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Yes, you’ve probably heard of them but are not too sure what they are – don’t worry, you’re not alone! Braxton Hicks contractions are your body’s way of preparing for labour and are usually experienced towards the end of your pregnancy. While you gear up......
Your pelvic floor muscles go through a lot during pregnancy. They surround and support all the organs in your pelvic area, including your womb, bladder and bowels. During pregnancy, your pelvic floor muscles naturally loosen thanks to all of the hormonal changes in your body.......
Exercising during your pregnancy is healthy, safe and not dangerous for you or your baby. In fact, the more fit and active you are during your pregnancy, the more manageable your body will find adapting to weight gain and changing shape. Staying active throughout pregnancy......
Being pregnant, whether for the first time or if you’ve had several children, is a major life event that shouldn’t be underestimated. It is completely natural throughout your pregnancy and following giving birth to feel a host of different emotions all at once, and feel......
Being pregnant, like anything else, is unique to the individual. Every pregnancy is different and every woman could experience early pregnancy symptoms differently. Symptoms could even differ for the same woman but different pregnancies. There are some common first signs that could indicate that you’re......
Summer Time has officially begun, and it is fair to say that over the last few days the summer season hasn’t failed to deliver scorching temperatures and a taste of what this summer has in store. While we adults revel in the summer heat, your......
Breastfeeding your newborn is a natural and wonderfully rewarding experience for both mother and baby, but it isn’t always as straightforward as it may seem. While breastfeeding can be an intensely loving, bonding experience, it can equally be a stressful and tearful time if things......
So it’s the time to gather together all the essentials you’ll need...
A goodnight’s sleep is key to feeling and looking good during pregnancy. While you sleep your body delivers fluid to organs and tissues that need replenishing...
Hosted by Louise May, Midwife and Mum of 3, and joined by a special guest each week, The Last Push podcast focuses on all things pregnancy and parenthood...
A goodnight’s sleep is key to feeling and looking good during pregnancy. While you sleep your body delivers fluid to organs and tissues that need replenishing...
Hosted by Louise May, Midwife and Mum of 3, and joined by a special guest each week, The Last Push podcast focuses on all things pregnancy and parenthood...
A goodnight’s sleep is key to feeling and looking good during pregnancy. While you sleep your body delivers fluid to organs and tissues that need replenishing...
Hosted by Louise May, Midwife and Mum of 3, and joined by a special guest each week, The Last Push podcast focuses on all things pregnancy and parenthood...
Hosted by Louise May, Midwife and Mum of 3, and joined by a special guest each week, The Last Push podcast focuses on all things pregnancy and parenthood...
A goodnight’s sleep is key to feeling and looking good during pregnancy. While you sleep your body delivers fluid to organs and tissues that need replenishing...
Hosted by Louise May, Midwife and Mum of 3, and joined by a special guest each week, The Last Push podcast focuses on all things pregnancy and parenthood...
A goodnight’s sleep is key to feeling and looking good during pregnancy. While you sleep your body delivers fluid to organs and tissues that need replenishing...
Hosted by Louise May, Midwife and Mum of 3, and joined by a special guest each week, The Last Push podcast focuses on all things pregnancy and parenthood...
Hosted by Louise May, Midwife and Mum of 3, and joined by a special guest each week, The Last Push podcast focuses on all things pregnancy and parenthood...
A goodnight’s sleep is key to feeling and looking good during pregnancy. While you sleep your body delivers fluid to organs and tissues that need replenishing...
A goodnight’s sleep is key to feeling and looking good during pregnancy. While you sleep your body delivers fluid to organs and tissues that need replenishing...
Hosted by Louise May, Midwife and Mum of 3, and joined by a special guest each week, The Last Push podcast focuses on all things pregnancy and parenthood...
Hosted by Louise May, Midwife and Mum of 3, and joined by a special guest each week, The Last Push podcast focuses on all things pregnancy and parenthood...
A goodnight’s sleep is key to feeling and looking good during pregnancy. While you sleep your body delivers fluid to organs and tissues that need replenishing...
Flying can cause discomfort at the best of times. While pregnant, it can exacerbate the discomfort you're already experiencing. Symptoms like a blocked nose or ears, swollen legs, and morning sickness can all get worse at 30,000 feet...
It is common for women to report that alcohol has been consumed in the very early days of pregnancy before the woman even realises she is pregnant...
The Baby Academy team is delighted to be kick starting 2022 with a super exciting announcement...
2021 has been a roller coaster of a year for The Baby Academy in which we helped over 500,000 families as they began their journey into parenthood and we can't wait to see that number grow....
