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By Livia Gamble
Being pregnant in isolation means you may not been able to get information and resources for birth in the traditional way – but that doesn’t mean you have to go without.
Thankfully, there’s a lot of resources available online that can help you prepare for labour and birth.
Tylah McConnell, is a midwife based in Sydney. She says now is the perfect time to feel empowered and seek out the information you need where possible.
If you find this overwhelming, Tylah says the best place to start is by writing down your questions and go from there, finding out the relevant information.
With Tylah’s help, we’ve compiled a list of our top online resources to help you prepare for birth.
Although not online, this should be your first port of call. “It’s okay to take things into your own hands and call your hospital and ask questions,” says Tylah. “They field them all day every day, so don’t be afraid to call up and find out the unknown.”
Labour and birth is quite demanding, physically, so even though you’re in isolation, it’s important to build up your strength. Spinning Babies offers free daily exercises designed to help women prepare for birth, and the best part is that it’s free.
It’s also really important to prepare yourself mentally for birth. Mind the Bump is an app offering mindfulness and meditation resources to help you relax.
If you think hypnobirthing might be right for you, Hyponobabies offers a range of courses via Zoom or Skype but they also have self-study courses available too.
Birthing classes are still going ahead online. She Births offers online antenatal classes, giving you the knowledge to create a beautiful birth, no matter what happens.
While you’re at home, Tylah says increasing your breastfeeding knowledge “can put you forward in the long run once you have bub.” Global Health Media is an incredible resource that offers videos on breastfeeding, latch, expressing and more.
Hospital fact sheets provide information that’s easy to understand and digest. Tylah says “look at your local hospital’s fact sheets and websites because that information is going to be specific to your hospital. If your hospital doesn’t have any, I recommend the Royal Women’s Hospital website for fact sheets and Westmead Hospital’s Women’s and Newborn Health fact sheets.”
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists website is an online resource dedicated to women’s health. They have created a COVID-19 information hub, answering common questions with factual information.
If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed more often than not, Tylah recommends calling the Perinatal Anxiety And Depression Australia (PANDA) hotline on 1300 726 306.
Pregnant or a new mum? You’re invited to join our new private Facebook group. Chat about all things pregnancy and baby with other Tell Me Baby members – join here.
You can also watch our recent interview with Tylah below where she answered questions from our community of parents about pregnancy and birth amid COVID-19.
Have an opinion about the pregnancy or baby products you’ve tried? Earn rewards by reviewing baby products from home – you’ll earn points that can be exchanged for vouchers at Coles, Target and Kmart! Sign up here to start earning.
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