Pregnancy & Birth Doula Services. Childbirth Educator & Bereavement Support

07/08/2024

Please subscribe to my channel! Thank you ☺️ and here is another short of information at your disposal ☺️

The 10 tips you need in your fingertips before you enter that birthing room!!Here are me 10 Tips for the birthing partners. What have you learned the 9 month...

06/08/2024

Tips for the birthing person; your first night/day after childbirth and until you recover

For the birthing persons, your first tip is this; don’t wipe with a toilet paper! Dab! With what? Watch the video

07/08/2023

When I am back, I have a lot to update you about. For right now.. my family’s well deserved vacation ☺️

Happy summer vacation everyone! 🥂👋🏾

31/07/2023

VERSATILITY & OUTDOOR LIVING: one of the reasons I LOVE camping is the essence of humility it resurfaces in us all.

You learn to do with the little you have. You wash everything every now and then to make sure you still look human enough yet clean and content with only the little that you brought with you

In France many times I didn’t even have makeup on, simply washed my face, applied a good sunscreen and we were good to go exploring the neighboring surroundings ☺️

Human interaction is also perfect! The best wifi connection was only at the reception and restaurant area but within the tents it was more less “speak to each other” kind of reality

So on day two we already had a lovely click with our neighbors tents because our children were almost the same ages. We introduced ourselves when we arrived and then the rest fell into place ☺️ It started with the kids playing together, and by day 2 we invited them to our tent for drinks and bites when the children were sleeping ☺️🥂

This was on the wash day. We all shared what the weather man thought it would be and there was speculations that the following few days it was going to rain.

And because the days that followed were going to be wet, everyone did their laundry today and made use of the sun. Tents were aired and then we all hit the stream for some swimming and handball by the water ☺️🙌🏾

30/07/2023

Baby wearing: is what we do ancestrally. If you didn’t carry your children in my village, you either couldn’t because you were ill or they couldn’t be carried (the babies) for whatever reason. Baby wearing is one of the survival teachings we receive aside from being able to peal things and help with the cooking etc

I grew up carrying my brothers, cousins and the neighbors children too ☺️. In Mijikenda we call it “kue-reka” ☺️

With a wheelchair amidst us, I try to encourage our little one to walk and then when he’s tired, I put him on my back and we continue to graze and move as a pack easily

This is a Kenyan way of carrying and that’s a traditional wrap that is made with print. The length is made to cater for both needs;
(1) wrapping as “stiri” around your waist
(2) carrying children as and when so the wrap can be wrapped and knotted safely to the front ☺️

In France where pram accessibility is very limited, unpleasant even, it becomes so doable when you can simply put your children in carriers, especially this area when we went Glamping ☺️

22/07/2023

FROM WORK TO WORK/ MAMA DUTIES: after dealing with chicken pox and working still, we dealt with lice. This treatment impressed me actually. I will share which one we used but as soon as k arrived back home after a double shift. My daughter asked me to check if the nests were still visible. She collected a huge amount on her pillow the morning after the treatment 😳 I was shocked

My daughter throughout her nursery, primary school life she NEVER got them even though there were numerous warnings of “lice case found in class” sent. Her hair was braided and I used tea tree oil throughout

Then came the teenage years and she wanted to try shaving the hair, having highlights.. okay!! And then the lice came!

How? Apparently; lice are attracted to clean hair! With short hair one washes the hair more frequently and your scalp is then stimulated more often and they love that environment! They can embed themselves easily on your scalp 😳

My daughters first reaction was embarrassment. She felt dirty she said, it’s like I don’t wash my hair properly then 🥰 puberty! I assured her anyone can get lice.. the clean, the dirty, children, mamas and papas!

So for us, It took 1 full treatment and a wash and then x6 days of combing everyday to get everything out 🙌🏾. Her bedding was washed on a hot cycle and all surfaces steamed too. It was shocking to actually see the lice in real, moving, and then when dead. They’re little buggers!! 😳😶

We can enjoy our summer in peace now, with cinema evenings, Doritos and cuddles, mama-daughter outings and “gezelligheid” but what a marathon! ☺️🙌🏾

19/07/2023

They both said “I have no idea why you don’t do this as a business, woman!! Are you serious?! These plates?! Do it! We will order!! 😂🙌🏾

Postpartum meal for a family I am now supporting. I love to see their reactions, surprise and then gratitude. If I would do anything on the side, it would be postpartum meals 🥰🙌🏾

In Kenya where I am from, food is medicine. And I have watched the content faces from mothers who felt held and fed too 🥰

If you get me in your postpartum bed.. you can count on warm heartfelt meals, cooked with love and intended for you too

18/07/2023

There’s a reason why I am always happy when I work with . I have met quite a few of these ladies as a doula before, worked with them always with pleasure for a long time now and their mutual respect for others who are not midwives still touches me!

As a doula I have worked with some of them 1:1. Many times what I have received from them was “what do you think? Where do you think she’s at in your opinion? “I think we can break her waters now, do you agree? ☺️

The last 15 months I bumped into many of them and the question was “heeeyy!! What are you doing here then? When I replied “I am a student! We both laugh first, many times they’re like “you? A student? Ha! The company is lucky to have you! and then I remind them 😂 “ssshhh I AM a student! 😂

Yesterday I met another one of their team at an address and when I called for advise she did the same. She gave advise and then asked on a loudspeaker “what do you think Naomie? You’re with them more than us, do you agree it’s a good plan?”

