Baby Shower Gift Ideas

As a last post in this series - Baby Showers. What do you buy that won't just get popped in the trash?

1. Cloth Nappies. Modern Cloth Nappies (diapers) are becoming hugely popular, which is wonderful for our environment as well as much healthier for baby bums. But it can also be a huge investment to get started. Receiving a couple quality covers or package of prefolds is a huge help.
2. Baby Soap/ Nappy creams. Try and buy local and natural. A good quality product is worth it's weight in gold.
3. Restaurant gift cards. Some days it’s just a juggling act and to have dinner taken care of is a complete relief. Grocery store gift cards and coffee shop gift cards are also very nice to receive.
4. Spa Packages. Being a parent of a new baby is pretty exhausting. Most days are considered a success if everyone got fed and mom got a shower. Giving a massage, hair appointment or facial/manicure/pedicure are all great gifts that celebrate the mum.   
5. White Noise maker. For first time parents, it’s nice to have baby used to noise while sleeping, so parents can vacuum, have the doorbell ring or talk on the phone while baby is napping and not worry about waking baby. It’s also great for the baby with older siblings, so baby can nap and the siblings can play.
6. Baby Proofing. Plug outlet covers are great, or a baby gate.
7. Camera. If you know the parents well and know what their camera situation is, this is an excellent idea.  Having a nice camera makes a big difference in picture quality.
8. Photo Session. There are many wonderfully creative photographers these days, and having sweet pictures of your family is really special.
9. Pamper with Smells. Gift an essential oil diffuser and a bottle of essential oil. 
10. Blankets. Just to warn you, most babies get a lot of blankets. But a good quality swaddle can be a life saver- these swaddling blankets are fantastic.
11. Books. It’s never too early for books.
12. Clothes. Ok, I’m going to be honest here: people love baby clothes and love buying baby clothes. The issue is that most of the clothes they give baby, just aren’t practical. I always had plenty of dresses for my daughter and cute sweater vest outfits for my sons, but what I really needed were some basics: Sleepers, bodysuits, pants, socks, a jacket and wool tie-on hat. Think ahead about what size you buy for what season, a summer baby won't want a summer dress in size 6 months!
13. Meals. Dinners are great, but if the family has a good support network and is receiving meals, how about some easy breakfast and lunches? Yogurt parfaits, granola, artisan bread, butter and jam or bagels and cream cheese are lovely gifts. 
14. Doula Service. If mom hasn’t given birth yet, doulas are amazing to have with you, Dad’s particularly love this gift. An experienced doula will help set the new parents mind at ease, and assist any support people in helping mom the best way possible.
15. A voucher for a cleaner for the first few weeks. Getting out of bed is hard enough in the first few weeks, knowing that someone will come in and vaacume and clean the toilet can be a big relief.
16. Offer to babysit the older kids. A day at the park or the museum so mum and baby can just sleep. 
17. A older sibling bag of goodies. simple activities and books/puzzles to keep the older ones occupied while mum tends to the baby.

 

Interesting gift ideas for toddlers

Following on from my last post, here are some ideas for gifts for toddlers. Toddlers have shorter attention spans and endless bounds of energy. Take advantage of these and tailor your choices to the individual child.

 

1. Puzzles. I’ve always been surprised at how early little ones understand puzzles and really enjoy them. Keep them simple - try wooden ones as they will withstand the not-quite-so-fine motor skills of a little one.
2. Books. It’s never too early for books. Did you know that reading to babies and toddlers changes the way their brains develop?
3. Photo Album. Little ones love looking at picture of family members and of themselves doing things or at special places. You could go on an adventure and take photos during the day and turn it into their very own story book.
4. Good Quality skincare or novelty soaps. Try and find locally made, handcrafted items. 
5. Pajamas. Kids love pajamas - mine will spend all day in them so days!
6.  Lessons and Classes. Swim lessons, dance, gymnastics are all great ideas and benefit little ones.
7. Sprinklers. Some good old fashion fun right there!
8. Bird Feeder and Seed. Having a bird feeder outside a winder is very entertaining for kids to watch and helps get them interested in wildlife.
9.  Memberships. Children’s Museums, the zoo  or family gyms are all wonderful.
10. Artwork Picture Frame. Displaying our children’s artwork is important and also very fun. But the fridge tends to get filled up and parents at times feel guilty for throwing anything away. 
11. Towel Set. My kids love their hooded towels - they have a variety of animals and princess ones.
12. Waterproof swimming bag. And maybe a trip to the pool or beach to go with it!
13. Math Counters in a small bucket/bag. Stack colors together,  make patterns, practice adding and subtracting.
14. Savings Account or Stocks. Setting money aside each birthday or holiday may not be very exciting for these little people right now, but when they turn 18 and realize the amazing start they have in life, it will be a huge blessing. You can give a small token gift that they can open and enjoy on their special day, but put the majority of the gift into a savings program.
15. Music. Kids love music! Some great kid-geared artists are: Raffi, Tom Chaplin, Sandra Boynton.
16. Sleeping Bag/portable bed. Having their own sleeping bag can make little ones pretty excited about sleepovers, trips or camping out family nights.
17. Piggy Bank and Coins. This may take some supervision, but all the little people I know absolutely love putting coins into their piggy banks!
18. Play Silk scarves. These can be used as capes for super heros, skirts, dresses, wraps to carry their baby dolls, over chairs and couches to make a fort, the possibilities are endless.

