can go on for much longer.  

As a sleep coach practice responsive holistic sleep coaching for you and your family ages 0+ up to pre-teens. I advocate for normal sleep behaviours and gentle modifications to help every member of your household get the rest they need for the day.  

baby sleeping in sling sleep consultancy Northampton

The impact of sleep loss can be catastrophic to individuals and families. I work with families to find the root cause of sleep issues and empower families to make informed decision on their and their baby’s sleep. Understanding root causes of baby’s sleep and gentle sleep coaching allows parents and families to get back on top of their mental and physical health and start to enjoy parenting and family life again.  

I do not advocate sleep training or Cry-It -Out methods; this does not mean you can’t make gentle changes that maximise you and your baby’s bond and attachment to maximise the families sleep.  

A. Sleep coaching, especially holistic sleep coaching, looks at family dynamic, sleep hygiene, environment and temperament to assess the root causes of sleep disruption. Once the root cause or causes have been established then gentle modifications can be applied to improve sleep. Sleep training or Cry-It-Out assume there is one size fits all approach and are generally not based on evidence. Cry-it-out method works on the basis that it a baby can be ‘taught’ to sleep by leaving them, evidence suggests that sleep is developmental not something that can be ‘taught’. Leaving your child to cry is not only distressing for you but your child as well. This is not something that I practice or will encourage. 

A. Not only are you benefiting from the vast knowledge of a sleep coach, but they tailor their sleep plans to each family. Holistic sleep coaches must have knowledge in many different areas such as feeding, allergies, sensory needs, mental health needs and so much more. 

A. Babies are not biologically wired to sleep through the night, I am so sorry to say. I have had the sleep deprivation so understand the need for them to sleep. What we can do is work together to build a sleep plan that will maximise your families sleep based on the most reasonable sleep goals for you baby, the most up to date evidence, your family’s needs and getting the support you need to make parent more manageable. 

 

Check out the packages below or join me for a discover call to find out a little more.

 

Discovery Call – This call is to discuss what sleep package might suit you and your family the best. It is not to offer any advice, however, to understand your concerns and how I might be able to best support you. 

(https://calendly.com/mindthemama/holistic-sleep-coaching-discovery-call 

Email Consultation Package – A trouble shooting email package that can identify some quick wins and tweaks to baby’s sleep. Once you have submitted your 3-day sleep diary and intake forms I will create a sleep plan and email these to you within 3 days (usually quicker) alongside further resources if needed.  

(https://calendly.com/mindthemama/holistic-sleep-coaching-email-package 

Resting Mama Package – Need a break? Just need a rest? This package looks at you and your babies sleep and builds a personalised plan to help your family sleep again. This package is best for those that think their baby needs some tweaks and guidance.  

This includes:  

  • Online or face-to-face consultation  
  • A personalised sleep plans with any additional resources needed.  
  • An email follow up 2 weeks later 

( https://calendly.com/mindthemama/holistic-sleep-coaching-resting-mama ) 

Napping Mama Package– Need some help reaching your sleep goals? This package looks at you and your babies sleep and builds a personalised plan to help your family sleep again. This package is best for those that think their baby sleep needs a little more of a deep dive and support or wanting to move away from some sleep associations.  

This includes:  

  • Online or face-to-face consultation  
  • A personalised sleep plans with any additional resources needed.  
  • WhatsApp support 8am- 8pm for 1 week. (This can be at week 2)  
  • An email follow up 2 or 3 weeks later.   

(https://calendly.com/mindthemama/holistic-sleep-coaching-napping-mama-package ) 

Snoozing Mama Package – Have you tried a few different methods? Nothing helping? You got a baby that will not drop that sleep association, is there something a little more going on than a few tweaks needed? This package looks at you and your babies sleep and builds a personalised plan to help your family sleep again. This package is best for those that think their baby and families sleep needs a lot of support to get to the families sleep goals.  

This includes:  

  • Online or face-to-face consultation  
  • A personalised sleep plans with any additional resources needed.  
  • WhatsApp support 8am- 8pm for 2 weeks. (This can be at week 2)  
  • An online or face-to-face follow up 2 or 3 weeks later with an updated sleep plan.  

(https://calendly.com/mindthemama/holistic-sleep-coaching-snoozing-mama-package) 

 

*Additional siblings or multiples £25 this can be invoiced separately but please make a note of this on the additional booking.  

