Little Black Book
A collection of brief Q&A's with other useful birth and postnatal professionals and practitioners working in Surrey and surrounding areas,
so you can access the wealth of support available.
Weaning Specialist & Paediatric Nurse
Katherine Whitby / Baby Steps
1. What is your profession and how long have you been working in this area? Tell us a bit of your background and how you came to Weaning work.... - I am a Registered Paediatric Nurse and Health Visitor and have been in the NHS nearly 30 years! I started Baby Steps in 2006 offering new parents courses to give practical and emotional suupport. I ran Baby Steps in London for 13 years and then moved 5 years ago to the Surrey/Hampshire border (GU26 6DG) where I have beautiful Studio in the woods with easy parking and home comforts. I also support parents in their home or online. All my courses are to give reassurance, confidence and peace of mind so you can relax with your baby. I have courses in Baby & Child First Aid, Weaning, Baby Massage and Relaxation and my Soul-Full Mama and Baby course. I support parents in their homes on a 1:1 with bespoke appointments or with courses for friends and family. I also have courses online to watch on your own time. I feel I have the best job in the world! 2. Why do you feel support around weaning is important? What are the top 5 benefits? TBC 3. If there was only one piece of advice you could give to a new mother, what would it be? - You are the mother your baby needs, trust your instincts 4. How can we access your services? - www.baby-steps.co.uk Instagram - babystepsx Tik Tok - babystepswithkatherine Facebook Baby Steps email: katherine@baby-steps.co.uk Tel: 07796 942771 5. What does 'Continuity of Care' mean to you? - Feeling supported at every step on your journey as a mother
Pre & Post natal Fitness Expert
Charlie Barker / Bumps & Burpees
What is your profession and how long have you been working in this area? I am a Pre & post natal fitness expert. I have been working in the fitness industry for 15 years and have specialised in pregnancy and motherhood for 13 years. I all happened slightly by accident when I took on a group of Mums as clients in the first year and got chatting to them and realised that I really enjoyed working with women in that important phase of their life so I went for it. Why do you feel postnatal strength and fitness is important? What are the top 5 benefits? 1. Motherhood is a constant and never ending workout so being able to physically cope with the demands of it is essential. 2. Your body goes through so many changes in pregnancy and birth so putting your body in the best possible position to recovery and rebuild strength with a newborn baby around. 3. Feeling physically fit and strong has such a huge impact on our mental wellbeing. 4. Your baby is only going to get heavier and heavier!! 5. It can actually boost your energy when you’re feeling exhausted. If there was only one piece of advice you could give to a new mother, what would it be? Be kind to yourself. Not everything has to get done today and not everything has to be done by you How can we access your services? We have a membership platform where you can get access to all the pregnancy and post natal classes at www.bumpsandburpees.com and I share lots of free advice and information on instagram @bumpsandburpees too What does 'Continuity of Care' mean to you? Having familiar faces and voices to guide you through what is probably the most wonderful yet challenging times of you life.
