Maternity Blog & News | New Beginnings
10 Of Our Favourite Pregnancy Podcasts | New Beginnings
We love pregnancy podcasts for their digestibility, education, and relatability - they're the best way to take your mind off of things or get informed while multitasking. That's why we’ve assembled a list of our top 11 pregnancy podcasts for your to listen to if you're expecting. Whether you’re a single mum or expecting your sixth little one, all of these pods have valuable info and entertainment for you to listen to. Looking for post-partum specific information? Check out our guide: You Did It! Now Let's Talk Postpartum. For First Time Mums 1. Pregnancy Podcast Pregnancy Podcast is the perfect place to start if you’re looking for foundational advice on a pregnancy or birth topics. Host, Vanessa Merten, shares the pros and cons of every pregnancy/parenting decision, calling on expert guests to provide different perspectives and using the latest research to help you figure out your best options on prenatal care, labor, breastfeeding, and all aspects of newborn care. 2. 40 Weeks Pregnancy Podcast Curious about the different stages of pregnancy? This is the podcast for you. The 40 Weeks Pregnancy Podcast literally goes step by step through what your baby is doing at each stage of your pregnancy. If you subscribe you can even set your due date with the pod and receive podcasts in your inbox, timed in sync with your pregnancy. 3. Rockstar Birth Radio Feeling a little bit anxious about giving birth? That’s totally normal and rockstar host, Shalome Stone, is at the ready to help you replace your fear of childbirth and pregnancy pain with the powerful mentality of a badass who’s got this. 4. Postpartum Stories With Steph You’ve given birth, now it’s time to raise this baby! The Postpartum Stories With Steph Podcast sheds light on what to expect as the parent of a newborn through honest interviews with real mums. Perfect for first-time mums who need to connect with the stories of others. For Experienced Mamas 5. One Bad Mother A podcast about the struggles (and sometimes insanity!) of parenting, while One Bad Mother isn’t specifically for mums with newborns, it often talks about balancing babies of different age ranges, including newborns and toddlers. Great for mums that need a good laugh while their baby is crying and the toddler is throwing food. 6. Totally Mommy Image: Total Mommy Another fun, stress-relieving and definitely relatable podcast, two down-to-earth comics, Elizabeth Laime (mom of an infant and a toddler) and Vanessa Ragland (mom of a toddler), have conversations every week about the craziness that is balancing life with little ones. The show also has an associated Facebook-group that listeners can submit questions to, so it’s great for support and community among mums. For Niche Pregnancies 7. Birth Kweens Podcast The perfect podcast for parents considering natural childbirth, this show is hosted by Karly Nuttall, a licensed midwife, and Ali Feroah, a birth and postpartum doula. The pod covers everything from CBD use to hospital vs home birthing. 8. Doing It At Home Image: Doing It At Home Speaking of home births, married couple Sarah and Matthew Bivens are funny and frank about their pregnancy and home birth experiences. They also interview parents who’ve had home births, and cover natural birthing techniques of course. 9. Not by Accident A great one for single mother’s by choice ('SMBCs') the host, Sophie Harper, shares her experiences parenting her daughter, Astrid, solo by choice. A deeply personal and honest podcast, this is a must for any mums going it alone with their parenting journey. 10. Baby or Bust with Dr Lora Shahine Feeling unheard on the often-isolating journey to parenthood? "Baby or Bust" is your supportive friend. Hosted by a fertility doctor who's also a former patient, this podcast tackles the tough topics of infertility and miscarriage with open conversations, expert interviews, and real-life stories from those who've been there. It's a resource for anyone facing fertility challenges, offering both practical guidance and emotional support.Interested in more pregnancy journey resources? Visit our curated guide to the best Spotify playlists for late night breastfeeding to learn more. Did you add any of these new podcasts to the list? Let us know if you hit ‘subscribe’ and what you like about the show.