Seona is a midwife with over 10 years of experience working in all areas of midwifery. She is hugely passionate about breastfeeding and formalised this passion by becoming an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant....
Bleeding in early pregnancy, while common, should always be checked out by your healthcare provider. 1 in 4 women experience bleeding in the first trimester...
Hydration is an essential component of your health during pregnancy. Your body is adapting to pregnancy, where among the huge range of changes occurring...
The placenta is an amazingly complex organ that is more known about and understood in the mainstream world...
Packing correctly for your baby benefits both you and your baby. In this blog, I will discuss the travel essentials you need when traveling on a plane...
Sinéad is a qualified Lactation Consultant and very passionate about supporting families throughout their breastfeeding journey...
Pregnancy is a tiring time! On top of everything else you do in your daily life, you’re putting even more energy into growing a human inside of you...
At times, it can be difficult for partners to know exactly how they can be most helpful as you go into labour and delivery...
Vitamin K is a vitamin that is essential for natural blood clotting. The vitamin activates molecules in our bodies that are necessary for clotting...
Mums are in the spotlight after pregnancy, and rightly so. But their partners need love and support too!...
Flathead syndrome is also known as plagiocephaly. Baby’s heads are extremely malleable so anything that applies pressure to the skull has the ability to mold. ...
After nine months of refraining from alcohol, one of your top questions regarding breastfeeding is whether you can finally enjoy a glass of wine....
A ‘Keto Diet’, short for Ketogenic Diet, consists of 75% fats, 15-20% proteins, and >10% carbohydrates. While other diets would reduce complex sugars like white bread and pasta, Keto Dieting cuts out all carbs, including most fruit and vegetables, cereals, and grains. ...
As I’m sure you’ve noticed already, newborn babies sleep a lot! However, it’s important that they wake every three hours or so to feed until they are back to their birth weight usually by 2 weeks old. ...
Bringing home a new baby can be a bit of a shock for everyone, especially older siblings who are used to being the centre of attention. Here are some great tips for reassuring your older kids that they’re not being replaced or forgotten about....
There are a few reasons why you will experience vaginal bleeding after the birth of your baby....
Here at The Baby Academy, we are incredibly passionate about making pregnancy and parental education accessible to all, so we are delighted to have partnered with Lupilu to launch our Free Mum’s Health Workshop....
We are delighted to launch our Free Perinatal Mental Health Workshop, the first of its kind globally. This 2-hour online workshop is ideal for existing and expectant parents....
Having your second child brings with it beautiful moments that are different from those you experienced with your first....
Many babies, in the first few months of life, go through fussy periods. Babies tend to fuss most in the evening or afternoon but each baby is different! ...
A quick nap on the sofa with your newborn might seem innocuous, but new research on sleep-related infant deaths suggests otherwise. A high percentage of these deaths occur on sofas....
Making Lactation Cookies is a fun activity, maybe make up a batch before the baby arrives! ...
Now that your toddler is roaming freely, there are a few things to keep in mind when dressing them....
Our online classes are delivered by the most highly qualified and experienced midwives, who are engaging and inspiring. Our classes allow you to learn from the best and gain confidence to make the best decisions for you and baby throughout your pregnancy journey....
Colic is the medical term used to describe a baby who is excessively crying despite otherwise being perfectly healthy....
Every pregnant mother holds a vivid image in their mind of their little one snuggled up in the womb, sucking his thumb or resting his chin against his hand....
Almost every mom, at one time or another, has felt the shame and anger that is triggered by the phenomenon of ‘mom-shaming’ and I’m sorry to tell any soon-to-be moms that you will probably experience it too....
For many first-time mothers, breastfeeding can prove anything but natural, which is where Ultimate Breastfeeding Class comes in....
Keeping your baby hydrated is important at all times, as the effects of severe dehydration can be serious. If your child is very thirsty, they are probably already dehydrated. Their little bodies can help but struggle to hold fluids so dehydration can happen fast so it's important to be aware of the signs of dehydration:...
You might be wondering, “What is there to learn? Breastfeeding is natural; just give baby your breast and they nurse, right?”...
Sonia began her midwifery training in 2009 after working as a nurse in a busy Irish Hospital....
It’s normal to feel like you're in a daze during pregnancy. Doctor appointments and new medical information abound as you prepare for what’s ahead....
We get a lot of anxious emails from soon-to-be mothers wondering why their baby isn’t kicking yet, and when they should expect the kicking to start. ...
