Tag: postnatal depression

Victory for NCT’s #Hiddenhalf Campaign: New Mums to Receive a Six-Week Check

It’s official – from April, all new mothers in England will receive a six-week check focusing on their physical & mental health, as well as one for their baby.

This fantastic news marks a landmark success for NCT’s #Hiddenhalf campaign, which we at Seraphine have been proud to support.

6-week check for new mums - NCT #Hiddenhalf

“It’s fantastic news that NHS England has responded to our calls for better postnatal mental health checks. This is a huge step forward and means more new mothers will be supported to talk about their mental health problems and get the help they need.”

Angela McConville, NCT’s Chief Executive

About the Six-Week Check

New mum's 6-week check, wearing a Seraphine maternity jumper

This new appointment will be separate from your baby’s six-week check, though it may be scheduled immediately before or afterwards to save you a journey. It’s an opportunity to focus on how you are coping, both physically and mentally, and to raise any concerns you may have with your GP.

The hope is, that this dedicated maternal health check will help to catch more cases of postnatal mental illness & get mothers who are struggling, the help they need.

Why it’s So Important

Seraphine's Mama & Mini sweatshirts. New mums 6-week check

Mental health problems affect at least 1 in 10 women during pregnancy or the first year after birth.

But around half of new mothers’ mental health problems don’t get picked up at all.

The old system of a combined mother & baby appointment simply didn’t offer enough time to tackle tricky issues like postnatal mental health.

NCT's #Hiddenhalf campaign - for the maternal 6-week check

Now every new mum will have at least 10 minutes with a healthcare professional to focus purely on her.

Here at Seraphine, we are thrilled to hear such positive news & would like to congratulate the NCT & everyone else involved in this campaign!

Find out more about NCT

Read more about Seraphine’s support for NCT’s #Hiddenhalf campaign here

Skin to Skin Snuggles: What are the Benefits for Mum & Baby?

From that first magical moment when your newborn baby is placed skin to skin on your chest, something amazing begins to happen.

That direct close contact triggers an array of fantastic benefits for both of you, which you can tap into & enjoy whenever the mood takes you.

Who’d have thought a simple snuggle could be so powerful!

Discover our range of skin to skin tops online now

What are the benefits of skin to skin snuggles?

mum wears the grey Seraphine skin to skin top

1) Relieves stress & promotes bonding

Being born is a stressful business.

But that first hour of skin to skin contact with you is the perfect way to help your new baby calm down & get used to being out in the world.

The warmth from your skin, the familiar sound of your heartbeat & even your voice will soothe your little one.

And the magic works for you & your partner too – skin to skin contact with your baby releases oxytocin (the happy hormone) and lowers cortisol levels (the stress hormone), helping you all to bond as a family.

New mum & baby skin to skin

 2) Lowers risk of postnatal depression

According to the NHS, around 1 in 10 new mothers will experience some level of postnatal depression within a year of giving birth.

The natural increase in oxytocin & lower levels of cortisol brought on during skin to skin time can be an effective way to combat this.

Though of course, it goes without saying that if you are struggling with postnatal depression, you should get in touch with your GP or midwife as soon as possible to seek professional advice & support.

New mum wears the Seraphine skin to skin top

3) Stabilises temperature, breathing & heart rate

Did you know that your breasts will actually warm up or cool down in response to your baby’s temperature?

Mums of twins may even find that one breast warms and the other cools if your babies’ temperatures are different – mind, blown!

Meanwhile, your own breathing & heart rate will help to regulate your baby’s.

Christina wearing skin to skin top

 4) Minimises pain & reduces crying

Studies show that babies held skin to skin tend to cry less than those who are not. This makes sense if you think about a baby’s cry as a ‘separation distress call’.

They also experience less pain during necessary clinical procedures like the heel stick blood test.

As far as we’re concerned, less pain & crying can only be a good thing.

The printed Skin to Skin top

 

5) Boosts baby’s immune system

Not all bacteria are bad – in fact some play a very important role in protecting us from infection.

Skin to skin snuggling allows the friendly bacteria on your skin to colonise your baby’s – boosting their immune system & keeping them healthy & protected as they grow.

6) Encourages breastfeeding

If you & your baby are left in peace to enjoy skin to skin time, your baby will eventually seek out your breast by him or herself & begin to feed.

And another amazing benefit of all that oxytocin rushing around your system is that it will boost your milk supply – helping you to feed for longer.

Discover our Skin to Skin Tops – Perfect for the first year with baby

Here at Seraphine, we have developed the perfect tops to help you & your little one enjoy skin to skin time while remaining covered up & comfy.

Find out more about our Skin to Skin Tops here.

Shop the collection here

Who’d have thought a simple snuggle could be so powerful!

Spiritual Fitness: Kundalini Yoga for Before, During & After Pregnancy

Kundalini yoga is a fantastic way to keep fit, fight stress and boost your mood.

It can help to keep you centred during early pregnancy & can even help to ease postnatal depression. Read on to find out more about this ancient practice.

 

What is Kundalini Yoga?

Originating from ancient Tibetan practices, this kind of yoga combines asana (postures), breath, meditation, mantras (chanting) and mudras (hand positions). It works directly on the nervous system and the glands to encourage positive brain chemistry.

Regular practice develops fitness, spirituality, positivity and creativity.

 


The Seraphine Active Kit is ideal for pregnancy yoga and adapts to your shape after baby is born. – Get the kit now

And don’t miss the matching maternity & nursing sports bra

 

Kundalini Yoga During Early Pregnancy

In normal circumstances, women can practice this form of yoga up until the 120th day of pregnancy (end of the 4th month). After this, it is generally recommended to switch to a specific pregnancy-centric yoga class.

 

 

How can it help combat postnatal depression?

Kundalini yoga expert Harmanjot Kaur claims that regular practice can help to rebalance the hormonal system after pregnancy, boosting oxytocin and dopamine. It also helps to bring the body back into shape and helps new mums to create stronger bonds with baby.

Kundalini practitioners believe that for the first 40 days after a baby is born, the aura of the mother and newborn remain closely intertwined. Harmanjot explains that this kind of yoga works on that magnetic pathway to increase connection and communication.

 

If you’re interested in finding out more, check out Harmanjot’s website.

You can also purchase her new DVDs Kundalini Yoga for Happiness and Health.

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