It’s been so lovely chatting to you all on the Facebook group and via Instagram, the group has really kept me sane and also been such a help when I’ve had any questions from prams to indigestion so a big thank you to any of you that are part of our community! I’m excited to show you this weeks chat with Dr Brooke Vandermolen, she is an obstetrics and gynaecology doctor looking after women through every stage of pregnancy and also post pregnancy. She is also a mum of two so can fully understand what we are going through! We covered so many topics starting with how different our birth experience will be under the current circumstances and what really cheered me up is that Dr Brooke is so confident that we can still have a positive experience which is a big relief. As a first time mum I don’t know any different to what we are dealing with currently in terms of going to scans alone and the possibility of my boyfriend having to leave the hospital pretty soon after labour so it was really interesting to hear how it normally all works and then there really is a light at the end of the tunnel ahead in terms of getting back to some kind of normality. I also quizzed Brooke on the ‘what if’, I’m not sure about you but one thing that makes me anxious about labour is not being able to do it naturally and having to change my plan at the last minute either via C Section or by needing an epidural and she gave some great tips on how we can keep calm and positive, I really believe knowledge is power when it comes to birth so hearing Brooke explain certain situations will really help put you at ease even down to how many people are usually in the room when procedures are taking place. For anyone still unsure about epidurals then this is also covered, I’ve heard such conflicting stories both positive and negative so had always been against it but Brooke informs us there is an epidural method we can top up and down ourselves…This sounds like a game changer for me and now I really am more open to the idea of an epidural. There are so many other areas we discussed from breastfeeding tips, breathing techniques, apps for tracking the timings of your contractions, how to try and reduce tearing and also cord clamping. If, like me you had never heard of cord clamping before then I highly recommend hearing what Brook has to say. My hypnobirthing instructor had explained this to me recently and I loved the idea of it. Brooke talks us through exactly what it is and the amazing benefits it has for baby. I’ve now added this as a preference in my birth plan! I hope you find this useful and look forward to chatting to you all over on the group. Lauren