8 years...my god! I moved away from home when I was 19 to go to university. I started a completely new chapter in my life and living alone / not knowing anyone in the city brought me to UA-cam. This was way back in September 2009 and I found one of your very first videos. My life quickly became very busy, new friends, studying, partying and I've never been someone who's watching LOADS of UA-cam but you stuck with me constantly over the past years. So yeah, thanks for all the entertainment and making the beginning of a new chapter of my life easier! All the best for you and mike and the baby x
It feels like you only announced the pregnancy a few weeks ago and she'll be here soon! Where has that gone?! So looking forward to watching you and Mike in the next chapter of your lives! X
A year later I still see my NCT friends all the time. I was due to be the last one by about 7 weeks from the first baby and I ended up having my baby joint 3rd. Babies will come when they want to so don't worry about any gaps. Create a whatsapp group with the NCT mummies. In those first few weeks, they were the ones up at 3am chatting and answering all the questions!
Hahaha!! Yes mine were literally life savers. You have all the support around you like brothers sisters and your mums. But there is nothing like knowing another first time mummy to speak to when you’re going through the thick of it. We had a WhatsApp group too!! Well we still do xx
I agree, I am still in contact with my nct group in fact we are meeting for tea end of November. Also I agree with midwife led birthing units being great! You have the midwives on hand during and then after for help with breastfeeding. Unfortunately my first birth didn’t go to plan and I had to be bluelighted to the hospital to give birth as I wasn’t dilating past 7cm, once the jungle juice worked though I gave birth naturally! Second time round I had a water birth which was amazing and I got to give birth in the midwife led unit. Am glad you are going in open minded - it’s good to have a birth plan but always have it in mind that it might to be tweaked!!
As an older mom, my best advice would take people’s suggestions/opinions with a grain of salt till you discuss it with your dr. If something concerns you definitely talk to your doctor about it. I’m so excited for you & Mike and the little one that will be making her way into this world soon. Hugs, Summer xo
Aww you are looking fantastic Fleur. Pregnancy really suits you. I am a Mum to two young men now so I feel qualified to be able to say that Motherhood is thee best thing EVER. It puts everything else in to prospective. The love of a child is amazing and makes everything else insignificant. You and Mike will be fantastic parents. My boys are both up and following there own dreams now but it just seems like yesterday that they were babies. The best bit of advice I could give you both is to enjoy every minute because before you know it they will be adults and leading their own lives and making their own decisions. It's the start of an amazing chapter for you, and I'm so excited for you both. I'm looking forward to reliving my babies through watching you with yours. Sending lots of sentimental hugs to you xxxx
I think you both have a really healthy attitude towards pregnancy and birth. In my experience a lot of women who go through NCT feel very stressed and discouraged when things don’t go according to their plan, and I have found that this can affect their mental health and well-being postnatally. Your idea of going with the flow will serve you well, and everything you don’t know you’ll learn on the job! So happy for you both, you’ll make fab parents xx
Ha ha , Mike's reaction to having to spend his precious weekend time off talking about babies !😛 my guy would be exactly the same , let us know how it goes xx
I think going into labour open minded and prepared to go with the flow is the best thing you could do, you don't need any extra pressure for expectations of what you want to happen as everybody is different, every birth is different, every baby is different and once it gets started it could go any which way! Just hope it's speedy and relatively painless!!
I've been keeping up with you since waayy before you and Mike got engaged, so these baby vlogs are so so exciting to watch!! Hope all is well darl - take it easy! Xx
I'm in the US and my husband and I took our childbirth class a little earlier than most also, at around 28 weeks but I found it very beneficial in the long run because more knowledge is always better. Also, you are right about not having a rigid birth plan because there are going to be things you can't control or plan for. I had my hopes up for a natural delivery and ended up having a c-section because my baby girls heart rate was dropping during contractions (called late decels). I was very disappointed and upset in the moment but she was born as happy and healthy as we could have hoped. Try not to have too many expectations when it comes to things like that but I definitely think there are certain things you should choose and know ahead of time like planning to breastfeed, if you'll allow bottles and pacifiers to be given, if you want skin on skin contact immediately after birth (Do it! It's amazing and helps create such a bond with baby), delayed cord clamping and if you want to wait for baby's first bath to allow the vernix to protect baby's skin longer. Do lots of research but be prepared for things to possibly go a different way. Congratulations on your baby girl!! My LO is 5 months old and the best blessing I've ever received!
I hope they touch on having a c section because it happens and bring informed is well was for me a good way of not being so scared as i had discussed it with my provider beforehand.