 

Clearing a baby's snotty nose

 

A baby with a cold usually means two things - miserable days and no sleep at night. Every parents favourite thing, right? Luckily there are a few things you can do to help clear that little blocked nose and help them breathe easy.

1. Put some natural barrier cream on his upper lip to protect the skin from the constant wiping and use extra-soft T-shirts or super soft tissues to prevent irritating the skin.
2. Offer breastmilk/formula/water more frequently throughout the day. A well-hydrated infant will keep the boogs moist and easier to remove.
3. Find a good quality all natural chest rub and rub it on babies chest and soles of his feet before sleep time.
4. Place a pillow between the crib springs and the mattress, so the mattress is slightly raised.  The incline helps the mucus to drain better out of the back of the nose and down the throat.
5. Standing in a nice steamy room before bed helps clear the airways and loosens any mucous in the nose and lungs, making it easier for baby to clear. For an optimum steamy room start with a cold bathroom and run your shower on HOT - don't get in it or put baby in it though!!
6. Add a humidifier to your infant’s room.  Extra moisture is essential in keeping the snot from crystallizing and blocking up the nose, just be sure to open the windows and doors during the day to let the damp out again - you don't want the room getting mouldy!
7. During the day wear your baby in a sling in an upright or angled position.  Not only will he be soothed by your close presence, the angle will help with drainage.
8. Give your baby some probiotics to strengthen his immune system.  Kelly Mom shares  how to do this.
9. Put a few drops of eucalyptus or rosemary oil on a tissue and place near the bed (not in it) they are both natural decongestants.
10. Suck the snot out! You can either do it the old fashioned way (not for the faint hearted) or you can try a snot sucker like the bulb ones or the more sophisticated Nosefrida.

Do you have any tips or tricks to help clear your little ones snots?

Are you baby wearing safely?

 

There has been some controversy over the safety of baby slings this month, in light of 3 babies dying while being in baby slings in Australia (since 2010). There is a safe way to babywear, and an unsafe way. Below are some tips to ensure you are not putting your baby at risk, these can be remembered by the acronym T.I.C.K.S:

TIGHT – slings and carriers should be tight enough to hug your baby close to you as this will be most comfortable for you both. Any slack/loose fabric will allow your baby to slump down in the carrier which can hinder their breathing and pull on your back. Make sure the sling you buy fits you well, and if you and your partner are very different sizes, you may find you need two different carriers. If you are using a Moby style wrap or a Woven wrap, practise well to ensure you know how to do it firmly before you start carrying baby in it.

IN VIEW AT ALL TIMES – you should always be able to see your baby’s face by simply glancing down. The fabric of a sling or carrier should not close around them so you have to open it to check on them. In a cradle position your baby should face upwards not be turned in towards your body.

 

CLOSE ENOUGH TO KISS – your baby’s head should be as close to your chin as is comfortable. By tipping your head forward you should be able to kiss your baby on the head or forehead.

 

KEEP CHIN OFF THE CHEST – a baby should never be curled so their chin is forced onto their chest as this can restrict their breathing. Ensure there is always a space of at least a finger width under your baby’s chin.

SUPPORTED BACK – in an upright carry a baby should be held comfortably close to the wearer so their back is supported in its natural position and their tummy and chest are against you. If a sling is too loose they can slump which can partially close their airway. (This can be tested by placing a hand on your baby’s back and pressing gently - they should not uncurl or move closer to you.) A baby in a cradle carry in a pouch or ring sling should be positioned carefully with their bottom in the deepest part so the sling does not fold them in half pressing their chin to their chest.

