Babies

Freebirth, more commonly known as Unassisted Childbirth (or simply, UC), is the medically unassisted birthing of a baby. Though it is relatively rare in the UK, with only a handful of official cases each year, women becoming increasingly disillusioned with the services provided by westernised medical establishments are choosing to birth their babies alone.

Over the years, I’ve sampled countless natural and organic nappy creams for my daughters. There are so many to choose from, it can be hard to know which to go for and what each cream can provide. So, I’ve selected my top 5 natural nappy creams that also have the added benefit of being cloth nappy friendly.

Preparing a ‘tool kit’ for your labour and birth can be a good way to address hopes, fears and dreams before the event. Facing some of the things you are feeling concerned about – feeling out of control, for instance, or painful contractions – enables you to think about what might support you beforehand.

Pregnancy is a wonderful time to enjoy the many benefits of essential oils, as they can ease some of the common complaints and promote a sense of peace and wellbeing. Essential oils are the true ‘essence’ or power of a plant, derived from the fruits, bark, leaves, flowers and roots.

For the past week or so, co-sleeping and SIDS has featured heavily across various global media formats. The recent release of a new study has reignited the hotly debated topic of co-sleeping with the reported discovery of a five-fold increase in the risk of SIDS for babies who bedshare.

5th May marks International Day of the Midwife. A day for celebrating our own special midwives, it is also an important date in the calendar for raising awareness of the difference midwives play in the health and happiness of babies and mothers worldwide. Here three Green Parent readers share the reasons why midwives are so important.

Here Cheryl MacDonald, perinatal yoga teacher and childbirth educator explains why hypnobirthing can ensure a pain-free birth experience

Many women who experience difficulty with breastfeeding and seek help from the medical profession find a sometimes shocking lack of support and knowledge. During my years working as a post-natal massage therapist, I heard many tales, from health visitors showing no sympathy for cracked nipples other than to prescribe immediate recourse to formula feeding, to a doctor who said (and I quote) that foods and medications have no effect whatsoever on breast milk.

Nothing prepared me for how I'd feel in the days following having my daughter - the rollercoaster of emotions was unbelievable. What was supposed to be a straight forward homebirth, turned into an ambulance emergency trip to hospital, unwanted medical intervention and complete loss of control of mine and Ruby's birth experience.

World Breastfeeding Week is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and promote the deep bond and health benefits of breastfeeding. For most green parent readers, breastfeeding is a natural extension of the kind of parenting you believe in. But in many places it is still taboo, and many pregnant women just don’t get the support or positive reinforcement to make breastfeeding a part of their lives.