Bulletins

Lactation consultants around the world have been extensively studying the process of muscle movement, (biomechanics) used during sucking, in babies from birth through to weaning. Lactation consultants are trained to assess difficulties, correct positioning, provide emotional support to the mothers, and help babies express their ‘behavioural sequence’ leading to breastfeeding from birth. These professionals however, often feel helpless when the sucking motion continues to produce difficulties in infants despite their advice being given and followed. Osteopathy has been used to help babies improve their sucking technique. In practice the approach appears to be promising and has led to a [...]

Courtesey of our nutritional therapist, Sophie Crosswaite. This is a recipe that I’ve adapted from one my Mum used to make as soon as it was warm enough to get the BBQ out. It is now a firm favourite with my three girls and a great summer recipe for getting the whole family round the table. This is especially crucial right now with my eldest revising hard for GCSEs. In fact as I’ve just read today, a study by the university of Michigan has concluded that the single strongest predictor of better achievement scores is frequency of and duration [...]

As the wonder of Spring starts to emerge with blossoms and seeds creating a new cycle of life with re-awakenings and renewals abounding among the Flora and Fauna, for some individuals it can be the beginning of torment and suffering. This is commonly known as Hay Fever Season. Homeopathy has many remedies that can help a sufferer, either by lessening the attacks or decreasing the intensity. The best time to tackle hay fever for a Homeopath is outside the hay fever season. But mostly people come to homeopathy when an attack starts and the over the counter medications have ceased [...]

One of the most frequent complaints during pregnancy is lower back pains and up to 80% of women will at some point in their pregnancy experience back problems. During a pregnancy in a healthy woman, the overall body weight gain and posture changes are clear to see. However, other subtle changes such as the softening of ligaments and internal pressures of a growing baby also add stress to the mother's joints, pelvis and spine. These combined factors can result in insomnia, swelling, high blood pressure, exhaustion as well as more severe conditions such as sciatica and pelvic girdle pains.Pain is [...]

Most women will experience symptoms three to five days after the birth, such as mood swings, teariness, feeling overwhelmed and anxiety. Often called the 'baby blues' It is thought the symptoms are caused by the rapidly changing hormone levels after the birth and the labour experience. For many it is the day you find yourself crying uncontrollably about ANYTHING! Feeling like you are in a long dark tunnel of endless baby care with no way out and no-one who understands or can help. These symptoms often go away after a few days without needing any more treatment than a [...]

How is it December already? Did I blink and miss a couple of weeks somewhere? Does it feel as though you are on a treadmill of ever-increasing chores dragging you inexorably towards December 25th. Does it all feel rather overwhelming? This time of year can make all but the most super-organised of us feel as though we need to stretch time – otherwise chaos will break out. This year was going to be different. You were going to have all the gifts bought by the end of November and wrapped. December was going to be the time for planning the [...]

Lets talk about aromatherapy and essential oils. These have got a bad rap over recent years due to some unrealistic claims that have been made surrounding them. However, essential oils can help tremendously with a variety of chronic issues including anxiety, depression and migraines. Aromatherapy is the use of distilled plant oils in baths, inhalations, massage etc to treat mental and physical conditions. Aromatherapy has an extensive history having been used for thousands of years. Ancient cultures in China, India, Egypt, and elsewhere incorporated aromatic plant components in resins, balms and oils. These natural substances were used for both medical [...]

Antibiotics are generally very safe but do have side effects. Some patients report symptoms such as stomach upsets, diarrhoea and allergic reactions. According to the NHS, 1 in 10 people experiences side effects that harm the digestive system after taking antibiotics. Around 1 in 15 people are allergic to some types of antibiotics. Therefore, it is generally (in otherwise healthy people) a good idea to let milder illnesses (especially those thought to be caused by viruses) run their course. This helps avoid antibiotic-resistant disease strains developing. Your doctor can advise if an illness is "mild" or not. They can also [...]

There has been lots of speculation in the media about a link between sugar and depression. In addition to obesity, diabetes, inflammatory diseases, eating high levels of sugar does have consequences that go far beyond our waistlines. Eating sugar gives your brain a huge surge of a feel-good chemical called dopamine, hence the crave for a sweet treat at the 3pm slump instead of an apple or a carrot. Whole foods, like veggies do not cause the brain to release as much dopamine which means your brain starts to crave and need more sugar to get the same pleasure (it [...]

Meatless Monday is a step being taken by growing numbers of people as we all become more aware about the environmental impact associated with meat production and the health benefits of a plant-based diet. So are the tales that vegan and vegetarian lifestyles are deficient in protein, calcium and iron true? Let's start with why you need these in your diet and take you back to the days of your GCSEs (or O’ levels for some of us!). Protein is required to build and repair body tissues (for example, bone, muscle, blood, skin – all quite important!), make enzymes and [...]