We’re planning a gentle home, HypnoBirth so we thought that it would be an idea to have a birthing pool too. After a lot of research I came across a company called Baby Love Birthing Pools. They offer a few different types of heated, filtered pools along with the types that you fill just before getting in when you’re in labor.

When I contacted the company for more information the customer service was so good and I felt confident they could provide us with what we needed.

We went for the Elegance Inflatable Birthing Pool in the end, which turns into a Jacuzzi at the press of a button and has it’s own pump system that automatically inflates in about 5 minutes.

 This is what is written about this particular birthing pool:

The Elegance Birthing Pool

This is the brand new inflatable heated birthing pool. The Elegance uses its own pump system to inflate the pool in less than 5 mins meaning that there’s no assembly required. Once its inflated at the correct pressure just fill attach the filter plug in and use.

The pool is heated with its own built in slim line heater unit which means that if you’re stuck with a space problem then it’s ideal as there is no bulky heater unit attached to the side of the pool. The pool comes with an inflatable inner top bladder that retains the heat when not using and also comes with a lockable top cover for those safety issues of any one accidently falling in. The pool also has a bubble spa incorporated in the heater unit, so after giving birth with a press of a button your pool has now become a spa so you can sit back and totally relax with bubbles all around you.

• Patented i-beam internal air chamber structure, gives unparallelled strength and rigidity to the pool.
• Fully plug and play with 13 amps RCD fitted plug
• Powerful 1.5kw heater
• Massage air blower
• Built in filtration pump and disposable filter
• Synthetic leather cover and heat reserving aluminum foil lid with zipper
• Secure padlock on cover for safety
• Extremely hard wearing and wipe clean surface
• 800 litres water capacity
• Uses bubbles blower to inflate spa, ancillary pump not required
• Built-in control heater box

Spec…

Size: Inner diameter: 1.40m (55”) Outer diameter: 1.80m x 0.70mH/71” x 28”H

Water Capacity: 800L/211 *Max. Water temperature: 42°C

Delivery

The pool arrived in 2 large brown boxes after arranging a delivery date with everything that we would need including instructions and cleaning equipment, complete with an inflatable birthing ball and a birthing mirror too. Tom set the pool up in my downstairs office as I wanted to be able to create an intimate birthing environment and be able to keep the pool out of Leo’s sight as I know that he would just want to go in all the time otherwise!

What’s in the box?

This is what Baby Loves Birthing Pools provides:

1. Heat Retention Mat
2. 2 x Filters (1 Prior birth/1 after)
3. RCD Circuit Breaker
4. Submersible Pump (for emptying pool)
5. Steps for access
6. 2x 10m Length Hoses (1 for filling/ 1 for emptying) please advise if any more required
7. 2 x Tap connectors (1 for mixer taps & 1 for round taps)
8. Water treatment chemicals and dispenser (Aquafinesse)
9. Milton cleaning spray
10. Disposable gloves
11. Birthing ball
12. Howes Birthing Mirror
13. Sieve

Our experiences of the birthing pool

A home birth is a good option from 37 – 42 weeks of pregnancy so Baby Love Birthing Pools send us the pool via courier when I was 36 weeks pregnant so that we had enough time to set it all up before our 37th week began, just in case the baby decided to come at this time which was very reassuring.

Lucy, the owner of the company talked me through exactly what to expect from the pool and was on hand to answer any questions that we had. They are a very friendly and approachable company, which was good to know when you’re dealing with 800 litres of water.

We did have a couple of queries during the set up and with it being the evening Tom called Lucy expecting to leave a message for her to return the following day. Yet to our amazement, despite it being past 8pm at night and Lucy having her own young family to take care of, she was more than happy to help and her husband talked Tom through everything. We were so impressed with this and really felt that they went above and beyond to help.

Unfortunately we didn’t have the filter screwed in tight enough that led to a slow leak that we had to address a few days later. However once this was rectified we have been delighted with the pool.

It’s very easy to operate – literally take the cover off and jump into the wonderful warm water at any time!

Keeping the pool clean

We chose not to use the chlorine tablets in the pool so we are emptying it out and cleaning it on a weekly basis instead. We have been adding the liquid salts that come with the pool and kill 99% of bacteria. I called the manufacturers and they confirmed that it was an eco friendly, chemical-free product.

So we’ve been thoroughly enjoying the birthing pool for the past few weeks, it’s such a luxury have a heated, filtered pool in our home that we can dip into whenever we please. Leo has really enjoyed it too and I’ve used it as a good place to listen to my HypnoBirthing Birth Affirmations CD as often as possible to try and help prepare and visualise the birth.

