Birthing or Prenatal Classes

Knowledge is power. Prenatal classes prepare expectant parents for labour, delivery, and early parenting, reducing fear and increasing confidence. Topics typically include:

1. Birth Education: Learn about the stages of labour, pain management techniques (e.g., breathing, relaxation, epidural), and what to expect during the birth process.
2. Partner Involvement: Ensure that both partners are prepared and can support each other throughout the birth and postpartum journey.
3. Postpartum Preparation: Provide practical advice on newborn care, breastfeeding, and managing life after birth.

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Physiotherapy

Physiotherapists that specialize in pelvic floor physiotherapy can provide essential support in healing and strengthening before and after childbirth. They help mothers regain confidence in their bodies, alleviate discomfort, and empower them to enjoy motherhood fully. Some topics that pelvic floor physiotherapy can support with include:

1. Pelvic Pain Relief: Addressing issues such as pubic symphysis dysfunction and tailbone pain during pregnancy
2. Incontinence Management: Helping with urinary incontinence through tailored exercises and strategies.
3. Rehabilitation Postpartum: Offering exercises to strengthen pelvic floor muscles post-delivery.

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Lactation Consultant

Feeding a baby can be a learning curve for both mom and baby, whether it's through breast or bottle feeding. Lactation consultants offer specialized support to ensure successful and comfortable breastfeeding and managing bottle feeding. A few areas of expertise include:

1. Latching and Positioning: Help with proper latch techniques, reducing nipple pain, and ensuring the baby is feeding effectively.
2. Overcoming Challenges: Offer advice on managing common breastfeeding issues like low milk supply, engorgement, or tongue tie.
3. Breastfeeding Goals: Provide support for moms with specific breastfeeding goals, whether that’s exclusive breastfeeding or transitioning back to work while continuing to breastfeed.

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Night Nurse/Nanny

Night nurses offer invaluable support to new parents by providing overnight care, feeding assistance, guidance, emotional support, and routines that contribute to better sleep and enhanced well-being. This service is an investment in both the baby's health and the mother's mental and physical recovery. Some of the things that night nurses or nannies can offer include:

1. Assistance with Overnight Care: A night nurse can take care of the baby during the night, allowing the parents to get much-needed sleep
2. Monitoring for Comfort: They can monitor the baby, ensuring they are comfortable, fed, and safe, which can alleviate parents' anxiety.
3. Feeding Support: A night nurse can assist with breastfeeding or formula feeding, helping establish a routine that can ease the day-to-day care of the infant.

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Midwife

Midwives are licensed medical professionals that provide personalized, holistic care throughout pregnancy, labour, and postpartum. They offer expertise in natural birth and can empower women to make informed choices about their birth plan. Midwives typically work in teams, allowing you to have constant care and ensuring someone is always available around your due-date. Midwives can help with:

1. Prenatal Care: Regular check-ups, monitoring of mom and baby’s health, and addressing concerns. They can also attend doctors' appointments with you if needed.
2. Labour Support: Offering comfort measures, guidance, and reassurance during labour.
3. Postpartum Care: Assistance with breastfeeding, emotional support, and ensuring the mom’s recovery is on track.

Note: Midwives book quickly and often require booking months in advance of your due date.

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Massage Therapy

Pregnancy brings physical changes that can cause discomfort, including back pain, swollen feet, and tension. Massage therapy can relieve many of these symptoms, providing relaxation and stress relief. Massage therapists specialized in prenatal massages can help with:

1. Relieving Pain: By easing tension in the back, neck, shoulders, and hips which are common challenges during pregnancy.
2. Reducing Stress: By promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety, thus supporting emotional well-being.
3. Improving Circulation: Helping with swollen feet, ankles and legs by improving circulation.

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Psychotherapy

Pregnancy and early motherhood can be an emotional rollercoaster, with hormonal changes, stress, and anxiety. A psychotherapist can help parents navigate these emotions and provide coping strategies. Psychotherapists can help with:

1. Managing Anxiety and/or Depression: They can address postpartum depression or anxiety, helping mothers process their feelings and develop healthy coping mechanisms.
2. Relationship Support: Provide tools for managing changes in relationships with partners, family, and friends.
3. Personal Growth and Transitioning: Offer a space for self-reflection and emotional healing during major life transformations.

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Sleep Consultant

Sleep deprivation is one of the biggest challenges new parents face. A sleep consultant helps establish healthy sleep habits for both the baby and the parents, improving overall family well-being. A few things sleep consultants can help with include:

1. Baby Sleep Training: By creating customized plans to help babies learn to sleep through the night, taking into account their age and development, without the need to let babies cry it out.
2. Parental Sleep Tips: Consultants can teach parents strategies to improve their own sleep hygiene and help them manage exhaustion.
3. Building Healthy Sleep Habits: Offer advice on creating a sleep-friendly environment and setting routines that foster restful sleep for everyone in the household.

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Doula

Doulas provide emotional, physical, and informational support before, during, and after childbirth. Their role is non-medical but invaluable in offering continuity of care and making you feel at ease. Doulas can help:

1. During Pregnancy: They provide information, answer questions, and help plan for birth.
2. During Labour: Doulas can offer continuous emotional and physical support, comfort measures (like breathing techniques, massages, and positioning), and act as an advocate for the mother's wishes.
3. Postpartum: Offer emotional support, help with newborn care, and assist with breastfeeding.

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