Your words matter.  If there’s one takeout from our chat with extraordinary mum of 3, Kate Green - it’s that we all have a responsibility to choose our words wisely and with care. Her youngest child is 1 year old...

Emily Smith wants you to know about Peripartum Cardiomyopathy. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s because it’s so uncommon it doesn’t rate a mention unless you have a pre-existing heart condition - something Emily is keen to change. “You don’t think you can go into heart failure from having a baby - but I did,” she says. She wants expectant mums to be told about the disease in their obstetrician appointments as it can be triggered by stress on the body brought on by pregnancy.

The best kept secret is the one that comes after our first born arrives. We prepare so much for the birth, the baby room, the clothes, the pram, but no one can tell us exactly how we are going to feel after the birth. Lack of sleep, cracked nipples and you may never again complete a task from start to finish without interruption! It’s understandable that tiredness can set in due to these physical and psychological adjustments.

My breastfeeding experience with twins was perhaps not the zen, calm, beautiful bonding opportunity I had pictured in my mind. In an antenatal class I remember being told on questioning the logistics of feeding two babies, not to worry, that boobs are smart and if there are two babies to feed, they would simply make enough milk to feed two babies. I took this on face value.

Mental health matters is close to our hearts here at mumamoo, especially for new mums and parents. It informs our ‘why’ and gives us purpose to much of what we do. With 1 in 5 new or expecting mums and 1 in 10 new or expecting dads suffering from anxiety and/or depression - it’s little wonder the statistics are reflected close to home in our circle of 4 mums that form mumamoo. You can read more about Belinda’s raw and real journey into parenthood here. But what is perinatal mental illness and how does it differ from postnatal mental illness? More importantly, what are the signs if you or someone close to you is suffering?

Whether you had hoped to breastfeed or have chosen not to, one of the myriad of mum-guilt thoughts is whether you can still bond with baby. The great news is it’s a resounding yes. You will be able to bond with your beautiful babe no matter how they are fed & build secure infant attachment through many ways - here are a few suggestions.

Before they can talk, your baby is showing you just how much they love you. It sometimes helps to remember this when you're on your third coffee and wistfully remembering what it was like to have an uninterrupted night's sleep! Here are some tips to make the most of these love moments💛 

When it comes to babies, breastfeeding is nature's best resource and provides the optimal balance of nutrition created specifically for your little one. Breastmilk is amazing. Women are amazing (seriously, we carry children, we birth them, we feed them.....how incredible are our bodies!).