Louise began her midwifery career in 2007 after initially training as a Nurse and brings her extensive experience to The Baby Academy....
What That Dark Line on Your Pregnant Belly Is, And Why You Shouldn’t Worry About It...
Jean is a Midwife with over 15 year’s experience and also a Mum of two. She has been providing antenatal education for 7 years....
Aisling is a Midwife working in one of Ireland’s largest maternity departments. With extensive experience in the labour ward and postnatal ward....
If you’re a mum of twins, breastfeeding can be doubly challenging at first: After all, you’ve got two mouths to feed, two little bodies to balance and three people who need to figure out this whole breastfeeding thing....
Sue is a Midwife, Antenatal Instructor and a busy Mum of two. With over 15 years’ experience, Sue has worked in all areas of Midwifery such as Delivery Suite, Antenatal wards, Postnatal wards, the DOMINO program and currently manages The Antenatal Education Department in one of Ireland’s largest Maternity Hospitals....
If you’re a mum of twins, breastfeeding can be doubly challenging at first: After all, you’ve got two mouths to feed, two little bodies to balance and three people who need to figure out this whole breastfeeding thing....
Raynaud's (Ray-nose) Syndrome is the loss of blood flow to some extremities due to a spasm in the blood vessels (vasospasm)....
Finding out you are expecting is super exciting but this also might be your first time stepping into the realm of a hospital care and with prolonged periods of time alongside healthcare professionals you'll likely be hearing dozens of long-sounding words used to describe your pregnancy....
We are delighted that our customers can now redeem their One4All Digital Gift Cards against our online classes!...
Usually one of the first things people ask once you’ve had your baby is “how much do they weigh?!”...
Some babies need a little help to be born. In some cases there may be a procedure needed to start (induce) your labour....
Jaundice is a slight yellow discolouration of your baby’s skin and the whites of their eyes which occurs a few days after they're born and is very common....
Did you know that 385,000 babies are born each Christmas day!!...
It is highly recommended that women should get a flu vaccine at any stage when you are pregnant. During pregnancy, her immune system changes and so she can accommodate carrying the baby. ...
Haemorrhoids are swollen veins in the anus or lower rectum and downward pressure during labour has the potential for these swollen veins to pop!...
Having a baby is a fundamental part of human nature and some people don't see any reason to attend an antenatal class, after all, women have been having babies for thousands of years and there weren’t antenatal classes available way back when....
What do Braxton Hicks feel like? Braxton Hicks contractions are painless tightenings of the uterine muscles and normal throughout your pregnancy as long as they’re painless and irregular....
First of all, every woman, her pregnancy and her birth experience is very different. What you may experience can vary widely from what your friend or sister or mother may have experienced....
More than 1 in 5 pregnancies end in miscarriage, around 14,000 women in Ireland each year experience the loss of their baby at some stage throughout their pregnancy. Many women are not well informed about why a miscarriage happens, which can make the whole situation frightening and more distressing....
When a pregnancy results in a miscarriage, the mother and father both grieve a tragic loss....
A big thank you to Killian for sharing your story with us and helping us to help dad's and partners feel more included in the the journey from bump to baby....
Safe sleep is one of the main topics we teach in our FREE Baby Care Workshop which we run for first time expectant parents....
Fetal hiccups are very normal. This comes from advice that hiccups should not be the only movements you feel, as they are involuntary....
Breastfeeding colostrum for the first few days is a great start for your baby...
Baby Zeke came into the world 3 weeks early, after an unexpected induction because of an IUGR...
Currently, bottle prep machines are not recommended by the FSAI....
It’s difficult to answer specific medical questions as we don't know the full picture of your pregnancy....
You’re having a baby! Although now you might be beginning to wonder how much does a new baby cost?? ...
Yes it’s ok, due to the anatomy of blood vessels in the body you may feel weak or woozy lying on your back in pregnancy, just tilt to the side of this is the case....
It can often take a number of months for your periods to return, this is particularly normal if you are breastfeeding your baby....
For a planned section, you can bring your baby’s first outfit and nappies packed in a little bag, and that is all you’ll need to go to theatre, the hospital will supply the gown you wear for the birth....
Babies and young children can sometime or at times become ill during very hot weather. Their health can be seriously affected....
Your growing baby will likely cause you to feel lots of strange twinges and aches, especially as you head into the last few weeks....
A birthing ball is fantastic to have but not essential.. Entirely up to you!...
