O'Reilly Hall, UCD, Dublin 22-23 February 2014, 10am - 5pm
The talks at babytalk were a huge hit and we were delighted to have such wonderful speakers sharing their expertise and knowledge with our attendees.
To spread the word further we’ve made a number of our talks available on the website – check them out and have a listen!
One of our goals at babytalk is to raise awareness of the fantastic supports and organisations that we have here in Ireland for families and parents-to-be. One of these orgnaisations is Nurture, who took part in our information station.
Nurture is an Irish charity who offer timely and affordable professional counselling and supports surrounding pregnancy and childbirth mental health illnesses & emotional wellbeing to women, their partners and families in Ireland.
Some of the areas in which Nurture offers support and/or counselling include:
If you or someone you know is going through a difficult time in pregnancy, as a new parent or in any of the other other instances listed above Nurture are there to help. You can contact Nurture on 01 8430930 or email info@nurturepnd.org.
Nurtures counsellors offer compassion and respect to every woman, man and family who contacts them and attends their support services. Their counsellors are kind, friendly and extremely understanding women and men. They are more than respectful to every personal situation and offer each individual a confidential, judgement-free, independent counselling service.
Nurture are organising an Emotional Wellbeing Education Conference on Saturday 10th May 2014 in the Gresham Hotel which has some fantastic speakers and topics – for more information visit their website.
We had a blast at babytalk last weekend, thanks so much to everyone who took part in the festival. It was great to see so many Mums, Dads, bumps, babies wobblers and toodlers out having fun!
We’ll have full festival recap with photos for you next week plus competition winner announcements so stay tuned!
Rachel & Marie xxxxx
A guest post from Babytalk exhibitor and speaker Dan Oakes of Neighbourhood Midwives.
How many times have you heard in the news about a couple that conceived after giving up trying? Stress is a huge factor that affects us all. When we are under pressure, our bodies release hormones that constrict our blood vessels and put us on high alert. This chemical response is embedded in all of us–our fight or flight response. Unfortunately, these hormones actively fight the ones that we need to create a baby. It can be extremely frustrating for couples who are trying to conceive month after month with no baby to show for it. Frustration causes a vicious cycle, causing more stress that blocks your baby dreams.
The good news is that now you know and can take steps to offload your barriers to conception. The hormone you are most interested in when trying to conceive is that most notorious and elusive one – Oxytocin. In fact, oxytocin plays a huge role throughout the entire conception, pregnancy and bonding journey. Oxytocin is known under many names: the love hormone, the relaxation hormone and if it could be bottled (not that they haven’t tried) chemists might call it Liquid Trust.
So how does one get their hands on some of this Liquid Trust? Picture this: a day off work spent with your loved one, having a picnic in the park, the hot sun beating gently down on you. After that, a long, luxurious soak in the jacuzzi while sipping champagne. Then, your favourite meal is lovingly prepared by your partner and eaten together by candlelight. Finally, you both enjoy an intense lovemaking session followed by a mind-blowing orgasm. Maybe this wouldn’t appeal to everyone, but you get the picture. An experience like this would set you up with enough oxytocin for at least a week. Busy couples and families would be hard pressed to find the kind of time and effort needed to achieve this scenario, but you could start off with loads of hugs. Hugs relieve stress like nothing else. “We need 4 hugs a day for survival, 8 hugs a day for maintenance, 12 hugs a day for growth.” (Virginia Satir)
Obviously there is more to baby dreams than hot water and candlelight. When is the best time to have sex? Does smoking affect my fertility? What’s most helpful to eat? Your Neighbourhood Midwives will be at the Babytalk Festival to listen to you and give you the latest in fertility breakthroughs. Stop by our exhibition and get a free health check. Midwives know the secrets of fertility and our answers will give you the confidence to achieve your baby dreams.
Dan Oakes, Registered Midwife, is the father of three boys. Dan founded Neighbourhood Midwives Ltd. in 2012, with Tracy Donegan, bringing the best in Irish maternity care straight to the heart of your home before and after your hospital birth.