10 Activities for Your Toddler on a Rainy Day

It’s raining, it’s pouring! Time to get creative! You don’t need expensive toys to keep toddlers entertained. There are endless ways to have fun at home with items you already have in your house. These activities are tried and tested by many many little people that I’ve spent rainy days with and never fail to entertain. Enjoy!

• Make a sensory tub by using odd bits of kitchen staples like half used packets of rice, pasta, lentils, polenta or whatever else you have in your pantry. Dump them into a large container with a bunch of measuring cups and spoons, straws and any other interesting items from your kitchen drawers. Pro tip: keep your dustpan and brush handy to clean up the mess but remember it’s all about having fun and not about staying tidy. Your toddler might also enjoy sweeping up the mess.

• Go outside and play in the rain. Jump in puddles, drive toy cars through the mud, get messy! You can always come back inside for a bath afterwards.

• Bake a cake. Yes, even toddlers can help in the kitchen. Let them measure, stir and grease the cake tin.

• Dance. Toddlers love to move. Get silly and have fun. Play Follow The Leader, Freeze or practice your shimmy and twist.

• Colour Sort. I use an old egg carton and colored pom poms but you can use anything you have. Pegs, Christmas baubles, blocks, and even lollies can be sorted into colours. If you have some mini tongs that’s even more fun!

• Playdough. Need I say more? There are tons of recipes online and it’s super easy to make! When you’re done you can store it in an airtight container and use it again.

• Macaroni necklaces. Thread pasta onto string or a shoe lace and make a necklace. You can even colour the pasta using food colouring. Younger toddlers may find penne easier to use than macaroni.

• Oobleck. Oobleck is so easy to make and will keep your toddler entertained for ages. Add some toy animals or cars to the mix for an added level of fun.

• Music parade. Use your imagination. You can use instruments that you already have in your home or find some pots or pans to bang. Practice banging on the beat to a fun song or write one of your own!

• Read a book….or five. It will come as no shock to those who know me that reading is on this list. Reading and being read to has so many benefits including supporting cognitive development and improving language skills as well and providing bonding opportunities and many more. My boys are older now but they still love making a cubby and snuggling up together with a book on a rainy day.

Ma's Chicken Stew

With the cooler weather approaching, my huge soup pot has once again made its way out of my pots and pans draw and onto my stovetop! I love this time of year and the delicious comforting soups and casseroles that come with it. One of my all time favourite dishes to make in the cooler months is my grandmother's delicious chicken, 12 veg and rice stew. Not only is it the perfect antidote to cold weather but it is absolutely jam packed with essential vitamins and minerals (perfect for pregnancy and postpartum) and the kids LOVE it! I've made a couple of pots for my beautiful postpartum mums and am always asked for the recipe so I thought I'd put the recipe up here so you can all make it again! Now, the actual amounts are going to vary because I'm a chuck-it-all-in kind of gal but as long as you get a good mix of veg it always turns out ok. This recipe feeds an army so there will be leftovers for the next day or for healthy freezer meals for those days that the kids won't let you put them down and being a Masterchef is the last thing on your mind!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

800g diced free range chicken thighs

Diced veggies including 2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 sticks of celery, 1/2 a sweet potato, 2 medium potatoes, 4 yellow squash, 1/4 of a pumpkin, 3/4 cup of corn kernels, a big handful of baby spinach leaves, 1/2 of a head of broccoli, 1 zucchini, 3/4 cup of sliced mushrooms. My Ma also used to add whatever else she had in her fridge or garden which would sometimes include fresh tomatoes, peas and beans.

Good quality chicken stock to just cover (I prefer home made but the Real Stock brands are pretty good). It's usually about a litre or 2 depending on how many veg you put in it.

1 large handful of rice (sometimes I do two depending on how much I want to pad it out)

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh parsley

Method:

Dice the chicken and veggies.

Sauté the chicken on a high heat in a large soup pot until just browned, then remove and set aside. 

In the same pot, sauté the veggies for about 3 minutes until they're slightly soft.

Add the chicken back to the pot and cover the lot with stock.

Cover and bring to the boil

Once boiling, add the rice and simmer until the chicken, rice and veggies are cooked through.

