Vicky Scheepers - Pregnancy, Birth, Postpartum & Bereavement Services

09/07/2023

Childbirth Ed Classes this morning Crossfit Vredenburg 🤩🤩

02/11/2022

21/10/2022

Check out the date! Delayed cord clamping has very important benefits!
So why do we still need to request or demand this basic procedure for the benefit of our babies?

17/09/2022

SECOND NIGHT SYNDROME

Many new parents are quite caught off guard by night number two with their new baby!

After the first 24 hours of sleepiness and even having to "wake baby to feed," baby seems to wake up and discover that they are ravenous!

All. Night. Long. Feeding, then crying, then feeding then crying! It's easy to become concerned that maybe you're just not producing enough milk and your new baby may very well starve. Cue deep feelings of failure (which are then exacerbated because you're exhausted from the birth process and now not sleeping all night!)

It makes sense if you think about all that baby has been through - the physical exertion of birth and their bodies recovering and adjusting can make them exceptionally tired the first day. But by day two, they wake up and bit and realize that things are SO MUCH DIFFERENT than what they are used to.

They are experiencing a rumbling in their tummy that is quite disturbing. They have new textures on their skin, new noises all around, and the brightness of the lights makes them want to keep their eyes closed. The only thing they recognize is mama. The warmth of her skin makes them feel like they are safe. Home.

Another good reason babies seem to have their "days and nights" mixed up that second day is biological: Prolactin (our milk hormone) is highest when melatonin (our sleep hormone) is highest. And our milk supply is a supply and demand system.

Thus: the more your baby nurses at night, the quicker your milk supply will come in!

So mama, just be prepared. Your little one will need some extra attention on night number two!

Hold them close, lots of skin to skin, nurse as often as they desire, and don't get discouraged! You are doing exactly what you were meant to do! You're doing a great job!

Repost

20/08/2022

Part 2 of diaper counts: 💩 DIAPERS. But there’s so much more to it than numbers!⤵️
Counts are a helpful piece of the puzzle to knowing your baby is “getting enough”, but there is SO MUCH beyond it that baby💩 can tell you.
It is a direct reflection of what’s coming in (nutrition) and what’s happening in between (gut function).
For me, it’s one of the most important things I look at. Of course, the whole picture matters, but this one tells me A LOT!
So when looking at 💩frequency (i.e. counts) specifically, you also need to factor in HOW OLD your baby is.
1 day old = 💩+
2 days old = 💩💩+
3 days old= 💩💩💩+
But in these first few days of life, arguably what’s more important about baby p**p is COLOUR. You’ll notice when these counts are met, your baby’s p**p colours will change:
⚫️ first p**ps will be black meconium,
🟢 then green transitional p**ps happen,
🟡 then mustard yellow p**ps are here to stay by at least day 5 of life (it can happen earlier though).
If that’s not happening… Red. Flag.
Beyond day 3, your baby will continue having at least 3💩 per day. Still yellow.
If that’s not happening… RED. FLAG.
Even beyond 6 weeks, your baby’s p**p pattern may (or may not!) decrease to just 1 big💩 per day (nothing close to “loonie-size”), but still expect it every day or every other day. And probably still yellow until solids.
If that’s not happening… STILL. A. RED. FLAG.
Remember, baby p**p tells us about what’s coming in (nutrition) AND what’s happening in between (gut function). So p**ping *regularly* can tell you:
✅ Your baby is getting enough milk amount
✅ Your baby is eliminating waste effectively
Need more details? Watch my story highlight called 💩💩💩
Tag a friend who needs to see this 🥰
**p **p

25/07/2022

03/06/2022

09/04/2022

29/03/2022

Solving the mystery behind the pot of (liquid) gold at the end of the rainbow🌈⤵️
Because is coming up!🍀
Thank you to the mamas in my stories for all the amazing photos of the REAL colours of your pumped milk!🤱
So why does your milk change colour? Well colours are just specific wavelengths of light that are reflecting off things.
This means EVERYTHING in your milk contributes to the colour you see, not just one thing...
🌈Phytonutrients (things that give colour and flavour to foods, and other super things)
🌈Fats
🌈Proteins
🌈Carbs
🌈Immune factors
🌈Vitamins
🌈Even things that aren’t usually there, like blood (pink for fresh, brown for old)
🌈And so. Much. More!
It’s the specific COMBINATION of what is reflecting off ALL things in your milk that makes the colour you see. Your milk is changing within a feed, from feed to feed, from day to day, and even as your milk sits in storage. So you can expect the colour to change too!
So yeah, foods that you eat (or if your baby is sick!) can change the colour of your milk (and therefore their 💩), but sometimes it won’t. This does NOT mean the “things” did not make it into your milk.
They are there, but with the specific combination of everything in your milk that is tailored just for YOUR baby, you just see white. White light is actually just a combination of all colours reflecting (Pink Floyd logo anyone?👩‍🎤)
So whatever colour your breastmilk, it all still leads to the pot of (liquid) gold perfectly made for your baby! 🙌🏻
On that note - the colours not pictured that are a red flag to see your healthcare provider are “pepto bismol hot pink” and black. In addition, if you notice blood in your milk consistently, it is worth getting in touch with your healthcare provider🙂repost .dietitian
Have you ever changed the colour of your breastmilk by eating certain foods? Share in the comments!

14/03/2022

Repost J E S S]
・・・
Please, don’t bring your child
Please, don’t bring your partner

Please, turn up alone -
Tell them of it after.

Please know there’s a chance that
You may birth alone

If you do not isolate
For risk of being exposed.

Please, do not complain
Please, don’t write a letter

Please know, that, while stadiums fill
We think this choice is better:

To have you be alone
At scans and all appointments

While people fill up rows
And cheer at big rock concerts.

Please, it’s all we ask
But what we are forgetting

Is to check in on your mental health
While in all other settings

People, friends, and family
Are together at all times

But please don’t ask why you’re alone
While people stand in lines

Maskless, buying beers and chips
To watch their favourite team

While you lay sat in silence
While black and white screens beam

Images of what you hold
Beneath your beating heart

To rooms with no big audience
Just you, alone, and part

Of you feels such great sadness -
Though joy, of course, is there -

At times, it just feels really hard
To feel we really care?

But please just pay your bill
Please walk out the door

Please know while the world resumes
To life we’d known before

That here in these four walls
For now, you have to know

That all we ask of you
Is to, please, just come alone.

Words*: Jess Driscoll J E S S]
Artwork:

*this poem is in no way a reflection of my political, or scientific views. It is, as with all of my poetry, a means of processing my current circumstance and is written from my own perspective about my own experiences.