Starting Solids (weaning) consultation – one to one consultation

Starting solids can be a scary milestone and with some much ‘advice’ out there it is hard to find the right path for you and your family. As a Starting Solids consultant, I am not here to give you a one size fits all answer. I use the most update evidence based starting solids information out there to tailor a feeding plan or feeding advice for you and your family.  

You may have started on your weaning, starting solids journey already but your toddler is now struggling with trying new foods or not eating foods that they previously loved. This can not only be frustrating but a little worrying as well. Using some well-established picky eater techniques, I advise which techniques might be preferred by your picky eater.  

baby eating solids starting solids Northampton

Get picky eaters and babies to start solids can be a challenge especially if they have any sensory issues, working with you and your family to identify the issue we can help broaden their range and get them eating with the rest of the family.  

A. When a baby is starting solids they must learn how to eat. This might sound a bit unoriginal, but they are not born with the eating solids reflex like they have when drinking their milk. They are having to learn to use new muscles and the digestive system must learn how to process new foreign bodies. When you put it like that no wonder it can take babies a little while to eat. So in answer to the question, you can’t make a baby eat, but you can support the development of the skills it takes to start solids. 

A. Weaning is the process ‘traditionally’ when the baby stops taking milk from the breast. Of course, this can also mean bottle. Starting solids is probable better phrased as complimentary feeding, this means that food is adding into the babies’ diet alongside their usual milk.  

A. Picky eating is a very common phase that toddlers up to around the age of 11 go through. It is believed to be a defence mechanism to stop little ones wondering around the cave just eating anything that could potentially be poisonous. Of course, there are other factors to consider such as genetics, environment and behaviour. What we can do is limit the stress around the picky eater and get them to really trust the food and feel comfortable while eating. 

I provide a one-hour session tailored to any queries you might have.  

Some common topics:  

🥛What do we do about milk? 

👍Signs of readiness and making informed feeding decisions 

🍌How to introduce new foods 

🍭 Cautions and food to avoid 

🥖Picking eating and how to avoid? This is a big question I always get. 

🍗Gagging Vs Choking 

🧃Drinks 

Options:  

  • One-to-One session – £35 

(https://calendly.com/mindthemama/60min 

  • One-to-One session- £20 if you have bought the digital pack.  
  • Private groups – Email mindthemama@outlook.com for Price 

Postnatal Course

Doing prep for your birth is so important, but it is easy to forget about what happens once the baby is born. It is so important to be informed and have a plan in place for what you would like to happen once your little one(s) is here.  

What does this include:  

  • Immediately after birth 
  • Fourth trimester 
  • Infant Feeding: Normal infant feeding behaviour, breastfeeding, pumping, bottles, formula and weaning 
  • Baby Sleep: What is biologically normal for babies, Sleep arrangements 
  • Baby Wearing 
  • Postnatal Depression signs and symptoms for birthers and partners 
  • Support- what does your village look like, what other support is available to you? 
  • Other things to consider – multiples,  
  • Your postnatal Plan 

 

Online and face to face:  £35 

https://calendly.com/mindthemama/postnatal-workshop  

Postnatal Doula

As a postnatal doula I offer a flexible at home services that support the needs of the birthers and their family’s both physically and emotionally.  
Each service is tailored to the family but some of the duties could include:  

  • Helping with infant feeding  
  • Cooking delicious and nutritious meals for you and your family (with any dietary needs) 
  • Undertaking light housework 
  • Looking after your baby(ies) while you nap/shower/eat or just have some time to yourself.  
  • Helping with any older children 
  • Providing emotionally support  

Price per hour: £20 (minimum of 2 hour call out) 

Discounts for 8+ hours available.  

Free Discovery call 

https://calendly.com/mindthemama/postnatal-doula-support  

 Cancellation Policy – Mind the Mama 

Please note that once you have booked an appointment with Mind the Mama it means that we have reserved time in our schedule exclusively for you. If you cancel your appointment less than 24 hours before it is scheduled to take place, you will be subject to a cancellation fee of £100. 

To avoid a cancellation fee, please provide cancellation notice at least 24 hours prior to your appointment. 

You can cancel or reschedule an appointment by emailing us at mindthemama@outlook.com, texting.