When you work with folk who have a mutual understanding that everyone really is a team member and our end goal is the same; “to give parents the support and carry them through their postpartum. That at the end of the kraamweek they felt they have built a foundation to continue” is worth a million! It makes you want to communicate with them and learn too because many times they give tips you think “Aha!

Thank you for how you work and making it always pleasant to work alongside you! 🙏🏾☺️

12/07/2023

Chicken pox and it’s puzzle to diagnose, prevent and treat in the Netherlands

So the daycare where my son goes to have had a round of chicken pox going. No one said anything, the Nannie’s and babysitters we have are English speaking

It wasn’t until my youngest woke up with fever, itching, blisters that are opening and some still coming that I thought “hey! This is chicken pox!

My sons nanny has it and got it bad also. It’s in the season.. but then warn parents so people think if to send their children to day care for a while or not.

If you have to fly anywhere you’re doomed afterwards as you have to get a fit to fly declaration. What a timing!!

So I had contact with the group teachers.. one casually said “well, everyone will get it, it’s hard but treatable” another said “there was a notice on the door that we have chicken pox in the group but no email was sent out to parents”

Great! This sort of information I NEED to know because of my work. I work with pregnant women and newborn babies!!

My gp says as long as the spots are weeping to stay away from that group of people, he is contagious and incubation period is upto 5 days?! (Work would love to hear it)

I am not going anywhere anyway with my child needing me and itching like crazy though..

Dutch people as a people are very laid back including with sickness like this. I heard, some even host chicken pox parties so that all the children can get it together 🤔

When I look at how my child is miserable now? I wouldn’t subject him to it knowingly 🤔.

What now?

(1) bathe him in oats
(2) apply cooling gel afterwards
(3) give him antihistamine for the itch
(4) cuddles and wait it out

06/07/2023

Yesterday my daughter officially finished primary school 🙌🏾😳 Parents had tasks to prepare and bring platters to school for their end of school party. My daughter asked for Kenyan snacks.. so..the platters were made ☺️😋😋

And the trays were gone immediately they arrived said the husband ☺️🙏🏾🙃

I now have a teenager at home guys!! Those of you who know her know what I mean.

She started life very featherweight weighing 1756grams at birth. A NICU baby born literally a few weeks of me arriving in the Netherlands with no one to call my own even. All I had was my husband and his family and boxes scattered everywhere from the move from Kent to Amsterdam back then ☺️

I did have an though in my inbox and a few others who stayed in touch because “bloody hell Nom! What a move! Many said 😂😂😂. I had it all in the UK! My own house, my job, a mortgage to pay.. but I didn’t have Tom! 💕

Now when I look at her?!? My innie-Winnie-minnie- meisje is a teenager FULL of life, BRAINS and LOVE. She’s the most sensitive and reasonable young lady you would meet.

I am raising her up like my mother raised me. I do not influence her in my dislikes because she has to find her own. I barely give her the tools to think things through and think hard if they’re for her ☺️

I am a happy and tired mama today. My bones need resting, my soul needs breathe and my body has asked me to stop today ☺️😂. And I miss my own mama.. so I am doing me and recharging today!! 👊🏾🙌🏾🙃



❤️

04/07/2023

ENERGIES/TANTRUMS: it’s incredible how children pick them up even without understanding a lot. These last few months have been stressful with anticipating when I would be able to complete my schooling, having deep decision sit downs with my husband about what next, what works and what doesn’t work for our family, our long term nanny is going back to her home country, I have been looking frantically for replacements, interviewing when I can through double shifts.. it’s been LOADS going on

Many times I felt like I was hanging on thread. My personal life already draining and work demands added on top

My youngest son has been having more tantrums than before these last few weeks too. He feels neglected he said through tears, I just want to sit on you! I want to sit on mama!. When I asked him why he feels that he said “I miss a cuddle! I want a cuddle with mama!! Then it hit me.. I have been quite distant so I can survive through it all and he picked it. It took tonight’s tantrum for me to stop, hug him tightly whilst he smelt the milk and at one point I noticed our heart beats were in sync too. He let this huge shaking sigh and I knew then he had released it

Maternity nursing is demanding and finding that work-life balance is almost impossible sometimes. Add that to being a student you’ll know you have not much choice and you are stuck to a contract. Finishing the education means you can liaise what your situation is and what you’re capable of doing.. so hoorah to this milestone! I know my husband is done caring for 3 children alone every other weekend 😏🫣

But anyway…schooling and mum life combined can be hectic, you don’t need to tell me now. Chasing your dreams come with a price and this was mine. My children had to grow up so fast 😶

Many times when I am doubling I literally have a coma on the couch when I arrive home from exhaustion. And it’s not even the physical part that exhausts me.. it’s the mental draining that handling, dealing and understanding two energies, needs and wants do to you

I have a mega list to share with this regard.. I’ll see how to best do that ☺️ because phew!!

01/07/2023

What a tragic for Kenya 🇰🇪. 54 feared dead in a tragic accident that took so many lives today. A good friend lost an aunt, uncle and a cousin today in this grisly accident 😔

I can only pray for Peace upon the families and loved one. It’s a sad day!! 🙏🏾🇰🇪