For more information or to book a pool, contact:

Lucy – Baby Love Birthing Pools – 01204 842776 – www.BabyLoveBirthingPools.co.uk

So, the baby is due on Tuesday (officially) and we’re really excited about meeting the new addition to our family and finding out whether Leo will have a newborn brother or sister…

I want to write a bit about my experiences at Virgin Active Health Club about exercising whilst pregnant as it’s something that I’ve been regularly doing and have enjoyed thoroughly…

The later stages of the pregnancy

I’ve been a bit tired recently so haven’t been going to Virgin Active quite as regularly as I would have liked to. However the work I have put into training during this pregnancy has really benefited my fitness levels and I feel so much more active compared to my last pregnancy. I have less aches and pains and I’m on the go a lot more running around after our 3 year old and generally not feeling the need to take it too easy. In terms of how I look, most of the weight has gone straight onto the bump as opposed to elsewhere on my body.

Working out whilst pregnant

To be honest the pregnancy has been a breeze physically, and I do put this largely down to exercising during trimesters 2 and 3. I’ve also been working with a Virgin Active antenatal specialist personal trainer regularly throughout this time which has been invaluable to keeping me on track, motivating me and showing me what pieces of gym equipment are safe for me to be using (and believe me there are lots to choose from! I’ve been pleasantly surprised as to how much I can safely do in the gym, in fact.

Weight gain

Although the bump is definitely a little bigger this time, the weight gain has been exactly the same and I’ve gained exactly 2 stones each time.

Other people’s reactions

It’s been an interesting experience going to the gym with a bump. It’s a pretty rare sight – I’ve not spotted any other obviously pregnant women in there that I recall. I’ve had lots of women approach me after a training session, usually in the changing rooms saying how great it is that I’m training and commenting on the bump etc. I’ve had women telling me their experiences of going to the gym throughout their pregnancies right up until their labors and how they feel this helped them during the birth and postnatally.

Would I recommend attending a gym whilst pregnant?

Absolutely! Although for me doing so in the first trimester wasn’t overly appealing due to the increased risk of miscarriage at this time. However, the second and third trimesters have been so much easier as a result of exercising. I think that there is a lot of fear around this concept largely due to lack of knowledge. Guys especially in the gym have glanced over when I’ve been working out hard with really concerned expressions on their faces. But I think the trick is to stay as active as possible during the pregnancy and do as much research as possible about what is safe to do throughout the different stages.  For me, the key is to remember that pregnancy is a natural process and NOT an illness, therefore why stop everything just because you’re growing a baby?

Guest Blog Spot – Brighton Mums

Breastfeed Flash Mob is on. Thursday 15th December, 1pm, The Clocktower. We have chosen a central public venue, where there is space to be seated but also be noticed. The weather is predicted to be clear next week (i.e. no rain) but we will have an indoor Plan B venue lined up. We’ve made it lunchtime so if there’s friends or supporters working nearby who want to pop down, they could do so in their lunch break. Thanks to brilliantly proactive people, it’s looking highly likely we will have interest from local and national media. Although we want to make this a ‘flash mob’ in the truest sense, i.e. whip them out and feed all together, it does take some planning and publicity, so can’t strictly keep it secret.

What you need to do now:

Tell your network!

1. Put it in your diary. It’s a family friendly event, so bring your little ones!
2. Share the link to this post with your friends and mums groups via social media.
3. There’s a Facebook event, please accept that so we can get an idea of numbers.

On the day:

Turn up before or at 1pm, make yourselves warm/ comfortable to feed with your baby. As we are organising this pretty much on the hop we won’t be able to bring any equipment i.e. chairs or cushions although you are welcome to do so. The main purpose is to gather together publicly and show support but we obviously want to raise awareness, so there will be photographers & people taking video footage. We will organise the group so that those who don’t want to be captured are e.g. according to where they are seated or facing. You don’t have to be a breastfeeding mother to take part, we want as much support as possible to show the city that the wider community supports us.

Contact us if:

You are a business that can donate teas/ coffees or snacks (or anything else that breastfeeding mums like).Photographer, video or audio specialist to capture some footage of the event. We probably won’t need more than 1 hour of anyone’s time. brightonmums@gmail.com

Visit the organisers website

We have chosen to have independent midwifery care for our next birth because we didn’t have the best labour and postnatal period last time round and wanted to take active steps towards minimalising the risk of history repeating itself.

We’ve just had our second Independent Midwife appointment with Emma and Chrissy from Complete Care Midwifery and they are the most lovely, caring ladies that we could ever imagine to have looking after us.