Chief Education Officer and Co-Founder at The Baby Academy
Sue is co-founder of The Baby Academy, Midwife, Childbirth Instructor and a busy Mom of two. With over 15 years’ experience Sue has worked in all areas of Midwifery such as Birthing Suite, Antenatal wards, Postnatal wards and currently manages The Antenatal Education Department in a large Maternity Hospital.
Perinatal Mental Health Midwife
Jeanne is a midwife with over 17 years of experience working with women and their families. She is also a busy mum to 2 beautiful children. Having worked as a general nurse before moving into midwifery, Jeanne worked in the Delivery Suite and the Assessment and Emergency Unit for over 7 years after qualifying. She has been working in the area of perinatal mental health since 2016 and is very passionate about the absolute need to support maternal mental health in women and their families.
Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Children’s Emergency
Elaine is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner who has specialized in Children’s Emergency Care and works in Ireland’s busiest Children’s Emergency Department. She is a mum of two beautiful children and is also a certified ACLS instructor who provides Paediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) training internationally to healthcare professionals involved in the provision of care to acutely ill infants and children. Elaine has a huge passion in the area of children’s health promotion and accident prevention.
Paediatric Dietititan
Shauna is a CORU registered dietitian who specialises in the area of paediatrics. With over 8 years of experience working in the clinical setting in Ireland and the U.K, Shauna currently works in Ireland’s largest children’s hospital group. Shauna is hugely passionate about nutrition and has completed postgraduate studies in the areas of paediatric dietetics and allergy.
Public Health Nurse & International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
Aoife is a Public Health Nurse and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and is dedicated to supporting Mums and their babies on their parenthood journey. She began her career as a general nurse in a busy Irish hospital and then travelled to Australia to continue her nursing career. After returning to Ireland, she qualified as a Public Health Nurse looking after Mums, babies and older people. Aoife has set up breastfeeding groups in the communities where she works and is the Mum of 2 gorgeous children who keep her on her toes.
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
Seona is a midwife with over 10 years experience working in all areas of midwifery. She is hugely passionate about breastfeeding and formalised this passion by becoming an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She works on a busy postnatal ward helping and educating new parents on their exciting journey to parenthood. She also helps facilitate a postnatal breastfeeding clinic for mothers and babies.
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
Sinéad is a qualified Lactation Consultant and very passionate about supporting families throughout their breastfeeding journey.
She qualified as a Midwife in 2009 and went on to work in the labour ward of one of Ireland’s busiest maternity hospitals.
Wanting to pursue a community based approach to family nursing, Sinéad began working as a Public Health Nurse, where she spent five amazing years as an antenatal co-ordinator providing breastfeeding support along with other services.
She is the mother of 2 beautiful boys.
Midwife and Antenatal Instructor
Elaine began her midwifery training in 2007, after working as an Emergency Nurse in both Ireland and Australia. She has worked in all areas of midwifery, including midwifery education. She has an MSc in Women’s Health and Midwifery and worked for 5 years in the area of women’s health and gynaecology.
In 2021, Elaine decided to pursue a nursing role in the Community, caring for Mums and their baby’s and supporting them in their parenting journey.
She is a Mum of two beautiful boys.
Midwife and Antenatal Instructor
Sonia began her midwifery training in 2009 after working as a nurse in a busy Irish Hospital. She has worked in all areas of midwifery and also in public health in a General Practitioners. She is passionate about all areas of antenatal care, and is currently doing a PhD in Antenatal Education. She is a mum of 3 lively boys, and a menagerie of animals.
Midwife and Antenatal Instructor
Louise began her midwifery career in 2007 after initially training as a Nurse and brings her extensive experience to The Baby Academy having worked in antenatal, delivery and postnatal care, both in the hospital and as a Community Midwife. Louise is hugely passionate about parent education and women’s health and is a Mum to two children.
Midwife and Antenatal Instructor
Jean is a Midwife with over 15 year’s experience and also a Mum of two. She has been providing antenatal education for 7 years and is hugely passionate about helping expectant parents prepare for the wonderful journey ahead. She has worked in all areas of midwifery in both a hospital and community setting.
Midwife, Antenatal and Hypnobirthing Instructor
Jubi is a compassionate midwife with over 5 years of hands-on experience. Over this period, she has developed a deep understanding of a woman’s physical and emotional needs on their journey to motherhood. Beyond Jubi’s clinical expertise, she is also committed to educating and empowering women to make informed decisions about their health and pregnancy.
As well as this, Jubi is passionate about raising awareness for equality in maternity healthcare settings. She does this by sharing empowering information on how women from black and brown communities can advocate for themselves during pregnancy and birth.