Spotlight on Underwater Swims!

🌟💧 Spotlight on Underwater Swims! 💧🌟

Although only 5% of our lessons focus on underwater swimming, it doesn't mean it's not an important skill for little ones to learn!

Why underwater swims?

Drowning is the 3rd most common cause of accidental death in under 5's in the UK, and children that drown do so because they aren't able to save themselves - be it that they don't know how to, or that they aren't strong enough to. So taking your little ones underwater from the start helps you prepare them for every eventuality.
We start by getting rid of that startle response that overcomes them when they fall into water, through lots of fun splashing into the water! It helps them get used to the sensation of 'falling' into water so if it were to ever happen to them, they aren't startled by it. We then link this to skills such as holding on, moving to a place of safety, and climbing out of the pool. But not only is it a safety skill, toddlers also learn to swim underwater far sooner than on the surface, so helping them feel comfortable and confident swimming underwater makes for a stronger swimmer!

Is it safe?

Babies are super clever - they're born with a gag reflex - a valve at the top of the windpipe that shuts off anytime they're submerged in water, or if water is poured gently onto them. They don't even have to think about it, it happens automatically! What this means is that by pairing skills with words, we can create an association so that baby knows what to expect, and more importantly, can tell us if they don't want to do it! It's always been important for us that underwater swims are baby-centred, meaning that every time we go to do a swim, our teachers make sure your little one is happy to do so! The great thing about their gag reflex is that we can elicit the same response on the surface by popping a little handful of water gently over their face - so if they aren't feeling up to any underwater skills one week, you can still make sure they're learning the skills everyone else is, whilst making sure they're not doing anything they don't want to do :)

How do I do it?

With everything you learn in Water Babies, our teachers first explain what we're doing, and why, and then how to do it. We then demonstrate how it should look, before talking you through 1 by 1, so we can give you feedback to make sure baby has the most enjoyable and safest experience with you. You'll never have to wonder if you've done it right or wrong, and as every baby is different, we listen to each baby's cues individually to make sure they're happy as well.

When is baby ready?

Baby's gag reflex is innate, which means it's there from birth. Because of this, there's no evidence to suggest that there's any benefit to waiting to do underwater swims. We start right from your first lesson, and this has never been detrimental to baby's safety or enjoyment in their lesson! Not all of our beginners are newborn babies though - so if your little one is a bit older, there are lots of things we can do to help them feel more comfortable going underwater; blowing bubbles is a great example of this, getting their faces looking down into the water and exhaling! 

Do I have to?

You never have to do anything you aren't comfortable with. As teachers, we won't ever swim babies or toddlers underwater if they're crying, asleep or have hiccups, so if they're otherwise happy, we're happy! But as their parent, if you're happier skipping an underwater skill, never feel as if you have to take part (you'll have plenty of other skills to practice!)

Happy Splashing!

Wild One!

'Happy first birthday baby girl!!!! Oh my goodness, what a year it's been. . . . 

You've taught me so much, I can't begin to tell you. It seems like only yesterday I was holding this tiny baby having had a whirlwind birth, midwives having left, and being left with baby Callie, all 6 lbs 13 of her, and wondering what on Earth I was supposed to do. . . .

Watching you sleep and checking you were breathing every 5 seconds, cutting your food extra small when weaning, covering every surface in foam...look at us now. We've learned about each other, we can read each other like a book. I know your every look, every word, as you know mine. You're my best friend. I love you more than I knew was possible to love anyone. I'w m so proud of you and love that you got to spend today with so many people who love you!' 

What a day! We had THE best time celebrating Callie's first year; and the theme couldn't have been more fitting for our little wild girl! A huge thank you to Jenny South photography in Plymouth for capturing the cake smash photos so effortlessly and for sharing my vision to perfection! And a huge thank you to everyone who came to the party / couldn't be there but still sent their wishes, and showered our little Wild One with so much love! 

Home Sweet Home Birth

I wanted to share with you all Callie's birth story, however every time I sat down to write it, I would get so far and then feel overwhelmed. It wasn't that it was horrible, quite the opposite! But as anyone whose been there knows, it's an emotional and physical rollercoaster in so many ways!