Just the simple fact of getting to know the midwives as real people in the run up to the big day is wonderful. The midwife that cared for me during Leo’s pregnancy was sweet too, but she was very pushed for time and I had to go to the doctor’s surgery to see her and face lot’s of sick and injured people every time I had an appointment. I wanted to be in a place where people were well, because I was pregnant and not sick.

Having Emma or Chrissy come to our home at a time that suits us for appointments is amazing. I can arrange the appointments around the family and don’t have to venture out and wait in a crowded waiting room to be seen. We sit on the sofa with a drink and have a good chat and then afterwards I can get straight back to work in my home office next door.

The appointment structure is still exactly the same… pee on a stick to check no protein in the urine, blood pressure and then have a feel and measure of my stomach.

It’s so empowering to build a relationship and receive continuity of care from the people that are supporting us throughout the process of meeting our baby.

For Leo: The Jetwind 3-in-1

My favourite from the Regatta children’s range has to be the Jetwind 3-in-1. We received it in light green for Leo (who’s now 2 and a half) but he’s tall for his age so an age 3 yrs fits him perfectly once we had rolled the sleeves back.

From the moment he tried it on he looked warm and very cosy and didn’t want to take it off, so we made the most of it and put him out in the garden to play with the dog! It’s a beautiful light shade of green (know as Spring Green) and despite long, muddy walks on the rolling South Downs it washes incredibly well and has so far come out of the machine looking brand new every single time, which is a bit of a surprise!

The Jetwind 3-in-1 is a fleece lined outdoor walking jacket available in ages 3-12yrs that features the following:

• Waterproof and breathable Isotex 5000 stretch polyester fabric
• Taped seams
• Foldaway hood with side elastic
• Part mesh part polyester taffeta lined
• Adjustable shock cord hem age 7+
• Printed name label (up to age 8yrs)
  Inner
• 200 series anti-pill Symmetry fleece

One thing that I really like about this coat is that it’s so versatile, which is incredibly useful for an item of children’s clothing. For example, I can send him to nursery in it and it’s equally as suitable for a freezing cold weekend walk along the seafront. The fleece that lines the coat features a zip that allows your child to wear just the fleece alone or the coat (without the fleece on warmer days) which is very handy and makes it an all year round waterproof. The whole family really loves the Jetwind and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a warm, waterproof and stylish year round coat for their child.

For Me: The Clarice 3-in-1

Whilst Leo has been wrapped up in his Jetwind, I’ve been trying out the Clarice 3-in-1. I have it in vibrant red and it’s been fantastic for both short and long walks. It’s so warm with the fleece lining, yet it’s also breathable too. Like the Jetwind it has an integrated fleece that can be worn alone or removed on warmer days. There are several zipped pockets including an inside pocket which are really handy for keys, money or even your MP3.

I particularly love the hood, which is the perfect size; not too big or too small to keep you nice and dry if you get caught in a downpour, which I can tell you from personal experience works very well! This is definitely the best winter walking coat that I have ever owned and I thoroughly enjoy wearing it when it’s either raining or we’re heading out on beautiful country walk. The colours schemes are eye catching and vibrant and definitely brighten up the most dismal of days!

It is available in sizes 8-20 and features:

•   Waterproof and breathable Isotex 20000 XPT stretch fabric with Atl durable repellent treatment.  XPT X-treme Performance Technology fabric - 30% more breathable than standard Isotex fabric
• Taped seams
• Grown on technical hood with adjusters
• 2 way centre front zip with inner zip and chin guard
• Underarm ventilation zips
• Laser cut chest pocket with welded surround detail
• Inner zipped security and map pocket
• Internal MP3 player pocket with laser cut headphone port
• Internal mobile phone pocket
• Adjustable cuffs with moulded cuff tab
• Adjustable shock cord hem
  Softshell Inner
• Warm backed woven stretch Softshell fabric
• Atl durable water-repellent finish
• Wind resistant
• Adjustable shock cord hem

So, I’ve been challenged by Virgin Active health clubs (previously known as Esporta) to exercise throughout the rest of my pregnancy and blog about how I’m getting on.

So here I am, a couple of weeks in and really enjoying it. I’m aiming to go at least 3 times per week (although only managed twice last week… Oooops!) I have an antenatal programme that was kindly drawn up by one of the Personal Trainers at my local branch. It involves cardio, core body conditioning, leg weights and arm / torso weights.

I’ve always loved a good gym work out, so it’s great to get stuck in, although a bit strange to be there with a bump. However, it feels great to know that I’m giving our unborn baby and changing figure a nice, healthy boost.

I’m getting a few doubles takes whilst I work out, but all the attention has been somewhat positive so far. I’ve had a few women approach me in the changing rooms to tell me how great it is that I’m training whilst pregnant, which was sweet.

