The Village Midwife Sling and Nappy Library

Calling all Bucks midwives 🔊

If you’re passionate about informed choice and fancy teaching antenatal courses to local parents - let me know! We’re looking for someone to help teach some sessions in Bucks (yes, we’re expanding again 👀)

It would suit someone wanting to work flexibly around their NHS role or who wants to do some ad hoc teaching for extra income, drop me a message for more info!

Thank you everyone for an amazing 2024 ❤️❤️❤️ I feel so lucky to run The Village Midwife and regularly have to pinch myself that this is my actual, real life job! This year I’ve had more return clients than ever before having their second babies which has been especially lush ❤️ I’ve trained new midwives, supported hundreds of parents in Bucks alone, seen so many babies week in and week out at HQ - having my very own space to do this in is a dream come true 🏠 Outside of work (because the two are inextricably linked as a small business owner) Arthur turned 7, we went to France in the summer holidays 🇫🇷, we’ve had some really lush days out as a family of 5 with my amazing bonus kids, Robyn proposed in my favourite city 🇮🇹 and we got married instead of having an engagement party! ❤️ Life has also been full on in other ways - my sister went travelling for a year (super cool but we miss her!) and we lost our family dog Bertie - our beautiful boy and Arthur’s best friend. I’ve also had a few health challenges to navigate with the support of my wife (still not over calling Robyn that! ❤️) and clients have been very patient when I’ve had to wear a sling or have dislocated something again!! Getting married to the love of my life surrounded by our kids and closest family was beyond amazing and SO special! I also still can’t quite believe we pulled off organising a wedding in a month whilst also going through house selling/buying fun!! We’re moving in 5 days to a project house (which we absolutely weren’t going to do 😂) and there’s no one I’d rather embrace new levels of chaos with than my amazing wife ❤️ Alongside the house renovating chaos, I’m looking forward to meeting more antenatal clients in 2025 across Bucks and seeing all of my lush postnatal clients again starting from next week - I’m so lucky to have a job where I miss it during time off! Thank you for supporting my small business in 2024 - my clients, the amazing TVM team of midwives, the fab small businesses and professionals I get to work with, Robyn and Rebecca working behind the scenes and everyone else who shares what I do ❤️ Bring on 2025! 💫

😯 IT'S NOT HANDS FREE! 😯

Breastfeeding/chestfeeding in a sling is NOT hands free. Not what you want to hear?
When people want to breast or chestfeed in a sling, it's usually so they can do something at the same time so want their hands free.

It's not HANDS free, but it IS HAND free. You will have one hand free, and when you become a parent, you know how much you can still do with one!

Depending on the position you choose to feed in, babys head is not supported, this is why you need to do it. Babies head is the heaviest part of their body, and they cannot support it very well.

Covering babies head with the sling or carrier is NOT the solution either. This presses babies head into the breast/chest and doesn't allow them the movement needed to latch and unlatch. It can also be an asphyxiation risk.

When feeding in the sling or carrier, you must monitor baby at all times. Check if they have fallen asleep and resposition them high on your chest upright.

Babies under 4 months, premature, low weight or have medical issues are at a higher risk and it's important to get 1:1 support at all times in these circumstances.

If you do not feel you can monitor baby the whole time then do not try to do something else and stop to feed first.

If you want to learn how to safely feed in your sling or carrier get in touch.

Laurna xx

⭐️ I have just announced my April and May antenatal course dates for Wendover! ⭐️

People on the waiting lists have been emailed already but for anyone else due June 2025 onwards and Bucks based, you can get booking now!

Drop me a message if you have any questions!

Setting up lots of chairs at my High Wycombe postnatal group today because we have lots of dads who often join sessions on this course when they can!

It’s a question often asked about the postnatal course - can partners join? The answer is absolutely! As long as work permits 😊 It’s been really lovely seeing how many more mums have partners off for longer with shared parental leave in the last year or so.

Today we had the fab Felicity come and talk to everyone and I’d also seen her in the morning at my Wendover postnatal group. My morning postnatal group then stayed and used HQ to socialise in after the session while I nipped to Wycombe, how lush ❤️

Heya! ⭐️ What we have coming up in September at The Village Midwife in Bucks ⭐️

📍 High Wycombe midwife led antenatal courses:
September (2 spaces left)
November (4 spaces left)
https://www.thevillagemidwife.co.uk/book-online/p/antenatal-course-wycombe

📍 Wendover/Missenden midwife led antenatal courses:
September (1 space left)
October (fully booked)
November/December (3 spaces left)
https://www.thevillagemidwife.co.uk/book-online/p/antenatal-course

📍 High Wycombe postnatal courses for new parents:
September (3 spaces left)
November (4 spaces left)
January (6 spaces left)
https://www.thevillagemidwife.co.uk/book-online/p/postnatal-course-wycombe

📍 High Wycombe postnatal courses for new parents:
September (1 space left)
October (4 spaces left)
November (dates being announced soon)
December (dates being announced soon)
https://www.thevillagemidwife.co.uk/book-online/p/postnatal-course-bucks

📍 The Grandparents Club - for new/expectant grandparents, covering safe sleep, baby led weaning and other changes to parenting plus baby/toddler first aid
September (2 spaces left)
November (booking opening soon!)
https://www.thevillagemidwife.co.uk/book-online/p/grandparents-club