Baby wearing was a life saver for us with a colicky and unsettled baby, and for parents chasing toddlers while trying to settle a baby. It is so simple to make sure you are doing it safely. If your current carrier is not able to fulfil these requirements, for the safety of your baby, please look into a better, safer carrier. Don't become a very sad, very avoidable statistic. We <3 SAFE baby wearing!

Image used with permission photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/manueb/4511359563/">Manue@PrettyKiku</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>

Coping with Colic

I have heard a lot of new parents struggling with babies with 'colic' in the last few weeks. I thought it was about time for a colic blog post.

Both my babies had classic colic, and the second one had silent reflux as well. NOT A FUN TIME!

Colic is defined as: Unexplained crying for 3 or more hours a day, for 3 or more days a week, for 3 or more weeks.

What this really means is life is miserable! There is no known cause (though there are A LOT of theories) and there is no real treatment available. Colic typically starts around 3 weeks of age and seems to be gone again by 14 weeks. Leaving the longest 11 weeks of your life in the middle. 

It is often assumed that colicky babies are in some kind of pain, as they are not relieved by the comforts of feeding and holding, often writhe and grunt, may start and stop their screaming very abruptly, and have a shrill cry that resembles the sound they make when they are in pain, they are often said to 'pull up' their legs while crying.

 

One of the compelling reasons why colic is NOT something parents have to put up with or accept is that in a number of cultures, colic is virtually absent.

 

What causes colic?

 

Over the years many explanations have been put forward about the cause of colic. Common explanations have included that colic is caused by wind, by maternal anxiety, by tummy troubles, by a baby’s sensitive temperament, or by a baby’s immature brain.  The ideas of stomach migraines and early food allergies have also been thrown around. While there is an element of truth in all of these explanations, none of them fully explain colicky behaviour, or point to what we can do to calm a colicky baby.

The true cause of colic is what is now often referred to as a missing '4th trimester'. Human babies (as opposed to other animals) are born before their brains are fully developed, and before they are fully ready for the world.

 

Inside the womb, a baby is very tightly bundled, she is constantly fed, she is exposed to 80-90 decibels of ‘white noise’ 24/7, and she constantly swings and jiggles about inside a sea of amniotic fluid. These are the conditions that calm a baby in the womb, and unless we make a concerted effort to replicate these conditions once a baby is born, their absence will be a cause of considerable distress to a newborn.

 

Many other cultures will carry a tightly swaddled baby in a sling carrier the whole day, and co-sleep at night. These babies are breastfed as soon as they become unsettled and are not expected to self-sooth or go with out their mother for the first 3 or more months.

 

Interestingly these cultures also do not experience colic in the way the western culture does.

 

Your baby wants to be held, she will sleep in your arms or on your chest but not in her bed, she will wake as soon as you put her down. It is a survival instinct, they are too young to sleep alone naturally. They need your warmth and comfort, all the tricks in the book are really trying to replicate you, why don't we as a society accept that maybe baby just needs some parent time?

See our Sleep and Settling page or Swaddling page for more details

If you think of the times of day your baby gets upset and try and re-look at your routine at this time of day. It is often tea time - other children are tired and hungry and need their dinner/bath/bedtime routines too, so baby gets handed to someone else or left to their own devices while mum gets dinner ready.

 

Some suggestions:

 

- Pre-prepare dinner/meals when baby is settled

 

- Enlist some help at tea time - Dad, Nana, Aunty, an older sibling or a DVD (shock horror)

 

- Put baby tightly swaddled in a bouncer or pushchair by the dinner table and keep baby moving with your feet while you eat.

 

- Sling or wrap style carriers are great - pop baby in and have two hands free to continue with what you were trying to do.

 

- Use a pacifier to help soothe baby

- Some babies find a deep, warm bath relaxing.

- If baby is unsettled it will do no harm to future sleep patterns if you spend the evening with baby napping on your chest in the lounge while you read or watch TV. In fact you will both be more relaxed and baby will probably get more sleep then trying to settle them alone in their own bed.

 

- If you choose to co-sleep it is recommended that you do so by using a 'side car' style bed - where baby has their own space.

 

http://spiritedmamadotcom.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/bednest.jpg

Warning: Bed Sharing /co-sleeping should not be undertaken by people who smoke, have been drinking alcohol or are under the influence of drugs, these things greatly increase the risk of SIDS (cot death). Do not co-sleep on a couch or lounger chair.