So all in all I’m really enjoying it and we’re off to a great start! I’ll keep you posted…

So what is Facial Enhancement Acupuncture?

Facial Enhancement Acupuncture is a health and beauty treatment that combines the healing abilities of acupuncture with the beautifying properties of facial toning to produce a deep nourishing treatment that rejuvenates the skin from the inside out.    Although relatively new in the UK, Cosmetic Acupuncture has been used in China for thousands of years with much success and is a fantastic natural alternative to medical and chemical treatments.

How does it work?

As we get older the middle layer of the skin (Dermis) loses both collagen, which acts like “scaffolding” giving the skin its structural strength, and elastin which keeps the skin supple. Consequently, over time  the face becomes less supported by the internal secretions and the soft tissue features of the face start to thin and sag.  Acupuncture assists the body in its production of collagen and elastin and boosts the skins natural vitality

This happens on two levels; the first is to help support the internal organs by activating energy through the stimulation of body points with fine disposable needles and the second is to target the face directly.

The first level Body points

Activation of specific points help to regulate the metabolism and strengthen the body’s energy, this in turn speeds up the production of collagen.  A stronger metabolism improves blood flow and circulation which helps to purify the kidneys and eliminate toxins from the body, diminish varicose veins and draw up the skins own natural nutrients to the surface, improving elasticity and texture and evening out skin tone.  Many other benefits are achieved through needling body points, such as cleansing the liver, nourishing the blood, strengthening the spleen and calming the mind and body.  Amongst others, these points can help with internal blockages, stress and anxiety, swelling, insomnia and general aches and pains.

The second level Facial points

The face requires different needles and techniques to the body, for example, loose skin around the jaw line and jowl area would usually signify weakness in the muscles. As we start aging so do our muscles and they become lazy, consequently our faces begin to drop. Stimulation of muscle groups with fine needles encourage the muscle to contract, wake up and start working again. As the muscles become stronger the face begins to lift and tighten.

To target fine lines and wrinkles,  small intradermol needles are used and placed in the line themselves, they are designed to reach the dermis which is the skin’s nerve hub and where most of  the skin’s important work is done, the needle points  encourage the network of cells to bring collagen to the surface.  Over a few sessions the wrinkles decrease as the lines become flooded with the nutrients and skin becomes smoother.

Before Treatment the Client has lots of small lines:     After 6 treatments her forehead has completely  smoothed out and her eyes are brighter:

Steps involved:

1. The Facial. After the needles have been removed the whole face is treated to a Chinese style facial, which includes the following.
2. Plant based collagen gel, is applied to the face to calm and soothe the skin from the heat produced by the needles.
3. A derma roll is pushed over the face to further stimulate the collagen production and tighten enlarged pores.
4. Jade rollers, are a cooling stone, which has a soothing effect on the nervous system and are used to roll over the skin to encourage blood to the surface to improve circulation and oxygen supply to the face. The rollers also stimulate lymphatic drainage and facial muscles.
5. Acupressure facial massage firms and reshapes the contours of the face, invigorates the support fibres deep in the skin, smoothes fine lines, helps to decongest the sinus and eliminates dark shadows around the eyes. It leaves the skin looking bright and revitalised and is suitable for all skin types.

Client wants an all over rejuvenation treatment:                    After just 3 treatments the skin is looking more plumped, the jaw line has started to lift                                                                                                                           and tighten,  and the complexion is more radiant.

Who is Facial Enhancement Acupuncture for?

Many different people benefit from Facial Enhancement Acupuncture. Perhaps you feel that age is catching up with you or your skin is starting to show signs of wear and tear and you want to give it a boost?  Facial Enhancement Acupuncture will revitalise your skin and give it a new lease of life, after a few treatments you should start to notice a real difference. Facial Enhancement Acupuncture is also ideal for treating skin problems such as acne, scars and poor skin tone and works with the body to help combat these conditions from within. Clients will generally feel an all over improvement after treatment, both physically and spiritually.

 
About Tara

Tara has been practicing Acupuncture since August 2006, primarily working with detoxification and emotional well being and went on to train in Facial Enhancement Acupuncture with Paul Adkins the founder member of Cosmetic Acupuncture, in his clinic in Truro Cornwall.

She has a homely treatment room in Hove, near Brighton and to her knowledge is the only person practicing this type of facial rejuvenation treatment in East Sussex.

For more information or to book an appointment please visit www.radiance.moonfruit.com or call Tara on 0795438111

FEA would not be suitable for; pregnant women, people with high blood pressure or heart conditions, diabetics or haemophiliacs.  Other conditions may apply but a medical history will be taken at the consultation.