📍 Introducing Solids Workshops
September (2 spaces left)
October (fully booked)
November (booking opening soon)
https://www.thevillagemidwife.co.uk/book-online/p/introducing-solids

📍 Refreshers antenatal courses - a mixture of a group session to go over slings and discuss life with 2/3 children and a 1:1 session to go over birth and feeding preferences individually
September (2 spaces left)
January 2025 (4 spaces left)
https://www.thevillagemidwife.co.uk/book-online/p/refresher-course

📍 Group Hypnobirthing Workshops (aka relaxation for birth & the postnatal period for those who find it hard to relax like me)
September (3 spaces left)
December (booking opening soon)
https://www.thevillagemidwife.co.uk/book-online/p/hypnoworkshop

📍 1:1 antenatal or Hypnobirthing courses with Sophie (at your home or in Wendover)
September (fully booked)
October (fully booked)
November (1 space available)
December (1 space available)
January (2 spaces available)
https://www.thevillagemidwife.co.uk/book-online/p/6hourhypnobirthing

📍 As always we also have:

The Village Midwife Sling Library
https://www.thevillagemidwife.co.uk/book-online/p/slinglibrary

Bucks LGBT+ parenting club
https://www.thevillagemidwife.co.uk/book-online/p/lgbt-parents

The No Sleep Club, our free social/support group for new parents
https://www.thevillagemidwife.co.uk/book-online/p/nosleepclub

Postnatal home visits with Sophie
https://www.thevillagemidwife.co.uk/book-online/p/postnatal-support

Midwifery support during pregnancy with Sophie
https://www.thevillagemidwife.co.uk/book-online/p/midwifery-support

1:1 Sling & Carrier Support at home or in Wendover
https://www.thevillagemidwife.co.uk/book-online/p/babywearing

We have FAQs on the home page of our website and lots of reviews over on Trustpilot (https://www.trustpilot.com/review/thevillagemidwife.co.uk)

You can also drop us an email to enquire about anything we do at [email protected] or [email protected] or drop me a message on Instagram! ❤️ https://www.instagram.com/villagemidwife/

If you’re after some help with slings or carriers - we’re still around to help Bucks and Middlesex parents over Summer! ☀️

We’ve just had our Wycombe sling library meet and we have meets coming up in August in:

📍 Wendover (14th August)
📍 Chesham (13th August)
📍 Ruislip (22nd August) and
📍 Beaconsfield (24th August)

Then in September we’ll be back to our normal 7 meets a month where you can try and borrow slings/carriers or get support with your own

Find your nearest sling meet here: https://www.thevillagemidwife.co.uk/book-online/p/slinglibrary and just book your space via the drop down menu and pop along with your baby/toddler!

Plus - if you want a 1:1 session just drop us a message!

Looking to join our midwife led antenatal course in Wendover & Great Missenden?

Here’s a guide to which course to join 👶

🌟 Due in July or early August? Join our June course: 8th - 30th June

🌟 Due in late August or September? Join our July antenatal course: 6th - 21st July

🌟 Due in September or early October? Join our August antenatal course: 10th - 18th August

🌟 Due in October or early November? Join our July antenatal course: 14th - 29th September

Find out more here: https://www.thevillagemidwife.co.uk/buckinghamshire

If you’re High Wycombe based, we also have our High Wycombe course which you can find out more about here: https://www.thevillagemidwife.co.uk/book-online/p/antenatal-course-wycombe

“Sophie, her courses, and all of her resources and networking really made pregnancy and parenting so much more comforting and reassuring. The information that I learned through Sophie and her networks gave me the confidence and knowledge I needed. She was always there to answer questions and to provide reassurance. She has a huge wealth of knowledge and is completely nonjudgemental so you feel like you can ask and tell anything. From the courses I have built a wonderful friendship group and I’m still using The Villiage Midwife resources. I honestly cannot express how valuable Sophie and her team are! I, without a doubt, would recommend.”

Do you want some support with your sling or carrier? Or do you want to try out a sling or carrier?

Check out our list of times/dates/locations and book your free space at a sling library meet here: https://www.thevillagemidwife.co.uk/tvm-sling-library

⭐️ Introducing… The Grandparents Club! ⭐️

We’ve been asked about this for years, so finally 🥁 we have The Grandparents Club!

The workshop will cover:

👶 Baby and toddler first aid with Sammy from including:

🌟 How to keep your home safe for when the grandchildren are visiting

🌟 Baby and toddler CPR

🌟 Baby recovery position

🌟 Choking identification (and choking vs gagging) and choking management

👶 A chat with midwife Sophie, including:

🌟 Current safe sleep guidance for babies

🌟 Everything we’ve learned about baby’s brains

🌟 A refresher on what feeding looks like in the first few weeks and how best to support new parents with this

🌟 Using slings and carriers

🌟 The best gifts for new parents

🌟 Options around introducing solids (and the most up to date guidelines) including baby led weaning and what it entails

👶 Plus:

🌟 A chance to meet other local grandparents to be

🌟 Time for discussion and all of your questions answered!

🌟 Follow up links sent by email to refer to

Our first workshop is on Tuesday 30th April: 10.30am - 1.30pm in Wendover, Buckinghamshire

Book via The Village Midwife website (we’ll both pop the links in our stories) or drop either of us a message if you have any questions!