To serve, place a ladleful of stew into a bowl, sprinkle over some fresh parsley and serve with crusty bread.

Welcome back, rain!

If you're anything like me, you will be delighted to finally see some rain after such a hot few weeks! It's the perfect time to snuggle up with a good book and catch up on some of the reading I've been putting off in the busy start of school year period. I've got shelves full of great pregnancy, birth and postpartum books, magazines and articles and thanks to the recent Lifeline Bookfest, I now have doubles and triples of most of my favourites so that more of you will be able to borrow them! An updated list is now available and can be emailed to you for your convenience. Xx

Happy New Year!

Happy NewYear! What a busy one it's turning out to be! With the youngest of my babies now at school (I feel like I blinked and 5 years went past in a moment!) I will have plenty of time for new groups and classes, supporting the lovely women of Brisbane and surrounds through pregnancy, birth and postpartum and blogging! 

What's new at Birth and Beyond? 

This year I will be hosting FREE fortnightly meet ups at New Farm Park, the riverside park that inspired my logo with its gorgeous jacaranda trees. The focus of these will be, as it always is for me, creating a positive mindset and reducing fear surrounding birth. So, if you're pregnant and looking for a really relaxed, positive and interesting social group to meet other new or soon-to-be mums, please come along and join us for morning tea. Your older kidlets are welcome to come along too and I will have some toys and activities to suit babies and toddlers up to school age so you can feel free to engage in the discussion.

This year I will continue to run the Weekend Workshop: Skills for Birth and Beyond class although the location will be changing. The upside of this will be that I will be able to make the class even more affordable! Look out for the details in the coming weeks.

In terms of birth support, not much is changing this year. I will still continue to support a maximum of 2 women per month, which can make it tricky for bookings, I know, but I like to give my undivided attention to each and every one of my clients coming up to her birth so to me this is a necessary limit at this time. I will, however, be increasing my postnatal support hours. 

I hope this year brings you all joy and I very much look forward to meeting more wonderful women, mothers and babies this year! 

Nat Xx

15 Questions to Ask Your Maternity Health Care Provider

Choosing a great health care provider is an important step towards having a satisfying birth. To aid in this process I have come up with a list of questions I like to ask maternity health care providers. Remember that you are an individual and the answers to these questions only have to satisfy you and your birthing goals. 

1. What is your philosophy about birth.

This is an important question and the one that will really help you to determine who this care provider is and what they are or are not comfortable with. A care provider who answers this question from the point of view that birth is inherently dangerous or birth is a problem waiting to happen is going to provide a different type of care to a provider who believes that birth is a normal and natural (physiological) process. This is also a good time to discuss the expectant versus managed approach to birth.

2. How much of your care is based on current evidence and how much is based on experience?

Ideally, a health care provider will base their care on a mixture of those things. Too far either way and they risk not being able to adapt to the particular circumstances of the woman in their care. A really good health care provider will be up to date with current evidence-based practices and have the experience to know when a woman's individual circumstances would dictate that they should or shouldn't be followed. Remember that it is ALWAYS your choice as to weather you take the advice of your health care provider or not. 

3. What are your cesarian rates, induction rates, unmedicated vaginal birth rates and VBAC rates? What are the main reasons for these rates?

This question requires some discussion with the provider. Different providers will have different reasons for their rates depending on the demographic of women they care for. If a provider is not willing to be open and honest in their answers here, it is probably a good indication that they are not going to be open and honest about other aspects of their service.

4. Do you place restrictions on labouring women?

Does this health care provider like to place a cannula "just in case"? Does this provider like to have an epidural inserted or wear a hospital gown "just in case"? What are their thoughts on monitoring? Do they prefer to use continuous or intermittent monitoring and are they open to no monitoring? At what point to they like to intervene in labour? Are there time restrictions? What positions do they prefer women to labour in (Tip: if they say "on your back in lithotomy", run a mile).

5. What happens if I go over 42 weeks of pregnancy?

Some health care providers restrict their service for various reasons after 42 weeks gestation. This can leave pregnant women in the stressful position of having to choose between induction, caesarian, changing providers at the last minute or birthing unassisted. If allowing your pregnancy to continue past 42 weeks to its natural term is important to you, this is something you should definitely consider when choosing a provider. 

