Senior NHS midwives Katie Benyohai and Leila Zahedi, who lead Unii’s upcoming Ultimate Antenatal Course, are back for the Unii Babies Antenatal Care episode, part two! Host Dr. Saranya’s first postpartum episode focusses on pregnancy mythbusting, the most common second opinions mums-to-be want to hear, and empowering women to ask more questions about their labour, birth and breastfeeding journeys. How do you get yourself closer to your ideal birth experience? Leila and Katie know all about it! We hope you enjoy this episode, and please check out part one! This is Unii Babies.

00:00 Intro and personal message from Dr. Saranya

00:52 Questioning induction of labour...and everything that worries you!

02:57 A midwife’s role in labour—they've got you!

06:45 Most common second opinions mums ask for from the Unii midwives.

09:51 The Unii midwives bust some myths about natural induction—and tell you what works!

11:20 What can you do to ripen your cervix?

12:18 Getting started with labour pain relief—climb the ladder of pain relief!

13:45 When should you go to the hospital (including Katie’s labour story!)?

15:46 What if the hospital sends me home when I’m in early labour?

17:24 What if I'm in active labour and labour slows down?

21:31 Leila and Katie’s funniest birth stories!

24:38 Midwife support in the fourth trimester—and how to plan for this time, incl. recovery and visitors!

26:42 Discussing your labour and birth experience with your partner.

31:10 Dr. Saranya’s breastfeeding journey and the Unii midwives advice for new mums.

38:26 When it feels like everyone else’s newborn parenting experience is perfect...

40:11 How often should a newborn be feeding? What’s normal? When should you worry?

43:55 When a baby feeds to relieve pain.

46:40 Finding your village to raise your child.

47:35 How Dr. Saranya used Unii.com’s Journey video courses on her pregnancy and newborn journeys.

50:23 Caring for your baby’s skin. Which products are best?

53:38 What should I buy for the first trimester?

55:35 The truth about sterilisers.

56:59 Dr. Saranya’s outro and thank you.

Watch Unii Babies on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUsquXGqmM6afQHlyytEKYA

Follow Unii on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ask.unii/

Watch Unii’s Pregnancy Journey video course with Dr. Shree Datta: https://unii.com/en/journey/pregnancy

Watch Unii’s Giving Birth Journey with Dr. Keith Duncan: https://unii.com/en/journey/giving-birth

Midwives are specialists in what’s normal in pregnancy and birth, and there aren’t many questions Unii midwives Katie Benyohai and Leila Zahedi, co-founders of Better Births London, haven’t heard! In part one of the Unii Babies Antenatal Care episode, they speak to host Dr. Saranya about mums’ FAQs, why they are so passionate about maternal choice in labour and birth, pregnancy red flags you shouldn’t ignore, why they think more men should do midwifery, and so much more.

01:53 Expose the Expert: Get to know Leila and Katie

05:06 What inspired Leila and Katie to become midwives

10:25 What midwives do for pregnant women vs. obstetric care

12:54 What does midwife-led pregnancy and birthcare mean?

14:29 What are the advantages and disadvantages of midwifery care?

16:04 Dr. Saranya’s midwife experience during the birth of her child

19:00 How can a maternal medicine expert help you in pregnancy?

20:13 Maternal choice in high-risk pregnancy and birth

24:37 How Katie and Leila met and started Better Births London

29:42 How becoming a mum changes you as a midwife. Mums trust midwives more when they have children!

32:05 What Katie and Leila think about empowering men to become midwives!

35:28 Katie and Leila’s essential advice for student midwives

38:18 What should you expect and ask at your first midwife appointment (the booking appointment)?

41:19 How likely are you to see the same midwife throughout your pregnancy care?

42:33 What is the evidence on how continuity of midwifery care and pregnancy and postnatal outcomes?

45:11 Maternal stress at midwife appointments, induction positivity, and how to cope.

46:30 Dr. Saranya’s personal birth preferences experience in pregnancy

47:01 Midwife care after birth.

47:31 Why antenatal classes like Unii.com’s Ultimate Antenatal Course are so important for creating community, as well as empowered pregnancy and birth!

49:57 How the midwives and the unii.com Journey courses fill in information gaps for expectant mothers.

51:52 Katie’s personal antenatal course experience.

52:32 How Katie and Leila help pregnant women with morning sickness.

53:46 Should you be taking antiemetics when you are vomiting in pregnancy?

55:51 Anaemia, blood tests at around 28 weeks pregnancy, hepcidin, and when and how to take iron supplements.

58:37 Bleeding in pregnancy.

1:00:41 Brown discharge towards the end of pregnancy.

1:01:21 Pregnancy growth scans, questions about a baby measuring small, difference in sonographers/abdominal measurements.

1:04:56 Popular food safety questions in pregnancy– answered by Unii’s midwives!

1:06:50 Nutritional guidelines for pregnancy– when they change.

1:07:33 Monitoring foetal movements, what to look for, and disproved guidance.

Unii Babies Podcast Home: https://unii.com/en/podcast/unii-babies

Follow Unii Babies on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ask.unii/

Dr. Su Laurent, Unii.com’s top consultant paediatrician, sits down with Unii Babies host Dr. Saranya for a chat about baby development, covering everything from milestones to autism, talking, teething, and tummy time. You’ll even hear Dr. Su’s golden rules of parenting. Dr. Su has supported hundreds of parents in some of London’s busiest hospitals over the last thirty years. She can do the same for you from the comfort of your own phone, laptop, or other device when you take her Baby Development Journey video course at unii.com.

Unii Babies Episode Highlights

02:27 What if your baby isn’t meeting their milestones?

02:49 Dr. Su’s Golden Rules of Parenting

04:50 Premature and overdue babies’ milestones

05:49 Baby development milestones that it’s OK to skip

06:28 Babies who resist standing, hypermobility in babies

07:14 Babies that don’t like tummy time

08:00 Dummies and baby development, teething pain, and talking

9:58 Bilingualism and babies: speech delays and brain development

11:24 Baby talk vs. speaking to babies with proper grammar and vocabulary

12:32 Are babies born with fully developed personalities?

13:34 Can you spoil a baby by holding it?

14:53 How Dr. Su introduced her eldest child to a new sibling. Why small age differences make things harder

16:21 Encouraging parents to celebrate each child’s milestones as the happen

17:11 Delayed development and autism diagnosis in babies

18:59 Getting to know your baby

19:32 The benefits of reading to babies

20:00 The benefits of singing to babies

20:57 Dr. Su’s songs for her babies

21:30 Having autism symptoms investigated

22:13 Creating a stimulating, nurturing environment for your baby

23:52 How safe is screen time for a baby’s development?

25:37 Where should you put a baby to sleep? When do you put your baby in the nursery?

27:04 Baby development and swimming

27:25 Baby development and exploring the world. Which toys should you buy?

28:13 Keeping babies safe while they explore

Unii Babies Podcast Home: https://unii.com/en/podcast/unii-babies

Take Unii’s Baby Development Journey video course: https://unii.com/en/journey/baby-development

Learn more about Dr. Su Laurent: https://unii.com/en/expert/dr-su-laurent

Follow Unii on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ask.unii/