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Top Baby Names in Australia 2020 | New Beginnings
The results are in with 2020’s most popular baby names being released from states and territories across Australia. And, well, let’s just say everything old is new again with The Royal Family, nature and the 100-year rule influencing the latest generation of millennial parents. Oliver & Charlotte Congratulations to Oliver and Charlotte! This year marks the seventh year running these names are number one. The popularity of 'Charlotte' is most likely due to The Royal Family's influence; the name soared to the top spot the same year Princess Charlotte was born. Honorable mentions go to the names 'Arthur' and 'Millie' which have climbed fast in the last two years. In the last three years, Luna has eclipsed the competition as the fastest trending girls name - we knew it wasn't just a phase (pun intended). Top 50 Names Interested to see the top 50 here in Australia? Here is the complete list for 2020 so far: GIRLS: Charlotte Olivia Amelia Isla Mia Ava Grace Willow Harper Chloe Ella Matilda Sophie Ruby Ivy Zoe Isabella Evie Evelyn Sophia Emily Lily Lucy Sienna Aria Mila Georgia Scarlett Audrey Abigail Hannah Zara Hazel Layla Emma Frankie Ellie Alice Violet Isabelle Eva Elsie Poppy Sofia Penelope Florence Eleanor Emilia Luna Aurora BOYS: Oliver Noah Jack William Leo Lucas Thomas Henry Charlie James Liam Alexander Elijah Ethan Harrison Hudson Oscar Mason Theodore Hunter Levi Max Harry Harvey Archie Isaac Archer Lachlan Cooper Samuel Luca Xavier George Jacob Arlo Benjamin Sebastian Ryan Joshua Logan Lincoln Finn Riley Hugo Jackson Eli Edward Louis Arthur Daniel Around the World Not surprisingly, Australia’s top 50 names are similar to those of other English-speaking countries. In New Zealand and the UK, Oliver is also the top trending boys name. In New Zealand and the US, Charlotte and Olivia are within the top five names. Top Unisex Names This year, there were only two unisex names in the top 100 that could be applied to both a boy and a girl: Charlie (75th for girls and 9th for boys) and Riley (81st for girls and 43rd for boys). However, several of the top 100 girls and boys names were unisex. For girls, think: Harper, Frankie, Quinn, MacKenzie, Billie and Riley. For boys: Charlie, Luca, Ryan, Riley, Jordan, Flynn, Asher, Dylan, Darcy, Ali, Parker, Ari and Billy. An interesting insight if you want a unique (but not too unique) unisex name for your daughter or son. Nature Names Botanical-themed girl names continue to soar in popularity this year. Included in the top 100 were: Willow (8th), Ivy (15th), Lily (22nd), Violet (39th), Poppy (43rd), Daisy (56th), Jasmine (60th), Olive (70th) and Rose (76th) Lilly (96th) and Rosie (98th). Short and Abbreviated Australians love to shorten everything and baby names are no exception. Many abbreviated boys names beat out their original counterparts in 2020; Jack (3rd) won over Jackson (45th). Archie (25th) outmuscled Archer (27th) and Max (23rd) was preferable to Maxwell (which did not place in the top 100 at all). For girls, the McCrindle report noted ‘ie’ diminutives were heavily featured e.g. Rose/Rosie, Amelia/Millie, Elizabeth/Ellie, Isabella/Billie, Charlotte/Charlie, Savannah/Sadie. That's the list of top boys and girls names so far for 2020. It's interesting to note there is not too much difference between this and last year's list - especially for the top spots. Congrats to all the new parents in 2020 - if you're a new mama reading this - what name did you give to your little one? Or, what name are you planning to give in the last half of 2020? Comment below or contact us. We'd love to hear from you.For more tips and tricks for new mums, discover our Welcome to Motherhood guide.