6. Have you heard of maternal assisted or natural cesarians? Do you perform them?

At the alarming rate of 32%, Australia has one of the highest caesarian section rates in the world. There are many ways that you can reduce your risk of having a caesarian however it is still important to consider what might happen if you do in fact end up birthing your baby this way. Your health care provider should be able to provide you with your options should a caesarian birth be necessary (or you want one).

7. What is your ideal scenario for the birth of the placenta?

The third stage of labour is the birth of the placenta. Many women aren't aware that they even have options when it comes to this part of birth however there are many! You may choose to have an injection of artificial oxytocin to speed up the process, or you can choose to delay cord clamping, birth the placenta naturally or even lotus birth. I highly recommend reading Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering: A Doctor’s Guide to Natural Childbirth and Gentle Early Parenting Choices by Dr Sarah Buckley for more information on this very important part of birth.

8. What is your philosophy about the first hour post birth?

As undisturbed first hour post birth has many huge benefits for mothers and babies. This Midwifery Today article by Michael Odent describes this critical stage. https://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/firsthour.asp 

9. How do you feel about breastfeeding? Are you able to refer me to an IBCLC (Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant)?

Breastfeeding has many amazing benefits for mothers and babies however adequate support can sometimes be hard to find. A good maternity health care provider will be able to assist you in the initial stages of learning to breastfeed and at the very least provide a list of resources to support you beyond the immediate postpartum period.

10. How do you feel about the use of complementary therapists/medicine in maternity care?

There are many benefits to utilising the services of complementary therapists during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. A good heath care provider will recognise that complementary therapies and medicines can be useful for many aspects of maternity care and may be able to refer you to some of these services. 

11. Have you worked with a doula before?

The role of a doula is to provide physical, emotional and educational support to women throughout pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. Doulas do not provide medical advice or perform clinical tasks. Doulas, midwives and obstetricians each have different jobs and skills and usually work harmoniously together to support each woman throughout her pregnancy, birth and postpartum period. 

Remember that your doula is employed by you and is there to support you and your choices. If your health care provider is skeptical about you hiring a doula ask them for reasons why. Generally, it is because they don't have a clear understanding about what a doula does and how doulas and health care professionals can work together to support their client. Each person in your birth support team (including health care providers, doulas, partners, family or friends) need to understand their role is solely to support you. Placing restrictions on who you can or can not have around you to support you in your birth is not conducive to a supportive birthing environment. 

12. How do you feel about VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarian section), VBAMC (vaginal birth after multiple caesarian sections), VBB (vaginal breech birth), natural birth of multiples (twins, triplets etc)? Are you trained in these areas? If not, who would you refer me to if you needed extra support in this area?

This is a good way to assess the skill and experience of the health care provider as well as their attitude towards natural birth and variations of normal birth. Ideally, a maternity health care provider should be trained in all these areas. If a health care provider is uncomfortable with any of these areas, it would be worth asking what would happen in the case of something unexpected happening (like an undiagnosed breech baby). 

13. Who is your back up should you be unavailable when I go into labour? When can I meet them?

Health care providers need time off just as much as any person. It is important to know who would be looking after you should your own provider be unavailable to attend your birth and how their birth philosophies align with your own. 

14. Are you planning holidays in the next 9 months?

There are few things more annoying that forking out thousands of dollars to find out that your health care provider never intended being available for your birth. It is not unreasonable to ask whether they plan holidays or to advise you with as much notice as possible if that plan changes so that you can make alternative care arrangements.

15. What are your fees? Are their any extra costs that I need to be aware of?

In Australia, fees for private obstetricians and midwives can vary from "no gap" fees to up to $10,000 or more. You may also find yourself out of pocket for all scans and tests, paediatricians fees, anaesthetist fees, hospital fees and health insurance hospital excess fees. Make sure you get a clear list of all fees and charges that may apply to your situation.

