I had a pedicure this morning, then a two hour nap. I am now eating a BBQ beef Hula Hoops sandwich — officially winning at maternity leave. I finished work on Friday after a rather frenzied scrabble to get everything I wanted done but have now made it to that dream state where you book in doing bugger all, allow yourself treats and pampering and put your feet up.

So today is my due date. Wow. But when I woke up this morning there were no fanfares, no fireworks, no balloons or bunting. No baby either. As I have read approximately 8000 times in my pregnancy apps over the past few weeks, only 4% of babies arrive on their due date, and so this day is of course fairly nominal. It is actually highly likely that it’s the one day I can relax, safe in the knowledge that I won’t go into labour.

Before I had children I remember vaguely hearing about ‘baby brain’ but I honestly thought it was just one of those patronising things men occasionally say. You know, a little like asking you if it's 'that time of the month' if you show signs of being the slightest bit grumpy. Images sprang to mind of women giving birth to large brains instead of babies, the stuff of nightmares; so I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind. However, when I became pregnant with my first child I suddenly realised that ‘baby brain’ is actually a real thing...

People often throw around the term ‘terrible twos’. It is used to describe a time when toddlers start to assert themselves, wanting to make their own decisions. Unfortunately, at this stage most still struggle to express themselves adequately. The result? Some serious temper tantrums.

The decision to send your baby or child to nursery can be tough for some. Many mothers feel guilty and worry whether they are making the right decision. The fundamental point I must make is that you must stop being so hard on yourself, give yourself a break and look at this with an open mind.

I would like to start with a very warm hello to everyone in the LushTums community! My name is Kim and for several years I've been working as a LushTums pregnancy yoga teacher and a doula in Brighton and Hove, as well as looking after my two daughters. I am very excited to announce that I am now also teaching Postnatal Yoga!

Obviously, I’m not being literal but that overwhelming sense of love you’re “supposed” to get when you see your baby for the first time, it didn’t happen until my son was one-year-old. Even now, looking back I don’t remember much about that first year of my son’s life other than anxiety and crying (him and me).

My journey that eventually led to me becoming a Lushtums Yoga Instructor, began when I was just in my early 20’s. I was living in London and after a series of attacks in which a knife was held to my throat, I was punched in the face and almost forced into the trunk of a car, I developed terrible anxiety- possibly brought on by post traumatic stress (PTSD). I was afraid to leave the house I thought everyone was going to hurt me. Two things got me through it; cognitive behavioural therapy, and yoga.

LushTums Ipswich is branching out! We have had such a fantastically positive response to what we do in Ipswich, so we are so excited to announce we will soon be bringing our happy, healthy and informative approach to pregnancy and birth to mamas-to-be and their birth partners from all around Suffolk!

Ok, so you may have heard the term ‘placenta encapsulation’, but still be confused about how it works, what the benefits are and what it costs (or even what it ACTUALLY is). Well, you’ve come to the right place! Our Lushtums Bristol teacher Nicole has specialised in the preparation of placenta remedies for over 7 years, and is here to explain....

Wow, the school holidays are almost upon (how is it July already?!) and many of us Mammas will be the feeling the stress of trying to fill our Big and Little Littles’ free time up with lots of smiles and (hopefully) sunshine. I decided to put together a ‘Days Out’ list for my own Big Little’s summer holiday and thought it may be of use for you guys too. We all need a bit more fun, less faff in life,don’t we?! I’ve featured places within a half hours drive from Abergavenny. We really do live in a beautiful, gorgeous part of the world and there are A LOT of things to do and places to see. We just need that weather now. Or good waterproofs. But probably both knowing the Welsh weather!!

Up until a few weeks ago, my idea of self care consisted of grabbing a quick and non-involved takeaway, followed by the biggest bar of nutty chocolate, washed down with a half decent bottle of red. Pass me the sofa, the TV and I was in Sarah’s Heaven. 

Do you view pregnancy as a good excuse to take things easy? Or has pregnancy motivated you to
embrace a healthier lifestyle in readiness for your new baby?
Tempting as it might be to simply sit down and put your feet up when you are pregnant (and let’s
face it, there will be times when this is what you absolutely need to do), experts, including the Royal
College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, agree that you should ideally be aiming for at least 30
minutes of exercise, at least five days of the week.

Lots of people think yoga is not for them. I often hear people say they like to sweat when they exercise (I always suggest Bikram), or they like to know how many calories they are burning- perhaps they feel that in order for exercise to be beneficial it should be punishing in some way. But I believe the many physical and emotional benefits of yoga can help everyone. And so I ask, shamelessly ripping off John Cleese and Monty Python …

The Immune System - Why Zinc is important to you and your baby

Zinc is important for growth. It helps to support your baby’s body and brain to grow. Zinc also plays a big part in keeping your immune system healthy.

What to look out for when you, as a mum, are low in zinc:

‘I can do this’ I thought, ‘I look after babies for a living! How hard can it be?? I got this!’

How naïve, unprepared and surprised I was.

When I found out I was pregnant with my first baby I had been working full time as a Neonatal nurse for just over 3 years. I loved my job- and still very much do, but it is a rollercoaster of a ride. 13 hour shifts caring for the sick, premature, surgical, and sometimes even dying, babies. Every shift I would walk onto the unit and do my utmost to keep the babies safe and comfortable and provide their parents and family with a friendly, caring and supportive space amid the monitors, lines, equipment and chaos that is a Neonatal unit.

The recent NHS report on midwifery staffing was reason for concern, but this is not news. This has been a problem which has been brewing for some time. And the shortage of midwives is not just down to finances, or lack of (although this is obviously a major problem).

Becoming a mother is such a massive learning curve, every day I am learning from my little guru. My first pregnancy and birth also taught me so much and I find myself approaching my second pregnancy quite differently.

Over the last decade I’ve had the absolute pleasure of working with tens of thousands of women on their journey from pregnancy to motherhood, and one of the bits I love most about my job is that I get the chance to meet and get to know women from all walks of life with so much knowledge and experience. 

Understanding what your immune system does and where it is found will help you to
understand how best to support it, and give yourself a fighting chance of staying well and
energised through the long winter months.