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Blogger Spotlight: Kayla Van Den Ham | New Beginnings
Okay, we’ll admit it - we have a penchant for whimsical Instagram feeds featuring gorgeous family home-life. Anyone else? That’s why we’re enchanted by Kalya Van Den Ham’s Instagram journal - @dearestchildren. On her feed, which is essentially a personal blog, she creates stunning portraits of her family with an overall aesthetic in neutral browns and whites that’s oh so Scandi chic - and reflects Kayla’s Nordic heritage. Not just about the visuals, Kayla also shares on her experiences raising three young boys - all under the age of five - and the trials and triumphs that come with parenting. We sat down and chatted with Kayla about what inspired her feed, how she’s managing with her newborn, and what’s her favourite maternity wear following the birth of her youngest, Teddy. Here’s our quick interview. We love your whimsical feed! Could you tell us a bit about yourself and what inspired you to start @dearestchildren? Ah thank you! I’ve always been a creative nut, love trying new things and challenging myself. I began our page after I started my business @awanderingwildflower - I took loads of product photos and enjoyed the styling side of it. So, Dearest Children became a creative outlet for me, styling and my boys! It’s definitely a gorgeous creative outlet! You have a beautiful family. And we understand you've just added baby Teddy. Any tips you can pass on to our audience about managing baby no. 3? Thank you! Teddy is such a little dream, he has fit right into our family so perfectly. He has definitely been my easiest baby so far! Biggest tip I have, and also need to remind myself of daily is let the house be messy, let the older children run amuck and be loud/crazy, and breathe when things seem overwhelming. Its chaos, but it’s beautiful chaos. Time is fleeting. Such good advice. Now, we know you've tried out a few of New Beginnings Maternity bras - how have you found them? Love them! I have actually never owned maternity bras, these are my first. I generally always went bralettes with my other children. So this is a lovely change and a comfortable one! Finally, three words to sum up @dearestchildren? Kind, calm, nurturing. Thanks so much to Kayla for sitting down and chatting with us. Find more about Kayla and her family’s current adventures @dearestchildren on Instagram.
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Watch the #BabyMamaDance For Endless Hours Of Entertainment
Stuck in quarantine? We can't look away from these hilarious baby mamma dance videos on Instagram. Danced to the song 'Baby Mama' by Starrkeisha, mamas take to the floor and show us how they 'Drop it down, drop it down-down low' often with their partners wriggling around behind them. Get ready to be addicted with these cute videos from The Bachelor’s Laura Byrne and Big Brother’s Skye Wheatley, amongst others. Here are some of our favourites. Laura Byrne The Bachelor's Laura Byrne with hubby, Matty J, try everything possible to get their baby evicted. View this post on Instagram Happy due date kiddo. It’s TIME to vacate the premises. 🎉 📷 @barton.louis A post shared by Laura Byrne 🌹 (@ladyandacat) on Jun 8, 2019 at 2:07am PDT Cris Rivera Chris Riviera from Puerto Rico breaks it down and shows us she's still got twerkability (we think it's a word?) at #39weekspregnant. View this post on Instagram Lil Baby I Love you and all but it’s about that time for you to bring that a** OUT! 😂 Todays little workout was fun, embracing all of this mom/pregnancy bod with all its jiggle 😜💃DROP! DROP! DROP! #babymama #babymamadance #babymamachallenge #39weekspregnant Babygirl in the back minding haaaa business 🥴🤣 A post shared by 🍋🌻🍋🌻 Pineapples 🌻🍋🌻🍋 (@itscris77) on May 26, 2020 at 8:47am PDT Hannah Polites YouTuber, Hannah Polites, mixes it up with the whole family. We love her mother-daughter booty dance in matching pjs - super cute! View this post on Instagram Just dancing my way to labour 🤪👶🏼💕 Literally cannot walk after doing this 🤭 #babymamadance #36weekspregnant #dancefamily #cringe 🤪💃🏼 A post shared by hannahpolites (@hannahpolites) on May 14, 2019 at 1:16am PDT Emilee Hembrow Another YouTuber, Emilee Hembrow from Gold Coast, QLD dances a chill solo, and it's no wonder, she's about to 'pop' at #39weekspregnant. We almost can't watch (almost). View this post on Instagram I feel like I’m about to pop🤣 Dancing the baby out all weekend long in this heat💙What day do you guys think I’ll go into labour?!