Little Lilianna

Lilianna was born at home in September and this session took place when she was only 8 days old. I asked Joanna to share a bit of this special moment and her thoughts about maternity.

Enjoy this wonderful family, but first click here :)

Happy Sunday!

 

 

A Lilianna nasceu em casa em Setembro e esta sessão aconteceu quando tinha apenas 8 dias. Pedi à Joanna que partilhasse um pouco desse momento especial e a sua visão sobre a maternidade. Desta vez não traduzi para português, mas podem sempre treinar um pouco o vosso Inglês ou usar o google tradutor :P vale a pena o esforço!

Fiquem com esta família linda, mas primeiro cliquem aqui.

Bom Domingo!

 

 

 

 

What kind of care did you have during pregnancy?

I had decided to go for a private care and I had chosen a doctor, who was recommended to me by many people around. Very friendly and professional doctor. I was really happy with him, up to the moment when I told him about my decision to deliver at home.

I had also registered at the government hospital. I was there only once, to fill out the papers and had a general check up. At the beginning of my pregnancy, I was planning to give a birth at the hospital so I had to open up a file there. Then, when me and my husband made a decision about giving birth at home, I met an amazing person - my midwife, who was supporting me to the end, including my home birth. She worked at a private hospital and I was seeing her there. Since my doctor did not want to support my home birth idea, the midwife was very important to me. She was very friendly and helpful. I could go and see her any time I needed. She was always there for me. And the most important for me - she was happy to be with me at my home to support and assist my labor.

 

 

 

Is there any natural-ecological product that you have used during pregnancy and that you would advise your friends?

While pregnant, I became much more sensitive to the products I was using and realized that I was exposing myself and my unborn baby to chemicals through the beauty products I used everyday. The widely available cosmetics in supermarkets are packed with tons of chemicals. Even those from pharmacies. I started to avoid them. I have started use only products composed of all natural ingredients - soaps and shampoos. As a conditioner I liked to use simple white vinegar :)

Creams and lotions - coconut oil (extra virgin, cold pressed one) and raw Shea butter. All this gave me a feeling that my baby inside me is safe. I have also found those natural cosmetics work the best for me and my skin. I felt safer, healthier. And still do.

I'm shocked that despite the mounting scientific evidence around certain chemical ingredients and their impact on developing babies inside the womb and young children, that pregnancy magazines still advertise beauty products that contain these chemicals. My advice to the friends? Read the labels and educate yourself to be able to recognise the problematic and harmful ingredients. Of course we are not able to avoid all the chemical products but at least we can control better what we buy and what we use.

 

 

 

You defend the natural birth and at home. It's an experience for the mum and for the baby you consider essential? Why?

The reasons why I had chosen to deliver my baby at my own home are:

- being able to give birth in a place where I feel comfortable, relaxed and in familiar surroundings. Having my husband, best friend, 2 midwifes and doula with me was allowing my birth to be a more positive experience. I could choose who is present at my birth.

- to give my baby a gentle transition into the world. My baby stayed with me to nurse & bond without interruption. She could look at me with clear eyes, smell me & my home instead of sterilized hospital linens, hear my breathing, heartbeat, and voice instead of some nurses who would have taken her away to be cleaned.

- No needles or monitor belts . No one is telling u what u HAVE TO do or don't. The lighting can be natural sunlight or moonlight as well. You can have OPEN WINDOWS! Or adjust the heat for YOUR comfort. You can GO outside any time. Eat, drink, and labor. No one waking you to

give you a sleeping pill or draw blood.

- 2 hours after my homebirth, the midwives were gone, the house was clean, save for a load of wash to be run in the morning, we had eaten (real food, not hospital slop) and we were all 3 of us curled up in our own bed, with the dog asleep in her customary places. And NOTHING better than falling asleep in my husbendr’s arms while watching my precious newborn breathe, and staying just like that, undisturbed, until you wake.

- After my homebirth, we didn’t go any where for 2 weeks. The midwivescame to the house to check on us for the first whole week.

 

 

What advices you would give to a mum that would like to give birth at home in Malta?

It was extremely hard to find out how to home deliver in Malta. It was just a luck that I went for a right pregnancy course and I met there my doula. Then she helped me to contact right and perfect midwife who agreed to support me though to the end of my pregnancy and then labor. My doctor did not want to hear about my idea! He was calling me crazy...

Some useful info for the future mums who would like to give a birth at home: The pregnancy course I highly recommend: http://www.inthefamilyway.net/index.htm. The home birth service you can find at St James Hospital in Zabbar.

 

 



"Breastfeeding is more than just a method of feeding. It is a lifestyle choice" . Do you identify yourself with this sentence?

Yes I do! Breastfeeding is for me either a lifestyle choice as an important health choice. There is so many physical and psychological benefits that I feel like breastfeeding can be one of the most important things I do for both, myself and my baby. Nothing comes close to breast milk and the bonding that comes from breast feeding.

 

 

Which values do you think are essential to raise your child?

Communication - I think it's the key to raising a well-balanced and healthy child. It makes a child to understand his own behavior and people's around. To understand each other. I would like to encourage open expression of emotions in my family. The ability of talking about feelings, problems, plans. The ability of reading from others. And here it comes another important value:Empathy - it is also connected to caring, love and compassion. By empathize with people, we are able to put ourselves in their place and recognize them as human beings with feelings just like ours. I want my

child to know the golden rule of empathy and how important it is - “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.”

And more essential values like Self-Determination, Confidence and Friendship.

 

 

 

You are a swimming teacher for babies. Which is the best age to start and what benefits do you think it brings to mum and baby?

You can start taking your child to the pool as soon as you recover after the birth. There is big list of benefits of taking your baby swimming. One of the most important are: water confidence, safety, strength and co-ordination, help baby to relax and improve cardiovascular system. Babies can exercise more muscles in the water environment. Swimming also encourages language skills and a strong bond between parent and child. It is a good way to meet new friends too. For the new mums, swimming sessions help to control body weight and recover their pre-pregnancy body weight. It is also one of the most memorable, thrilling and bonding experience for both parents.

 

 

 

Would you like to have more children?

Yes, I would like to.have one more. I want my daughter to have a brother or sister.

 

 



 

♥ Thank you Joanna for all kindness and for sharing with us your thoughts and feeling of being mum.