Baby Wearing Consultant
Romy Hunt / Bambino Baby
-What is your profession and how long have you been working in this area? Tell us how you came to this work! I'm a Babywearing Consultant and I've been certified for coming up 12 years now -Why is baby wearing so important? What are the benefits? Oh my goodness, where do I start? I've been commissioned to write countless blog posts about this. Do you want to take some of that to use? Rather than me reinventing the wheel? You can read them here: http://www.mumsadvice.co.uk/how-to-choose-the-right-baby-carrier-for-you-expert-advice/ https://www.naturalbabyshower.co.uk/blogs/b4baby/why-babywear-by-babybjorn (commissioned by BabyBjorn) https://bluebell.io/learn/10-tips-choosing-baby-carrier-one-uks-top-babywearing-consultants https://issuu.com/chelseamagazines/docs/habb22b Page 68 https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/best-baby-carriers -If there was only one piece of advice you could give to a new mother, what would it be? Every baby is different (this is why there are so many baby 'experts' writing books, offering advice etc). Try to use your own judgement and intuition for what's right for your baby. Oh - and it will change. However much it feels like you're stuck in a certain phase forever it is just that - a phase. -How can we access your services? You can use this for social media links, email, location/address etc For in-person help and advice you can visit me at Bambino Baby in Petersfield. No appointments are needed - just come along any time during shop hours. Opening hours - plus location and parking info - on www.bambinobaby.co.uk/visit-us. I also offer online help and support via video call. You can find more info on the website or feel free to e-mail me on hello@bambinobaby.co.uk. There are also lots of demo videos on my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/southeastslings. If you'd like to check out my social media the links are: www.facebook.com/bambinobabyuk and www.instagram.com/bambinobabyuk -What does 'Continuity of Care' mean to you? In an ideal world we’d all have one person overseeing all care - even if other people are involved. In the case of new and expectant parents this could be a pro-active partner, a parent, a doula or an independent midwife. I think the main thing about continuity-of-care though is information sharing. Whether you see one health care practitioner or eight, if the information is all clearly recorded and communicated the parent will feel well looked after, seen and heard. So often there may be a big file of notes and the care-giver hasn’t even looked at the notes. So information sharing is essential, even if many people are involved. Finally, being seen and feeling heard. 1,000s of people have babies every day but for each individual this is quite probably one of the biggest events of their life. This being acknowledged, with worries, fears and questions being heard and listened to, is absolutely key. Every person has different ideas and ideals regarding their care so responding to this is essential.
LBCLC Practioner
Savanna Senior / Learn To Feed
- What is your profession and how long have you been working in this area? I am a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and Feeding Therapist, and I have been working in the field of infant feeding for 9 years. - Why is the difference between your breast feeding support and others? What are its benefits? There are so many different types of people who support breastfeed out there! The biggest difference between the types of breastfeeding supporters is really the amount of education that they receive and the complexity of support they can provide. An IBCLC has had to do a minimum of 90 hours of education and 1000 hours of breastfeeding support before they are allowed to sit the exam. They are also recognised by a regulating body (IBCLE). Other breastfeeding supporters (Breastfeeding Counsellors, Breastfeeding Peer Supporters, Health Professionals Trained to Baby Friendly Initiative standards, Infant Feeding Support Workers) may have varying amounts of education and do not have a regulating body. Another main difference is that an IBCLCs help with more complex lactation difficulties while other breastfeeding supporters help with more common problems. The best way to explain this is by thinking of GPs vs specialists (like a cardiologist or paediatrician). Other breastfeeding supporters are similar to a GP, they have the basic knowledge and understanding of how breastfeeding works and can help you with common breastfeeding problems. An IBCLC, on the other hand, is a specialist and would be the person the other Breastfeeding Supporters would direct you to for something more complicated. Both play an important role in breastfeeding support and offer different things. - If there was only one piece of advice you could give to a new mother, what would it be? The one piece of advice I would give is to trust your instincts! If something doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not. Surround yourselves with friends, family and professionals who will really listen and help you figure something out until it sits right with you. - How can we access your services? You can use this for social media links, email, location/address etc I have tried to make sure that I provide something for everyone! From prenatal classes to breastfeeding and bottle-feeding support after birth, to weaning and fussy eating, I can help you with all things feeding. For those wanting more hands on and in-depth support, I offer home visits in and around Surrey. I also provide online consultations for those living a little (or a lot) further away. For those needing to ask some quick-fire questions, I also provide a service called 'IBCLC in your pocket' This allows you to Whatsapp or email your questions and get a response in 24 hours! The best way to get in contact with me is via my website at www.learntofeed.com or savannah@learntofeed.com. To check us out on social media you can find us on Facebook at - What does 'Continuity of Care' mean to you? Continuity of Care means having someone around that gets you and knows your story. It means having a team around you who can support you and understand what you have been through to help you move forward. I love following families through from prenatal education to weaning as it allows me to see families grow and to understand them on a whole new level.