To start, I should mention that I never did any antenatal classes. Pregnancy in my head, and the actual pregnancy I experienced were significantly different in certain areas. But I always knew my body would know what to do, so as much as I planned to do classes, when I ended up being poorly and missing them, I decided i would be fine without. I was right. Here is our story, and I've not held back on the detail ;)

7am on June 2nd, her due date, I woke up to a weird pop. It felt like a tiny balloon popping in my side but I put it down to baby kicking. Not long after, I had pink discharge. I kept an eye on it but didn't want to worry anyone just yet as I wasn't sure what it was.
I was due to go swimming as we do every Friday morning, so I was thinking if it IS my waters, I can't swim, so I need to make a decision soon. With that, more pink discharge.
I cancelled swimming and text a photo to my poor poor sister (who actually WAS eating breakfast at the time) who confirmed it looked like waters. I was just about to text my midwife when I felt more come out so I checked and there was a blood clot too. I rang triage at 7:37am and by 8:30 we were in there being checked over. I was having mild period pains, every 2-3 mins, but they were not painful just uncomfortable. They sent me home around 9.30, confirming that it was my waters that had broken, and said I had 24 hours to go into labour or they'd induce. They didn't check to see how dialated I was as they generally don't do that once your waters have gone, as there is a large risk of infection. The generic thing we kept getting told regarding contractions is that they have to be a couple of minutes apart and you have to be unable to talk through them before you ring the midwife, unless you get anything green / brown come out in your waters in which case you'd ring up again straight away. Because my contractions were so close together from the get go, I was a bit concerned I wouldn't know when to ring. I decided to just wait until I couldn't speak through them.
We went home, mum went home to change and I said to her to come back straight away if she liked, as we could sit and watch a movie or two.
As we blew the pool up, I ate half a bowl of cereal, thinking I should start getting some calories into me. The contractions were still only minutes apart but were getting stronger every few minutes. I was leaning over the counter in the kitchen thinking 'I don't think I can talk through this one....'. but I was really conscious that I didn't want to ring the midwives too early and end up with them sat there for hours waiting.
At 11:30, I started wondering if this was going to happen faster than we thought. I felt confident that it was all going fine, but I thought maybe we should start filling the pool halfway slowly, because we could always top it up later when labour 'really' kicked off. Little did I know it already had. 11:57 is when my phone says I rang my sister - she had had a home birth this time 4 years ago with my nephew, so she was my go-to for how it all worked. We spoke for 10 mins about how she called the midwives at 11pm and didn't give birth until 7am so I felt better about ringing my own midwife. We rang triage and the midwife rang back saying she was 40 mins away but was en route. By this point, the contractions were super painful and I was finding it hard to get into a comfy position during them. I ended up on all 4's on the sofa biting into a pillow. Within the next 5-10 contractions, my body started pushing. I got my mum to pull my trousers and underwear off to check what was going on between contractions because it was unbearable now, and as much as I could hear her saying 'try not to push yet', I couldn't argue with what my body was doing. My mum said nothing at the time but after she told me lots of fresh blood was coming out, which worried them. At this point I asked for cold flannels, water and ice cubes. Every time I contracted I had an ice cube in my hand and I squeezed so hard it would be fully melted by the end of the contraction. 

So after the midwife hung up the phone, according to my mum, Callie's dad and her just looked in horror at each other. I asked them to ring an ambulance immediately because I knew I couldn't wait and baby would be here soon. The hospital is 2 mins up the road, so we knew they'd get here before the midwife, and even though I wasn't panicking, I knew we needed a health professional there otherwise  mum would have been delivering her. The ambulance felt like it took forever but it was probably only 10 mins. I remember hearing updates 'they're just down the road'....'can you hear that siren, that's all for you'. It helped. They came in and immediately gave me gas and air. What a relief!!! I could cope better with each push, whilst they sussed me out. In between contractions (now about 30 seconds between), we got out to the ambulance and they laid me down - this was SO uncomfortable!!!! They were about to leave for the hospital when the midwife knocked on the door just in time!!! She gave me a check and could feel baby right there so said after the next contraction, 'let's get back inside and have this baby'. By this point, the contractions were manageable thanks to the gas and air. I had managed to stay calm in between which I remembered from a talk by Sarah from DevonMama hypnobirthing at a Mothercare event I attended. I remembered how she said that 'fear creates tension and tension creates pain' and that you shouldn't go into labour scared. I remebered how she said that if you were scared, you'd start to not trust your body and that would flood your body with adrenaline instead of oxytocin. When you're full of adrenaline, you go into fight or flight. I remembered how she made us clench a fist in the air and the faster we clenched and let go, the more we did it, the more painful it got, because all the blood wasn't reaching my arm. I remembered how she said this is what happens to the uterus when you panic - blood rushes to the arms and legs to power the fight or flight response - but the uterus needs blood to bring it oxygen and if the blood is rushing elsewhere because you're panicking it's only going to cause pain. Blood contains oxytocin, which fuels labour and makes you feel positive, so the lesson here was NOT TO PANIC. I didn't, and it worked. And to this day, I thank her for that.

