Being pregnant and giving birth in London can be magical, confusing and everything in between.
Here's our helpful guide to what you need to know about having a baby in London – Meghan Markle, we hope you're reading...
Congrats, you're pregnant! Now what are you going to wear for the next nine months (plus breastfeeding?).
There are a few go-to labels to know about that will take you through the nine-month stretch in style: Séraphine does well-priced, well-cut and stylish workwear, weekend and royal-wear (Kate Middleton is a fan), while Jojo Maman is your go-to spot for florals and stripes. Also look at Clary & Peg for super-cool vintage-inspired jumpsuits, smocks and turbans that may even tempt you to become an Instagram influencer chronicling your pregnant life. And in news that will make everyone rejoice, Zara now has maternity clothes: sequin dresses and leopard coats can be your pregnancy uniform.
Séraphine founder Cecile Reinaud told Culture Whisper that her best advice for mums-to-be is to 'invest early in maternity clothes.'
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If all of your besties happen to be pregnant at the same time as you AND live in your post code, then well done: you've sussed out modern parenting. If however, you're like the rest of us, then signing up to an NCT parenting course won't go amiss. Sure, you'll learn labour breathing techniques and find out the basics of breastfeeding, but even more importantly, you'll meet local parents who you can have coffee with and who will actually listen to you talk about the contents of your baby's nappy (we're still chatting to the parents in our group nearly a decade later). Now, that is priceless.
If you don't want to go the NCT route, many hospitals and surgeries offer antenatal classes (typically free of charge) – find services near you here.
There are other NCT alternatives for those looking for a baby class that offers something a bit different: Bump & Baby Club includes baby first aid classes; The Bump Class runs sessions in intimate settings in people's homes in Parsons Green and Chelsea; Doctor and Daughter offers a no-nonsense approach in Balham; while New Baby Company runs midwife-led group and private classes in South and West London.
There are a plethora of fitness options available for expecting mums in London, from pregnancy yoga to prenatal pilates to personal training.
There are even some pregnancy-specific fitness centres to cater to the needs of pregnant women, like Hub in Clapham, which offers a bespoke pregnancy fitness and nutrition service and Turtletots, which has Aquanatal yoga classes in North London, Greenwich and Surrey. Being in the water when heavily pregnant is just blissful.
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A doula is a birth coach you can hire to provide support during pregnancy, labour and after having baby. They can provide a calm and consistent voice for first-time mums (you will likely meet a different midwife at most of your antenatal appointments and yet another new sea of faces in hospital), but many second-time mums who had tricky birth experiences the first time around also choose to get a doula. Many doulas are mums themselves and are there to help you feel supported and confident during the birth process – alongside medical professionals like midwives and doctors.
If labour is straightforward but you're feeling a bit panicky about how to look after the actual baby once you have it, you can also hire a postnatal doula – check out doula.org for more info on how to book, doula services, costs and more.
It's also worth mentioning that you should check out whether your local health centre or hospital has a caseload midwife team – typically a team of six to eight midwives, they'll offer you care during, throughout and after your labour, so you're likely to have met one of the friendly faces before having your little one. And yes, they do home births.
There is no right way to have a baby and no labour choice is more valid or superior to any other. However, mums-to-be do like to feel that there is some control over how their little one comes into the world (which baby often decides to upend entirely – they've got their own ideas), hence the birth plan.
The first question is hospital or home birth? Sometimes the decision is made for you: if you have any medical issues, a hospital is likely to be the safest place so you can be near the care you need – it could also be your go-to choice if you've decided you want to have an epidural. And if you go the private route – Lindo wing, anyone? – there's afternoon tea, champagne, fancy toiletries and more to tuck into once baby arrives.
Many mums planning a home birth – Meghan Markle reportedly among them – typically rent birth pools so they can have their babies in the water (water can help alleviate labour pains and calm mums in labour, and you can still have gas and air for pain relief).
There is also a happy medium between the two options: hospital birth centres, where you can have a more 'home from home' birth experience and a water birth with the comfort of knowing an epidural is available around the corner. Check out all of the options near you here.
Like anything in life, many of us feel better about labour if it's something we can prepare for. Everyone wants to avoid the pain and agony horror stories and one technique that many have embraced (including mums who already had one stressful childbirth), is hypnobirthing, which teaches mums-to-be visualisation and breathing techniques to help them through labour (Kate Middleton is reportedly a fan of this technique). You can book into private classes, and many hospitals are now offering hypnobirthing courses as well – if you're interested, check out Hypnobirthing: The Mongan Method for some nighttime reading.
Also, Ina May Gaskin (a US midwifery guru)'s book, Spiritual Midwifery, is worth a read: all about empowering and enjoying labour (warning: there are orgasmic labour stories), it's a real eye-opener with positive birth stories that show a completely different perspective on birth than the one we're used to hearing about.
When it comes to pain-relieving techniques in childbirth, some swear by TENS machines (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation), which can help alleviate pain or at least distract labouring mums, and can be bought or rented. We'd also suggest buying a range of essential oils: clary sage if you're overdue to help stimulate labour, lavender, lemon and peppermint for labour, which can calm and energise exhausted and stressed mums, and tea tree oil for post-birth recovery.
It's been several years since the Hollywood set first announced they were turning their placentas into pills and pulverising them in smoothies in order to consume them for their purported health benefits (fewer postnatal mood swings, better breastmilk production, more energy and easier post-birth recovery).
Intrigued? If you're interested in doing something with your placenta - other than chucking it - check out the IPEN website to find a placenta-trained specialist, many of whom are midwives and doulas.
New mums typically have midwife care and a health visitor appointment post-birth, and your local health centre and GP (be sure to register your little one) will offer weigh-ins and appointments if you have any concerns.
For breastfeeding support, there are various resources, like lactation consultants and breastfeeding cafes, that can offer advice – this link can help you find a local support service.
When it comes to sleeping – or not, as is mostly the case with newborns – many London mums seek out expert help from maternity nurses (also known as night nannies) through organisations like Night Nannies, Greycoat Lumleys and Eden. You can either have someone stay consecutive nights for the first few weeks or have a night nurse come over a course of multiple weeks or months for a day/night at a time.
Maternity nurses are a costly expenditure but new mums swear it's the best new baby present they've received. After all, sleep is priceless, isn't it?
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