Pregnancy Practice Perth

Nat, our mental health and wellbeing practitioner, will support you with practical strategies to help you cope mentally with nausea during pregnancy. You can book Nat on the PPP website ❤️

Nausea in pregnancy is very common — it affects up to 7 in 10 pregnant women. It usually starts around 4 to 7 weeks, often peaks around 9 weeks, and for most women it settles from 16 to 20 weeks. Which can seem so far away when you feel so unwell 😭

In about 1 to 3 in 100 pregnancies, it becomes severe enough to be called hyperemesis gravidarum. 

Things that often help when your feeling unwell is eating small, frequent meals instead of large ones, avoiding triggers like strong smells or foods that make symptoms worse, sipping fluids regularly to stay hydrated, trying ginger, and vitamin B6 or anti-nausea medication with your midwife or doctor if needed.

If you have tried all the above recommendations and still can’t keep fluids down, feel dizzy, are barely passing urine and continue vomiting we can help you with at Home IV therapy treatment.

If you feel your not coping in your pregnancy have a chat with Nat! She’s an absolute blessing ❤️

Signs your baby needs burping👇

Watch for:
• Squirming or pulling away from the breast/bottle
• Arching their back
• Fussiness during feeding
• Slowing down sucking

🤱 How long to try
• Try burping for 1–2 minutes.
• If nothing comes up but baby seems comfortable, that’s okay.

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🤰🏻👼❤️

The thin sac around the baby (the amniotic sac) creates a safe, sealed environment for the baby to grow.

Inside the sac is amniotic fluid, which works like a natural cushion.

This means:
• If mum moves suddenly
• If she bumps her belly
• If she laughs, coughs, or sneezes

the fluid absorbs the pressure and protects the baby.

They act as a barrier between the baby and the outside world, which helps reduce infection risks during pregnancy.

Your baby grows inside an amazing protective environment. The amniotic sac and fluid cushion your baby, help development, and keep them safe throughout pregnancy.

As a midwife, this is one of the biggest questions I get: How do you actually know when your waters have broken?

1. It’s usually clear and watery
Amniotic fluid normally looks clear or slightly straw-coloured and feels like water. It doesn’t look thick like discharge.

2. It keeps leaking
Unlike urine, you usually can’t stop it.
You might change your underwear or pad and it keeps coming out slowly.

3. It may come as a gush OR a slow trickle
Movies show a big dramatic gush, but in reality many women only notice a slow leak.

4. It doesn’t smell like urine
Amniotic fluid usually has little to no smell or a slightly sweet smell.

5. It often happens when you move
Women often notice a leak when they stand up, roll in bed, cough, or walk.

6. It can happen before labour starts
About 1 in 10 women will have their waters break before contractions begin.

7. If the fluid is green or brown — seek care
This can mean meconium (baby’s first poo) in the fluid and should be checked.

8. If you’re unsure — put on a pad and call us
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Babies can start sucking their thumb as early as 12–14 weeks gestation.

By the second trimester, it’s common to see it clearly on ultrasound. It’s part of their developing sucking reflex, which they’ll need for feeding after birth.

Why so early?

Because:
• The sucking reflex is one of the first survival reflexes to develop.
• It helps strengthen the muscles they’ll use for breastfeeding or bottle feeding.
• It’s also a self-soothing behaviour — yes, even in the womb.

1. It’s a built-in reflex

Babies are born with a strong sucking reflex. It’s literally wired in to help them feed and survive. Even in utero, you’ll see them sucking their thumb on ultrasound.

2. It calms their nervous system

Sucking releases calming hormones and lowers their heart rate. It’s like their own little reset button.
Tired? Overstimulated? Slightly stressed? → Thumb goes in.

3. It helps them sleep

That rhythmic sucking is soothing and helps them drift off. A lot of babies use it as their “self-settle” method.
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Suffering with hyperemesis? We can come to you.

If you’re struggling with severe nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, we offer at-home IV hydration therapy so you don’t have to sit in a hospital waiting room for hours.

Our experienced midwives come to your home and provide:

• IV fluids for rehydration
• Antiemetic medication as prescribed
• Clinical assessment and monitoring
• Gentle, compassionate care

All in the comfort of your own bed.

You rest. We treat. You recover.

If you’re unable to keep fluids down or feel weak and dehydrated, please reach out. We’re here to support you.

The placenta is honestly one of the most underrated organs in the human body. It’s wild.

Here are some seriously interesting facts about the placenta:

The placenta is the only organ we grow from scratch just for pregnancy — and then discard after birth.

It forms from both maternal and fetal tissue, making it a true shared organ between mother and baby.

By term, it weighs about 500–700g and has around 150 square metres of exchange surface area (roughly the size of a small apartment!).

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2️⃣ It’s an Endocrine Powerhouse

The placenta isn’t just a filter — it’s a hormone factory.

It produces:
• hCG (the hormone pregnancy tests detect)
• Progesterone
• Estrogen
• Human placental lactogen (hPL)
• Relaxin
• CRH (yes — stress hormone regulation!)

It essentially takes over ovarian hormone production around 10–12 weeks.

The Placenta Carries the Father’s DNA!!

We don’t always choose our path in life.
Sometimes the world throws things at us we were never prepared for.

I didn’t choose this path.But I’m learning how strong I am while walking it. I’m those moments, we grow. We find our identity and learn parts of ourselves we never knew existed.

I’m so excited your on this journey with us ❤️

Keep vernix As long as possible! What is vernix?

Vernix is white, creamy, waxy substance that covers a baby’s skin before and at birth.

Ideally, don’t wash it off at all — let it absorb naturally into the skin over the first 24–48 hours (sometimes longer).

Why vernix is amazing ✨

Vernix is not “dirt” — it’s protective and healing:
• Acts as a natural moisturiser
• Protects against infection
• Helps regulate body temperature
• Supports the skin barrier
• Has antibacterial properties

Bath your newborn baby, 2–3 times a week. You don’t need to bathe them every day.

Why not daily?
• Newborn skin is very delicate
• Too many baths can dry out their skin
• They don’t get “dirty” like older kids

What to do on non-bath days
• Clean the face, neck folds, hands
• Gently wipe the nappy area as needed
This is often called a top-and-tail wash.

🧼 When you might bathe more often
• Lots of spit-up or milk in neck folds
• Big nappy blowouts
• Baby enjoys baths and skin is coping well

Even then, water only most days is fine.

🧴 Soap & products
• Use plain water for the first few weeks
• If needed, choose a mild, fragrance-free baby wash
• No need for bubbles, antiseptics, or strong soaps

⏱️ Bath tips
• Keep baths short (5–10 minutes)
• Warm room, warm water (about 37°C)
• Moisturise after if skin looks dry (simple, fragrance-free)

🧠 Extra reassurance
• You don’t need to bath before the umbilical cord falls off — sponge baths are fine until then
• Daily bathing does not make babies cleaner or healthier