Optimum Bumps

18/04/2026

Following on from this week's session on sleep, here are links to the evidence based website we discussed:

www.basisonline.org.uk - Baby Sleep Info Source - Basis
For parents who wish to make informed choices about infant sleep and night-time care.

www.lullabytrust.org.uk - www.facebook.com/LullabyTrust
The Lullaby Trust exists to keep babies safe, by funding life-saving research and empowering families with expert baby safety advice.

www.durham.ac.uk/research/institutes-and-centres/durham-infancy-sleep-centre - www.facebook.com/DurhamInfancyandSleepCentre - The Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre (DISC) headed by Professor Helen Ball is the home for a group of researchers examining various aspects of infant and child sleep and parenting behaviour.

www.howbabiessleep.com - Pioneering and award-winning infant sleep researcher Professor Helen Ball www.facebook.com/ProfHelenBall brings together cutting-edge science, anthropological insight and practical advice to provide parents with everything they need to help them confidently – and sanely – navigate the first 365 night-times with a new baby.

www.llli.org/news/the-safe-sleep-seven and www.llli.org/resources/sweet-sleep

16/04/2026

Goody bags!

Everyone gets a free goody bag, when they come for their first Optimum Bumps session :-)

Inside you'll find lots of information about local pregnancy, birth and baby services, as well as a couple of other useful items.

11/04/2026

Our topic for this week (Thursday 16th April) is sleep. Come along to meet other expectant parents, over a cup of tea (as well as learn a little bit about about baby sleep).

Sleep deprivation is something many expectant parents dread. Can it be avoided? What is a normal number of night wakings for a baby? How often and for how long should they nap during the day? Where should baby sleep? In their own room or in their parents' room? In a Moses basket, in a cot or in their parents' bed? How can you lower the risk of SIDS?

What are rooming-in, co-sleeping and bed sharing? If you want baby to sleep in your bed, how can you make it as safe as possible?

Although the session is free to attend, you do need to book your space, via Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/optimum-bumps-2377469

11/03/2026

Our topic for tomorrow (Thursday 12th) evening is birth physiology. There are lots of things that can affect labour and birth. But do you know what happens during a normal birth, if nature is allowed to take its course? Find out how our environment, and what we do during labour affects how things progress, and what can we do to try and optimise the natural birth process.

To book on any of our sessions follow the link: www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/optimum-bumps-2377469

05/03/2026

After 3 weeks off, Optimum Bumps is back!

Our topic for this evening's session is hospital bags. What should you pack in your hospital bag? Can you take more than one bag? Do you really need disposable knickers? What should you take in the way of snacks? Will you need cash? Should you take my own birth ball? Or your own pillows? What toiletries should you take?
Even if you're planning a home birth, it's a good idea to have all your 'birthy stuff' kept in one easy to access place.

Although the sessions are free to attend, you do need to book your place, as spaces are limited.

To book your free space on this, or any Optimum Bumps session, follow the link: www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/optimum-bumps-2377469

02/03/2026

You don't technically have to have a bump to attend Optimum Bumps! I know that in our description it says, "anyone with a baby bump", but you are welcome to come along even if your bump hasn't yet started to show yet. You can come along any time from the day you get that postitve test result, right up until the day you give birth!

01/03/2026

26/02/2026

This coming Sunday (1st March) Optimum Bumps, along with a host of other pregnancy, birth, baby and toddler service providers will be at the Birth Network North Wiltshire's Chippenham Baby Show.

The event is free to attend, and there's even freebies up for grabs!

23/02/2026

There's no session this week. But here are the topics we've got coming up. Anyone currently growing one or more new humans inside them is welcome to come along to any, or all, of our sessions. Just follow the link, to book on: www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/optimum-bumps-2377469

08/02/2026

There's no Optimum Bumps this week, or for the two weeks after that. But we'll be back on 5th March. See you then :-)

30/01/2026

Induction of labour is one if the topics we cover. It's an important one to cover, as currently around a third of all labours are induced.

If you want to read up on the subject, Dr Sara Wickham's website www.sarawickham.com is a great source of up-to-date information. Or if you prefer a book to a screen, I have copies of her books available to borrow.

27/01/2026

Congraulations to Lucy, who has given birth to a baby boy :-)