🤔 #39weekspregnant #babymamadance A post shared by E M I L E E H E M B R O W (@emileehembrow) on Dec 15, 2018 at 1:13pm PST Skye Wheatley Big Brother's Skye Wheatley acknowledges she's 'cringe' but has fun anyway. We love a girl who can laugh at herself. View this post on Instagram Nearly died filming this because I’m so unfit 😂🙈😅 I know I’m cringe but here’s the baby momma and 500k dance 😂💁🏼♀️🌈🎉 #duedate #20thdecember #nobabyyet #whereheattho A post shared by 𝒮𝓀𝓎𝑒 𝑀𝒶𝓇𝑒𝑒 𝒲𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓉𝓁𝑒𝓎🦄🌈⚡️ (@skye.wheatley) on Dec 19, 2018 at 11:35pm PST Kambri Randolph Mum of six boys, Kambri parties with her sisters quarantine-style in this hilarious choreographed dance. View this post on Instagram Things are a little different this time around but we couldn’t disappoint the people! You know we’ll always show up for a push party... even during a pandemic! A post shared by Kambri Randolph (@kambrirandolph) on Apr 23, 2020 at 7:14pm PDT Congrats to all the new mamas. We love these baby mama dances! If you want to take part, tag us on your next #babymamadance and we'll repost it. Have fun #stayhome. x
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How Mums Are Staying Connected & Sane During Social Distancing
Today marks the 43th day of quarantine and while some mums are loving the quiet time spent with their babies, others are going stir crazy, or worse, feeling the effects of isolation and loneliness as they try to cope with a lack of support. The good news is you don’t have to go it alone. Now more than ever there’s a virtual activity for anything you can imagine! Here’s how some mums are changing it up and getting social online. Join A Facebook Mums Group As you can imagine, quite a few Facebook Groups have started up in response to lockdown. Our favourite is the Family Lockdown Tips and Ideas Group. It’s a fun page where families are encouraged to post anything they want to share with other members. Post a link to a good online resource or just let off some steam with a personal rant on how you feel - we love how this page lets you express yourself. Credit: Lauren’s post is from the Family Lockdown Tips & Ideas Facebook Group Social Distancing Happy Hour Wine-not? These neighbourhood mums are enjoying a Friday catch up with a cocktail in hand, six feet apart. Cheers to that. Community Group App If Facebook pages aren’t your thing, there are a few new-mum apps available for online meetups and chats about day-to-day mumming. Our favourites are Peanut and Mush. Both are online social networking apps for mums where you can connect on issues of motherhood, fertility, PND and just about anything else you can think of. Credit: Image from Peanut.io Group Chats Need to see faces? Don’t forget video hangouts on Facetime, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger Video and Zoom. Bring a cup of tea and don’t be shy about suggesting regular meetings. Even your kids can get in on the action, using hilarious filters and greenscreen backgrounds to create a virtual playdate. Credit: Image from NorthshoreMums.com.au Live Stream Exercise and Meditation Classes Credit: Image from mothernurtureyoga.com.au Now more than ever it’s important to keep your body moving! Workout with other mums at one of the numerous online exercise events taking place at different gyms and exercise studios. We love this pre-natal yoga class by mothernaurtureyoga.com based in Drummoyne. Will you try one of these groups? Let us know how you go! Message us in the comments about any free resources or links you’ve stumbled across that you think might be helpful for other new iso mums.