So, the pool wasn't full but I could feel baby wasn't going to take much longer, so we went straight into the living room and they got me on the sofa. I couldn't lean back as it hurt so Callie's dad sat behind me giving me something to lean against. 

I was pushing, seriously now. Baby was coming down the birth canal and I had to give up the gas and air to really dig deep and push. I was waiting for the 'ring of fire' and then suddenly, there it was. Unlike what I'd read before, it only hurt between pushes when the head was just sat there stretching my skin, but when I pushed it really relieved it. (By the way, pushing really does feel like doing a giant poop. The whole pressure is in your bottom!)

And then it happened. 'Just pant now Saira!'. I've watched enough episodes of OBEM to know that that meant the head was almost out. The midwife very sweetly let me feel her head (it felt like a slimy ball), and then with the next two pushes, I gave birth to what felt like an octopus! She was out, and as they lifted her I was able to hold her little smiley body. 

Baby Callie was born at 1:51pm, and went straight onto my chest. She pooped immediately all over my tummy but I didn't care one bit. She was beautiful. Perfect. It was overwhelming like I'd never felt before.
We delayed cord clamping until Callie was pink and the cord had stopped pulsating, which took about 10 mins. I then had the sintocin in my leg to deliver the placenta. In all honesty I was more scared of this part than the birth, but it was fine! I actually said (in my gas and air filled state) 'is that it? I've done farts bigger than that'. Haha! 

The last part was the stitching. Callie's dad and my mum cleaned up baby and I shuffled into a comfortable position on the sofa whilst they did their work. It took a while as I'd torn but I barely felt a thing - in part because they let me loose on the gas and air (honestly, you've never felt properly drunk until you've had gas and air!), and partly because they used lidocaine to numb the area (that was the worst bit).

By 5pm, the midwife had done all the paperwork, cleaned up, we had deflated the pool, and Callie had already breastfed. I was told I needed to do a wee by 7pm or to ring triage, and then the midwives were gone. We were sat there with a baby, in shock at what just happened. I was lightheaded and realised I'd just burnt near 3000 calories in labour on half a bowl of cereal, with only gas and air. I felt like Superwoman!

Food ensued, and there began out adventure into parenthood.

So what do I think about homebirths? I think they're incredible. There is no way I wouldn't try and have one again in the future, I think they are such a wonderful way of involving the people you love in the most emotional moment of your life. I am so glad that my Mum was there and I wouldn't change it for the world, I feel so proud that she got to see her granddaughter being born and she was there to share the experience with us. I will always be grateful to her for being a part of it, for keeping me calm and for the way she first held Callie and looked at her with so much love that my heart melted knowing just how much this little girl means to her. 

 

Team homebirth all the way – don't ever think negatively of the option. Do your research, speak to midwives, because honestly it will be the best experience of your life. 

I would just like to end by saying the most gigantic thank you to the Plymouth Jubilee homebirth team who are the most incredible women I've ever had the pleasure to meet; every single midwife we've had during pregnancy birth and since then has gone above and beyond to make sure me and my family are okay, nothing has been too much for them to do and I will for ever be indebted to them. Thank you is just not enough.

Any questions about home births, please don't hesitate to message me!!

Saira xo

Did I mention we love Water Babies?

I know I shout it from the rooftops, but I really do love our swimming lessons! The main reason being that this little pickle's face just lights up the second we get in the car and she spots her Happy Nappy in the swim bag.