Donna C. I don’t think our nct class did at all. Just said you might have a c section. I wish they would go more into c section and induction. I know it’s not ideal....but sometimes in my case it was necessary!!! And an emergency. In fact even the nhs antenatal classes didn’t touch on it much. Xx
If you want more opinions on birth and babies, I found the Netflix documentary The Business of Being Born very interesting, although I'm not pregnant or plan of being any time soon. It's a great documentary!!
That documentary, whilst raising some important issues, is inherently wrong in portraying US midwives as equal to midwives elsewhere in the world. UK, European, and Australian/NZ midwives are all university educated, mostly work in hospitals, and are medical practitioner's in their own right. I know in Australia, that midwifery is a 4 year degree that requires extremely high results to get into. Whereas most midwives in the US do not have to undergo the same level of training and are not considered to be medical practitioner's in their own right. Some midwifery programs in the US are only a few months training and only require a high school diploma to enter the program. There are some midwives who are have a bachelor's in nursing who then undergo further training but they do constitute all midwives in the US.
There are several types of midwives in the US: CNMs (certified nurse midwives) who possess a GRADUATE degree (not simply a bachelor's) and are absolutely "medical practitioners in their own right." CPMs (certified professional midwives) must also take a midwifery program and pass a certification exam. Then there are direct-entry and lay midwives who have zero certifications/licensing - these are illegal in many if not most states. Midwifery is still re-emerging in the US and CNMs and CPMs are becoming more and more popular, which means women who prefer the midwifery model of care have more options to choose a provider with better qualifications. This documentary has had a huge role in this (along with general birth knowledge and being an advocate for oneself in labor). Suggesting that "most" midwives in the US are not on par with those in other countries is simply inaccurate and will only continue to be as more CNMs especially become available. As a personal anecdote, I live in a southeastern state and there are 10+ practices with CNMs (either standalone midwifery or together with OB/GYNs) within an hour of me. I even know of two midwives who only attend home births and they're also CNMs. They're already here, and they're only continuing to grow. Big time.
this is so fun following your pregnancy. my daughter is 35 weeks with her second -- her first (little grandman) is just 2, so they will be busy. you are doing great. still cheerful. i was telling my daughter the other day that she isn't miserable enough to be ready! when you can't get around and can't smile....you are closer. but, her first came 3.5 weeks early, we we may meet our little girl sooner than we think. you look great. just don't let anyone (women especially) bully or guilt you into any kind of decisions. you and mike do what you think and let it go.
About the difference in term: a good range to have the baby is from 37 to 42 weeks, so you could even go into labour earlier than one of the other women!
I'm 29 weeks tomorrow so I love watching your pregnancy updates and feel like I've got somthing to look forward to watching and also found your channel the week I found out I was pregnant and have enjoyed your journey so much and also im having a girl so iv loved all the hauls xx
I only kept in touch with ONE set of parents from my prenatal groups, all the others I met when you take your little one to baby groups like baby massage and music singalongs etc
This was helpful. My husband and I feel the same about analyzing biases from birth educators, as well as friends and family. I'm 24 weeks pregnant and we are starting childbirth classes ("Prepared for Birth") in about 3 weeks. The course is 6 weeks long (2.5 hours/week). Thanks.
Ina mays guide to childbirth is pretty good. Learned a lot, I also took a hypno birthing class and that really helped me through a natural childbirth. That class wasn't telling people not to have epidurals or c-sections but mostly education about the birth process and how to cope through labor. It's good to have a birth plan but it's also important to be able to cope if you aren't able to use that plan and that you know your position on different situations should they arise.
Hi Fleur, I did NCT classes five years ago with my first, I personally didn't rave about the sessions, but the six mums I met still meet when ever we can for dinner, we had a private Facebook page which was so useful and I'm so glad I met them all!
I didn't do an nct class and I don't regret it. Mum friends are easy to find at baby and toddler groups, so don't worry you won't be alone. I found not having a core group of mums I knew already actually made me go out and meet people which was great. Also statistics about midwife led vs. Obstetrician led births are always skewed in the U.K.- the presence of a doctor at a uk birth means the birth is already more complicated and therefore intervention is more likely. The best advice- don't worry about it, go with the flow whatever happens. I have 3 babies a midwife birth and an obstetrician twin birth. Both experiences were great if very different. All the best xx
In the birthing class my husband and i attended it was so driven towards a natural birth that i felt bad for the moms who wanted another option. All natural isnt right for everyone and it shouldn't feel like your being pushed in that direction or left hanging.