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Our Spotify Playlist for Late Night Breastfeeding
Having a baby is a delicate time for all mums. From birth through to the first six months, it’s a seemingly magical period, unique to each mother and baby, where bonding involves sleepless nights of breastfeeding and holding bub close as you rock them over and over to sleep. In our blog, Everything They Don’t Tell You About Breastfeeding, we recommended to not turn on lights while breastfeeding, as a TV screen or phone can disrupt your baby’s circadian rhythm, making it harder for them to adjust to a sleep routine. Instead, we recommend listening to your favourite podcast or relaxing music. That got us thinking, what are the best songs for those 4am nights when you’re so tired but so happy? We asked New Beginning’s mums for their favourite song recommendations and got so many good suggestions, we created a Spotify playlist. Click here to check it out! A mix of soothing orchestral pieces and modern day low-fi - there’s no cutesy baby songs here! We like to think of this as your relaxing midnight soundtrack to help you remember the magical time when baby was just a newborn. Here’s a few stand out tracks we love: ‘Dancing In the Moonlight’ - L’aupaire This song is a classic and the cover version with L’aupaire is calming while still bringing back memories. Plus the words are also so perfect for night time with baby. ‘Nothing Even Matters’ - Lauryn Hill From her iconic album ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’, this song, fittingly, is a celebration of Hill’s first born with Rohan Marley. The song talks about how everything disappears when you’re with a newborn. ‘Confidence’ - Ocean Alley So groovy, so funky - perfect for a late night jam session. ‘Together At Last’ - Alexis Ffrench Classical music with a twist! Alexis Ffrench creates positive and uplifting piano pieces that mimic modern pop songs in structure. Warm, simple and beautiful, it’s a perfect song to listen to late at night. ‘Milk’ - Kings Of Leon Sometimes you’ve got to have a sense of humour! ‘Milk’ is the perfect song to pump milk to, or breastfeed, without it getting too loud. What do you think of the song choices? Would you add any to our list? Comment below your favourite late-night songs to breastfeed and cuddle to. We might add some of them to the list! For more mum's entertainment, Watch the #BabyMamaDance. Thank you to Bijanka Orr, Nikki Moses and the other fabulous mums (who want to remain anon) for contributing to the playlist :)
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Everything They Don't Tell You: Breastfeeding Tips & Advice
We’ve all heard the common advice about breastfeeding, everything from ‘how to latch’ to ‘how to burp’. But what are the lesser known truths we don’t hear as often? Here are some bits of advice you’ve (probably) never heard before. Don’t Check Your Phone During Night-time Feeds While breastfeeding can be boring at night, try not to binge on Netflix or catch up on emails. Lactation consultant, Eileen Murphy, notes turning on lights or the TV can disorient your baby and make it harder to set them on a sleep schedule. We recommend listening to a relaxing podcast instead. You Don’t Have To Use The ‘Hollywood Hold’ The most common latching technique is to cradle your baby sideways with its head resting on your elbow, but if that’s not working there are 10 other positions you can test out on bub. Everything from lying down rugby holds (look it up) to vertical latching, where your baby faces you and rests on your knee. Experiment to find what’s right for you. Breastfeeding Can Deflate Your Boobs, If You Don’t Use A Supportive Bra Yes, it’s true, breastfeeding can make your boobs start to look like old tube socks (*silent screams). One way to prevent this is to find great maternity bras that really lift and support your boobs no matter what stage they’re in. A great bra will support the breast’s ligaments and help recover damage caused by your baby pulling on your breast as they turn their head about. Other preventative steps include strengthening exercises, diet and drinking lots of water. Drink Water To Produce Milk Speaking of drinking water, when breastfeeding the best thing you can do to produce milk is to stay hydrated. Your body will keep trying to produce milk even if you’re not, but it can make you feel pretty sick and unwell. If you'd like to know more about breastfeeding, have a read of our blog: How long should a newborn feed for? On a similar note, make sure you’re eating an additional 500 calories per day when breastfeeding. Try to eat a nutritionally balanced diet, but if you slip up and eat french fries it won’t hurt your baby. Your body is designed to make healthy, nourishing milk. Empty Your Milk Often To Reduce Painful Swelling When feeding or pumping, try to empty your milk during each session, this helps prevent ducts from clogging (don’t worry it’s a rare occurrence!). Similarly, try to breastfeed or pump whenever your breasts are starting to feel heavy and full. If you wait too long they can become swollen and painfully tender. Read our blog ‘Pump or Feed’ for tips on when and how to breast pump. Breastfeeding Makes You Bolder Lastly, know that breastfeeding makes you bolder and a protective mummy. Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles show breastfeeding increases your body's threshold for stress by increasing oxytocin and prolactin levels. In a scenario where a stranger was rude to their baby, breastfeeding mums defended their baby’s rights and had significantly lower blood-pressure than mums who solely bottle-fed their babies. They were more stress-resistant - a fantastic side-benefit of the unique mother-child bond. Having trouble breastfeeding? Remember to take deep breaths, relax and search for answers to your problems. If it’s still not working, see a lactation consultant. They’ll help you and your baby learn to breastfeed. Keep in mind every parent-baby bond is unique and takes time but it’s worth it.