Of course, working for Water Babies, it was inevitable that we would splash into the pool eventually, but I don't think I was totally prepared for how much it would become our favourite thing to do together. Before I had Callie, I used to excitedly explain to all our swimmers and future swimmers about what we do, how we teach YOU to teach your baby to swim, why water safety is so important, and how to make the most out of bath time. Now, having spent the last 9 months swimming through the first 3 Chapters, we've jumped into Chapter 4 where things take a slight change and suddenly it's all coming together!

Whereas Chapter 1-3 have an emphasis on bonding and safety, Chapter 4 starts really working on getting little ones understanding what to do should they ever find themselves out of their depth. When I give talks at Mothercare and other events, I always start by saying that drowning is STILL the 3rd most common cause of accidental death in infants under 5 in the UK - it's WAY too high! So it's really important that we're teaching our children about water safety from a young age, and what I love about our lessons is that we achieve that (and more!) but all whilst having so much fun!  

Another thing that I'm so thankful for, more for me than Cal, is the social aspect of it. I didn't do much in the way of antenatal classes, and the same thing happened after she was born with baby groups. I have lots of friends who are amazing, but I soon realised how nice it was to have friends with babies around the same age. I was lucky to be part of the '101 ways to raise a human' community of MumsNet Mums who all had their babies around June 2017, but with 101 women all over the UK, actually having people I could grab a coffee with wasn't as easy. I did my taster term with some lovely parents at Derriford, and then splashed into Chapter 2 at our beautiful plush pool at St Mellion International Resort so Cal could have her Auntie as her teacher. Jumping into an already-established class was scary, and then paired with the body-conscious feeling I think every new Mum feels, I was a little out of my comfort zone, but boy did they make me feel like one of the gang from the second I stepped onto poolside.

I absolutely love swimming with my little girl, and can't bang on about it enough. Even if she does decide she wants breakfast mid-lesson....! But it wouldn't be Water Babies if we didn't have a giggle :)

If you want to come join the fun, drop my lovely colleagues an email on bounce@waterbabies.co.uk or leave us a message on 01752 605627. If you're not local, head to www.waterbabies.co.uk and search for your nearest pools. You absolutely won't regret it!

Saira xx

Saltram House, Devon

Christmas, for our family, is all about the build up. So each year from November time onwards, we try and do as many festive things as possible.

The staple of each year is usually a trip to Saltram National Trust park near Marsh Mills in Plymouth. We’ve been going for years, since before me and my sister moved out of our family home, and it’s a tradition we like to keep up with. 

In the past few years, it’s changed slightly. Whereas it was originally an outdoor event in the entrance, it’s slowly moved further inside the grounds, with the stalls now all situated directly in front of the house entrance.   

The nice thing about it as well is that Saltram always have some sort of experience or event around a similar time so there’s something nice for the little ones to burn off some steam whilst you browse all the local stalls. 

Each year the house is also decorated. In past years you have to pay extra to enter the house however this year the full £5 entrance fee (unless you’re a National Trust member in which case it’s free!) includes both the gardens and house which meant we got to have a look around the beautifully decorated house for no extra cost. This year they have themed it as fairytales, and it definitely doesn’t disappoint! From the beautiful underwater little mermaid scene to the perfectly lit Christmas trees, it’s a sight for sore eyes! 

And those of you who follow me will know by now that I never pass up a photo shoot opportunity! 

39 week bumpdate!

39 weeks.

It's crazy to think that we've been sharing this body for 39 weeks.

 Every day brings something new - wriggles, kicks, hiccups, I've loved sharing every little movement with you - from that first 'is this gas or did my baby just kick' to the 'oh my God, this baby is about to crawl out of my lady garden' (honestly, you've got to stop trying, it'll open when it's ready!)

These last few weeks have been agony on Mummy's thighs - you've definitely dropped down into position; it's like having a bowling ball between my legs. Let's hope you're not the weight of one, though! Not that I mind - it means we're closer to meeting you!

 It feels so bittersweet, thinking about the transition from being pregnant to being a Mummy. I cannot wait to have you in my arms, but I'll miss all our little moments. Up until now it's just been us, and of course daddy when he talks to you and tells you stories and you kick him in the cheek. I'll miss how excited you get when it's morning and we wake up, you do the breakfast dance, and the 11:30am dance to remind me to eat lunch. I'll miss when you stick your bum out so far I have to rub it to get you to sink back into place again, or when you prod me with your little foot so high up it makes me jump and then laugh. I'll even miss how you make yourself extra comfy when I go to the loo, as if there's suddenly lots of extra space in there and you do a starfish in my tummy! 