At the end of the day, remember that you are employing this person to care for you. Finding the right maternity care provider can go a long way to helping you achieve your birthing goals, whatever they may be, and feeling comfortable with the care you are receiving is crucially important to feeling safe and happy during your birth. Xx

5 Steps for Choosing the Right Care Provider.

I feel like the perfect place to start a blog about all things birth is with one of the biggest "make or break" factors in your birthing experience, choosing the right care provider for you. Your health care providers are the people who are going to be caring for you in some of the most vulnerable, raw and emotional times in your life. And that matters. How you are treated during birth can heavily impact how you view the experience.

There are so many different options available in South-East Queensland. We are fortunate to have access to independent (or private) midwives, private obstetricians, birth centres, public specialist and midwifery services or shared care with your GP. So how do you choose the right provider for you? 

1. Consider your needs.

These will be different for each woman. Do you need additional support for preexisting or pregnancy related health conditions? What is your financial situation? Do you need to consider a previous birth experience? Are you low risk?

2. Consider the type of birth you want.

What a list of things you want for your birth and priorotise them. There are so many options to choose from so to prevent this from becoming overwhelming I recommend writing up a draft of a birth plan, even this early in pregnancy, to help you focus your goals. This doesn't necessarily mean that you will stick to this plan and you can change your mind any time however it will give you a guide when choosing a provider who suit your needs best. 

What are your beliefs surrounding birth? Would you like a natural birth? Are you planning to birth at home? Are you planning a water birth? Are you planning a caesarian section? These questions can help you to determine what kind of health care service would be most suitable for you. 

3. Choose a place to give birth.

Many times, health care provider options are limited by this alone. Are you planning to birth in a public hospital (midwifery group practice, midwifery clinic, obstetrician clinic, specialist clinic). Would you like to give birth in a private hospital? Would you prefer to birth in a public hospital with a private obstetrician or midwife? Do you have access to birth centre facilities? Are you planning to birth at home?

4. Ask friends and family for their experiences with local health care providers.

This can be a useful way to gather general information about potential health care providers but do remember each woman is individual and a provider who one woman deems to be amazing may not be the right fit for you. Listen to their stories and understand the reasons that they liked or disliked that particular provider. For example, my friend raved about her experience with her midwife. She had a fabulous birth and even remained friends with her midwife after her baby was born. Another friend loved her obstetrician. She found him to be friendly, warm, caring, very knowledgable and she trusted him. She was very happy both her birth and therefore went back to him as soon as she fell pregnant with her second baby. Neither of those providers were right for me despite their wonderful reviews because my needs were completely different and therefore my birthing goals were completely different. Those are still two great care providers however just because they were great for my friends doesn't mean they would have been a good fit for me. This is why the next step is so important.

5. Interview potential health care providers.

I can not stress how important this point is. Think about it this way. You go to the hairdresser and have an idea about how you would like for your new style to look. The hairdresser tells you that they don't do what you're asking for (or maybe they don't have the experience or skill required) and will be changing your hair to the style they prefer. What do you do? You say "Thank you, but this isn't quite what I was looking for", and leave.

Health care providers are there to care for you during your pregnancy, birth and postnatal period. They are providing a service to you and you are the one who is in control. They work for you to assist you in achieving your birthing goals. Look for a provider who isn't just trying to keep you happy. This can lead to a "bait and switch" situation down the track. A provider who is honest and has integrity will recognise that they have limitations and will explain this to you rather than tell you what you want to hear. Take a list of questions with you to the appointment and listen carefully to the answers. Start an open and honest dialogue from the very beginning so that there are no surprises later on. 

Don't forget, if you do end up choosing a provider who isn't right for you, there is ALWAYS the option to change, even at the last minute.

Nat Xx

P.S Stay tuned for a list of questions to ask a potential health care provider Xx

Welcome to Birth and Beyond Childbirth Education and Doula Support

I am SUPER excited to be starting my new blog. It's been a long time coming but with our family settled home in Brisbane and my boys in school it is finally the right time. This section will be a place to discuss all sorts of birth and early parenting topics, from the important but not particularly interesting ones, all the way to the super juicy, OMG-I-can't-believe-we're-talking-about-this topics.

I for one CAN NOT WAIT to get started so stay tuned because the first one is due to be posted Monday! See you then!

Nat Xx