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Benefits of Bamboo Maternity Products | New Beginnings
What is Bamboo? Bamboo is an incredibly versatile material used in so many products nowadays. From clothing and linen, to homewares, furniture and, yes, pregnancy products. Sustainable to grow, strong and flexible, and incredibly soft and resilient when woven as a fibre, bamboo has a long list of benefits. That’s why bamboo is the perfect material for pregnant and nursing Mums. Bamboo nursing pads are soft on your skin and super absorbent, while hypoallergenic bamboo baby wipes are kind to theirs. Bamboo is a truly wonderful material which benefits Mums, babies and our environment. Environmental Benefits Reduced farming footprint Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants on earth. It uses around 30% of the water needed to grow cotton and can grow almost a metre in a single day. Less chemicals Bamboo is naturally resistant to pests so doesn’t require chemical spraying while it grows. It also requires far less chemical additives in the manufacturing process, unlike polyester or nylon which produce lots of chemical waste. 100% biodegradable You don’t have to feel guilty about your bamboo baby wipes or nursing pads going into landfill. They break down in as little as 6 months, where products made with plastics clog up our environment for 1,000 years. Benefits of using Bamboo products So we know bamboo nursing pads and baby wipes are kind to the environment. But what about you? There’s more good news! Bamboo is incredibly soft to the touch, perfect for sensitive skin and more effective than almost any other material: Naturally antibacterial fibres make bamboo more hygienic Bamboo absorbs up to 40x its own weight Up to 40% more absorbent than the best cotton Hypoallergenic, ideal for sensitive skin Our bamboo nursing pads are designed with an innovative hex weave for even more absorbency, and chemical-free bamboo baby wipes are the perfect addition to your baby bag. Types of Bamboo Baby Products New Beginnings are well and truly on the bamboo bandwagon. We have seen the benefits of this wonderful eco-friendly material and wanted to create pregnancy products that are as good for the environment as they are for new mums. You can now find a range of essential pregnancy hygiene products on our online store: Disposable bamboo nursing pads Ultra-thin bamboo nursing pads Bamboo baby wipes in boxes or soft packs Bamboo maternity pads Disposable bamboo pants Why Choose New Beginnings bamboo products? As the world continues to find new ways to use bamboo, here at New Beginnings we are dedicated to giving new and expecting Mums the kindest, most effective pregnancy products. Our bamboo nursing pads were specially designed to contour for added comfort. They are capable of absorbing up to 40x their own weight and fit seamlessly into clothes. No more wet patches or uncomfortable clothing – only the soft, non-allergenic feeling of bamboo. For baby, our bamboo dry wipes are not only more effective than traditional baby wipes but also much more environmentally friendly. They are 100% biodegradable as well as being incredibly absorbent and soft on delicate skin. Ready to order your bamboo baby products? Call our order hotline on 1300 768 868, or you can send us an email at sales@newbeginnings.com.au for more information. Don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter at the bottom of the page so we can keep you up-to-date with news and product information specially tailored to new Mums.Looking for more information about bamboo baby and nursing products? Visit our mum's guide to Why I Choose Bamboo Dry Wipes.
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Ultimate Maternity Hospital Bag Checklist: What to bring to hospital
With your due date nearing, having a thoughtfully arranged hospital bag for both you and your newborn is essential. This guide walks you through every must-have item—from paperwork to cozy clothing to baby-ready essentials—and includes a handy printable checklist to simplify your prep.
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