Our birthing pool is here, the kit is ready to go, the cleaners have done their deep clean and I've finally got all your bits and pieces together so we are ready when you are, little Princess xxxxx

First day of maternity leave - a cream tea!

Me, bump and my nephew!

32 week bumpdate!

I can't believe I've been so busy with work and decorating at home that I haven't done a bump date since 27 weeks - sorry for being so rubbish!

So here we are, writing this at 33 +1, but we haven't taken this week's photo yet, plus it's officiallyther Easter Weekend so this one seems far more appropriate ;)

The third trimester has been lovely. Hormones have been flying and I've been quite short-tempered, but because that's not naturally who I am I find it hard to ever actually act on it! But boy oh boy, sometimes I hear my brain shouting JUST SHUT UP!!! at people. 

I've LOVED finally having a big enough bump to warrant looks in the street, people offering to carry things for me, and people giving up seats for me. That's one thing I am massively grateful for - my bump isn't huge, I probably don't look nearly 8 months pregnant, but HOLY JUSTIN BIEBER it's hard carrying around 5lbs of baby! It's tiring, but more than that, it throws your whole centre of gravity off balance. I have to make an extra effort not to walk into things, and make sure I have enough room to get through smaller doorways and walkways.

Some of the less glamorous symptoms have been quite testing, but we'll save them for when I write a book for something! 

I have got three weeks left at work which I am super excited about - it's going crazily fast, and training 2 new people as well as doing my job properly has been tiring and emotionally draining. I am definitely ready to go, but I know these next 3 weeks are going to be busy busy busy! At least it means they'll go fast! 

CRAVINGS

Pregnancy is weird when it comes to cravings. 

I always expected to be laying in bed at 2am and sending hubs to the garage for gherkins and peanut butter, because I NEEDED them. It's not like that at all.

One day, I'll eat 6 oranges and still fancy 6 more. I'll really fancy a certain food and nothing else really satisfies the craving until you get it, whether it's that day or another. And then you finally get what you fancy and it doesn't taste the same - that KFC toasted twister I was so excited about? It tasted like peanuts. Just peanuts.

But I did realise this week I have a 3rd trimester craving. The 1st trimester was wotsits, bananas and oranges. 2nd trimester was thai noodles, bananas and oranges. This trimester I've eaten us out of house and home with oranges and bananas, and am now massively loving natural Greek yogurt with honey. I've always loved it, but if I eat a pot, I immediately need another. In fact I'm sat here with an empty pot in front of my and an empty fridge and if it weren't for the fact I'd need to put clothes on, I'd be running to Lidl for more.

NURSERY UPDATE

The window is finished and the plastering is set. 

We had a quote from our usual decorator to paint the room which was slightly higher than we hoped for, especially considering I am providing 90% of the paint from both Rustoleum and Valspar, but he's doing a few extras like painting the skirtings, the radiator and the cupboards, all in two days, so I guess we can justify it.

They're coming next week, so hopefully if all goes to plan, this time next week I will be able to share the first photos of a newly painted nursery!

Once that's done, it's just the carpet before we can crack on with the fun bits ;)

MIDWIFE CHECKS

So you know we have opted for a home water birth, which means we get our midwife appointments at our house more often than not. It's lovely, as it feels far less formal and I think it helps the midwife feel comfortable in our home, which is going to be a massive thing when she gets that 11pm WE'RE IN LABOUR! phone call in a few short weeks time...! 

At our 28 week appointent where they do the usual - nump measurement, heartbeat and blood pressure, baby was measuring spot on. But at 31 weeks she was still measuring at 28 weeks. It meant we had to be referred for a growth scan - we had an appointment for a week later and that week was very stressful. I tried not to worry but you do, and it completely overtook my mind. Happily though, the scan went amazingly and they said she's 57th centile for her abdominal size and 87th centile for legs, so she's going to be a lanky little thing! But all in all, everything was spot on. Her head is also really low - they joked that she's waiting for the exit to open!

SO that's pretty much it for week 32-33! 

We have another appointment at 34 weeks, so I'll be sure to update you all then.  

In the meantime, be sure to check out my next post all about the amazing Baby Shower I was thrown yesterday!!!

xoxo