 

I hope this is helpful for those out there struggling. It's not an easy time, but it does pass (like most things with babies). If you are really struggling with your crying baby, put them down somewhere safe and have a break, call for back up if need be. Kia kaha.

 

 

Dealing with morning sickness - 23 natural ways to fight the nausea.

Morning sickness during pregnancy is largely caused by hormonal changes, however vitamin deficiency, low blood sugar, strong smells, foul odours, lack of exercise, fatigue, stress, constipation, anxiety and worry all add to it as well. Feeling sick is more common with your first pregnancy, if it’s a girl, or if you're carrying multiple babies. It usually turns up at around 6 weeks and lasts until around 12-14 weeks for most people, although some have it start earlier and feel sick right through to labour.

 

Some of the remedies below will help immediately, others help work on possible underlying causes. If you really can't keep food down see your doctor, some mothers get a condition called Hyperemesis Gravidarum and need to be hospitalised and given IV fluids to re-hydrate.
 

1. Increase B-complex vitamins and iron intake. Vitamin B-6, taken as 25 mg every 8 hours, has been shown to have a significant effect in reducing or stopping nausea and vomiting.

2. Take zinc supplements, 25 mg per day

 

3. Sip on some raspberry leaf, peppermint, or anise tea.

4. Massage your belly with Iti Baby's Mummy Morning Oil - the fresh scent of peppermint and Orange can help quell the nausea.

5. GINGER - Cut or grate some ginger root and pour hot water over it, then drink as a tea. or take ginger root in capsule form. Drink flat, room temperature ginger beer or ginger ale. Chew on crystallised ginger. Eat some ginger chews.

6. Take homoeopathic tablets: Nux vomica 6X or ipecac 30x.

7. Eat a protein-rich snack, especially right before bed.

8. Go for a walk or enjoy some mild exercise to relieve hormonal activity.

9. Keep a box of crackers by your bed and eat a few before getting out of bed in the morning.

10. Avoid spicy, fried, rich, fatty, and greasy foods. Also avoid any caffeine or artificial sweeteners.

 

11. Get outside and get plenty of fresh air and sunshine.

12. Suck on 1 drop of peppermint oil on a sugar cube. (Or drop the entire sugar/oil concoction into your tea.)

 

13. Wear motion sickness wrist bands like these.

14. Get some Rescue Remedy. 

15. Eat 5 to 6 small, frequent meals every few hours throughout the day. Make sure to have a balance of carbohydrates and protein to maintain blood sugar. Try not to eat too much at a time, but also avoid an empty stomach. 

16. Suck on lemon drops.

17. Drink brewer's yeast and tomato juice with lemon.

18. NAP! Being over tired makes morning sickness worse.

19. Drink ice cold lemonade.

20. Get acupuncture or acupressure treatments.

21. Chew on fennel seeds.

22. Stay hydrated. If water won't stay down, try frozen natural juice Popsicles, frozen grapes or simple ice chips.

23. Avoid anything that could potentially raise your oestrogen higher - reusing plastic drink bottles, using plastic in the microwave, farmed fish or any animal fed soy products, Soy products.

If you are finding the nausea overwhelming talk with your health care professional, there are some antiemetics that are considered safe during pregnancy if they are really required.

 

6 Chemicals to avoid putting on your baby

Choosing baby skin care products isn't as easy as it appears. If you think just grabbing the popular products off the shelves is a good idea, or even splashing out on something labelled organic is the way to go, then you have some reading to do! Unfortunately as much as the packaging may be super cute and the advertising very convincing, you cannot just trust what a company says at face value. They do however legally have to tell you what is in the products you are buying. To make products cheaper and cheaper, companies now use all sorts of chemicals that you don't find in nature. Some of these are totally harmless, others unfortunately are not.

 

To be labelled "organic" a products does not even have to have 100% organic ingredients! Your skin is your largest organ, and it absorbs many things straight into the blood stream. This is helpful for trans-dermal pain/nausea relief in the medical world, but it is scary considering how much we put on our skin in our daily lives. Safe baby products are even more important than adult products as a baby's skin is much more fragile, sensitive and thin, meaning they absorb more through their skin and react more strongly to chemicals.

A lot of conventional baby products that are marketed for sensitive skin contain ingredients that will cause irritations, rashes, teary eyes, rashes and more. All things you would never wish upon your new bundle of love.

What can you do? While you may not be able to avoid all the chemicals around, here are 6 that are worth avoiding. Read your ingredients lists, and avoid products with these chemicals.

 

1. Synthetic Colours

By definition, synthetic colours are made up from petrochemicals and Coal tar. These are too often a major contributor to many skin irritations, synthetic colours used to supposedly make a cosmetic “pretty” should be avoided at all costs, along with hair dyes. They will be labelled as FD&C or D&C, followed by a colour and a number.

Some products may use natural methods of creating a colour but more often than not, the colour in baby bathes, washes and lotions is achieved by adding synthetic colour's.
 

 2. Mineral Oil

By definition, mineral oil is a distillation product, a by product of petroleum. It is used as a moisturiser, lubricant and laxative. Many companies use this product because of the low cost. Involved in mineral oil’s production is sulphuric acid, absorbents, solvents, and alkali's which is not exactly what I’d want to put on my baby’s skin!

It acts as a coating, basically suffocating your skin (think: having plastic wrap coated on your body) and, if there are any beneficial ingredients in the product, mineral oil will not allow them to absorb.

3. Propylene Glycol

By definition, propylene glycol is a liquid alcohol used as a solvent, in anti freeze, and in the food, plastic and perfume agencies. Meaning, if products have the word “fragrance” in it, there is a large chance that propylene glycol is included. In baby products, you can find propylene glycol in baby wipes and you may even find them in ointments, shampoos/conditioners, etc.

Propylene glycol may not have such high concentrations that it could seriously hurt your baby, but the fact that it does have irritating, allergenic properties should be enough to keep it away from your baby’s gentle, sensitive skin.

4. Parabens & Other Preservatives

By definition, a paraben is any of a group of compounds used as preservatives in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products and in the food industry. The whole reasoning behind using parabens is to prohibit the growth of any kind of microbe in cosmetic and personal care products. Parabens are found primarily any products that contain significant amounts of water, as water can encourage the growth of microbes. Parabens can be found as any of the following ingredients: Ethylparaben, butylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben, other ingredients ending in –paraben.

The biggest concern with parabens is they are known to disrupt hormone function, an effect that is linked to increased risk of breast cancer and reproductive toxicity. Parabens have even been found in biopsies from breast tumours. There have been no studies confirming the safety of paraben preservatives for babies.

 

5. Fragrance

 

By definition, a fragrance is a pleasant, sweet smell. The word fragrance is a trade secret, which means they are not required to disclose fragrance is. There can be up to 12,500 separate ingredients that make up the word fragrance, so that vanilla smell may be a concoction of who knows what.

Baby products are no different! It seems many companies put all sorts of “sweet” smelly ingredients to make mama’s feel all warm inside, which makes the product sell better. The bottom line is this, most synthetic fragrances are an irritant. It’s best to stick to unscented or products that use natural essential oils as the fragrance.

6. Triethanolamine (TEA)

 

By definition, triethanolamine is an alkaline substance used as a surfactant and pH adjusting chemical. Surfactants are compounds that lower the surface tension between two liquids or between a liquid and a solid.

The concern with TEA is that it may be linked to organ system toxicity or infertility and can be irritating to the skin. TEA — and it’s cousin’s DEA and MEA — can be found in a range of baby lotions and creams.

What Products Could You Use Instead?

Have a read of the ingredients list on what you buy, if you can't pronounce it, its probably not natural and unprocessed. Find a brand that uses natural ingredients, the more simple the list, usually the better. Iti Baby proudly makes all natural baby care products.

 

 

A Gluten-Free lunchbox

There are many reasons why you might be trying a gluten free diet for your children - skin allergies, behavioural issues, stomach problems, or you might be like me and just think we eat far too much modern wheat in our diet and that we all have some degree of intolerance to it. My eldest was only two when she started to complain of a sore belly after eating wheat products, we live largely gluten free these days, though we aren't too strict on it.

We don't buy gluten free bread for the kids, it is gross. We have learnt to live without bread. The girls have cereal, porridge or eggs for breakfast. For lunch they have a selection of things - carrot sticks, cherry tomato's, strawberries, raspberries, easy-yo yogurt, jelly, salami, ham, sticks of cheese, olives (a favourite!), nuts, boiled egg, cold meat from the night before, raw broccoli, raw cauliflower, fruit, and of course home made baking.

I was doing some lunchbox baking with the kids on Saturday and thought I would share two of the best gluten free recipes I have with you all :-) I think the sign of a good gluten free product is when my best friend doesn't believe me that they are gluten free, if they pass that test, they are good!

Dana's Gluten free baking mix:
 

2 c rice flour (the finer the better, try an Asian supermarket)

1 ½ c maize cornflour
1 c tapioca or arrowroot flour (they are practically the same)
1 ½ t gum – either xanthan or guar gum (you can buy at the health food shop or the supermarket or in bulk from www.kiwisoapsupplies.co.nz)

3 t baking powder

Mix well. This works out about half the price of buying the pre-mixed stuff and works just as well.

 

Dana's Gluten Free Chocolate Chippies
 

 

Cream together:

• 220g softened butter
• 1/2c brown sugar
• 6T sweetened condensed milk (about 1/2 a can)
• 2t Vanilla essence

Mix in:

• 2C of baking mix
• 2tsp of baking powder and
• 400g chocolate drops or buttons.

This mixture is surprisingly soft, don't stress. Put golf ball sized blobs on a lined tray and bake at 180 degrees for 13-14 minutes. Leave to cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Best Chocolate cake recipe ever:

No one will believe it is gluten free!

 

Mix in a bowl:

• 2c baking mix
• 2c sugar
• 1t baking soda
• 1t baking powder
• 1/2t salt

In a pot bring to the boil then turn off:

• 250g butter
• 1c water
• 1/2c cocoa

Mix the cocoa mixture into dry ingredients, then add:

• 2 eggs
• ½ c milk
• 1 1/2t vanilla

Beat together well either by hand or with a mixer.
Bake 180 deg in 25cm tin for 60-70 min or until a skewer comes out clean. We ice this with a simple chocolate icing - 2T butter, 2T cocoa, 2C icing sugar and hot water to mix.

Gluten free baking tips:

Most recipes with lots of butter or eggs works well with gluten free baking. If you are making a cake with 'bits' in it – banana cake, carrot cake, sultana cake you need to add another teaspoon of gum powder to the recipe to hold it together. Some recipes work best if you add an additional egg or more butter – eg scones you add an extra 25g butter. Always just under bake cakes/slices and muffins, and watch cakes closely. I usually under bake cookies by 2 -4 minutes. If they are cooked for the full amount of time they end up dry and crumbly. Hunt around to find the cheapest flours, the Asian food markets often have rice flour much cheaper than the super market, and buying some stuff on line is sometimes cheaper too. Good luck with your endeavours and if you have a favourite gluten free recipe or any questions, feel free to comment below!

 

 

Overdue?

 

 

 

Maybe you’re tired of being pregnant and sick of being so uncomfortable. 9 months can seem like forever when you’ve been waiting for this amazing baby growing inside of you, and you really don’t want to wait any longer. Is induction crossing your mind? Is your care provider starting to suggest it for non medical reasons? Evidence that babies should be left well alone until they decide they should arrive continues to grow. This same evidence has led to the definition of 'full term" being changed from 37+ weeks to 38+ weeks and the definition of over-due or "post-term" to be moved to the full 42 weeks. What does this mean for you and your baby? Why did they bother changing the definition at all?

One recent study shows babies at 37 to 38 weeks are more likely than those born later to need time in the NICU, mechanical ventilation and IV fluids. In Australia 25% labours are induced, New Zealand's rate is very similar . The most cause for induction is a ‘post date pregnancy'.

What is a post dates pregnancy?

• Term (as in a ‘normal’ and healthy gestation period): is from 38 weeks to 42 weeks.
• Post dates: the pregnancy has continued beyond the decided due date ie. is over 40 weeks.
• Post term: the pregnancy has continued beyond term ie. 42+ weeks

Why don't we wait?

• Myth: After 42 weeks the placenta starts to "shut down" - there is no evidence to support this notion.
• Myth: Baby's head will grow too big to fit out - there is no evidence to support this theory and babies are pretty good at finding their way out of their mothers expandable pelvis.

However to pretend their are no risks associated with prolonged pregnancy is not helpful for women trying to make decisions about their options. These general risks should be part of the information a woman uses to decide what is best for her. Before labour begins the uterus and cervix need to make physiological changes ready to respond to contractions. It is now thought that the baby is the controller of the labour ‘on’ switch. So, the baby signals to the mother that he/she is ready, oxytocin is released and labour begins.

Before jumping at the chance of "getting this baby out of here" please do some reading, and find out the facts about induction first. I had and induced birth, and I had a natural one. I would take the natural one hands down every time. But there is a time and a place for induction (my first labour I was very unwell with pre-eclampsia) and they can be life saving, but they are not without risk.

Talk with your midwife and see what they suggest, there may be some more gentle natural options you can try first.

Take care,

For further reading on the subject