The labor stuff freaked me OUT! I had read some books and things, but it still overwhelmed me. I had a birth plan, gave it to our nurse and it totally didn't go as planned; not just the music bit and what not but the whole labor didn't go as planned. Love watching your videos, been here since around the time you introduced us to Mike and it amazing to see how far y'all have come! Can't wait to see Baby Girl DeForce! xx
I really appreciate your pregnancy chat!!! Please keep doing this videos also after the baby is born so you can update us. Thank you for sharing your experience. You and Mike will be such amazing parents. I send you lots of love and support!
Fleur if you're havig your baby at your local hospital they should also run antenatal classes where you can meet other mums. Also nct/hospitals run breastfeeding classes post birth, your health visitor can give you local groups information, music time or rhyme time and baby/toddler groups. It can be really intimidating but sometimes you have to put yourself out there. I've made great friends through nursery and wish i'd pushed myself earlier when i'd had my youngest and moved home. So exciting for you, so close now...bump is like your own little advent calendar baby🤗💗 x
You look amazing as always, definitely got the pregnancy glow! In my opinion the best place to make ‘mummy friends’ is by going to Baby groups. I have made some amazing friends and I don’t know what I’d do without them because motherhood can feel quite lonely x x
I had a bub in December last year. I was exactly like you and went in with thoughts of what I wanted but no real plan. I had to be induced but still wanted to avoid an epidural. After trying everything, I ended up needing the epidural which worked brilliantly and I was able to quickly push out my baby still. I felt like superwoman afterwards. I'm excited to have another baby one day!
I'll admit I was totally distracted by Piglet's cuteness for pretty much the entire video! I did catch that you and baby are doing well, though, so that's great news!
Love you so much, and love how you build a family with Mike, and not forgetting yourself you kept growing and developing new skills, despite all difficulties. Sometimes when I feel down I remember how you work hard and that gives me so much energy. Thank you
From my experience my birth plan was helpful not cause really of birth specific things but after wards. With my wishes for what I wanted afterwards and all the Midwife's noted this and made sure they happened which was lovely! X
Grace Lidster yes this! Our midwife read our plan, said he would stick to as much as possible and really made an effort to give us the time after birth in private we had requested. Was great! Also gave something to my hubby to use With my wishes on it regarding pain relief etc!
Im local Fluer if you ever need anybody to speak to and just had a little boy myself. Motherhood can feel pretty lonely at times but having that good support group even just to text at 2am whilst your doing night feeds is invaluable x
Glad to see that you, Mike and the puppies are doing well! When we took the childbirth classes, I think the informative parts were the most helpful like for breastfeeding, tour of the maternity ward, C-section discussion, etc. I hope you enjoy your classes (Mike too 😉), it's starting to get close now, so exciting! 😍
Defo give NCT a chance, I met one of my best friends there and it was lovely to have the people we met around us when we were going through the new born days!! Some of the info was really useless, just take certain points from it that actually interest you xx
Love this video Fleur. Your excitement is contagious. I am only 1 year into being a mum, and although it can be challenging, it's a hugely exciting and rewarding time. I was the same way, wishing time away is so natural. You won't truly appreciate the time before the baby until after the baby is born lol... typical ! All the best x
I know this is still a couple of months away but are you considering working with Piglet to welcome the new baby? She is your shadow through and through and very attached. She may feel jealous (which is very normal) when BabydeForce arrives. She is also the last of your adoptions so she is the least familiar with changes like this! Would love for you to update us on how the pets are reacting as well :)
It's always so nice to have some news from you and your lovely family Fleur! And I'm so happy that you and the baby and healthy! Time really flies! I started following you years ago, and man, that was 2 houses back! Thank you for sharing your journey, I missed seeing you and Mike bickering and now I'm happy!
I think the reason you may feel it was bias is because the healthcare profession of midwives and supporting groups are trying to move back to lower intervention birth after everything went so highly medicalised in the 60s x
The NCT are always going to be more pro-“natural” birth. It’s handy advice but the best thing about it is meeting people who you can then meet up with when the babies are born. And it does t matter if your due dates are all different some will be early and some will be 2 weeks late so you might end up with babies closer in age than you expect. Definitely worth sticking with it for the network you gain. You’ll have so much in common once the babies are born. Good luck! Xx
Most people who sign up for those classes are first-time parents and I think it's perfectly reasonable for the instructor (who I assume has more birthing experience/knowledge) to explain the options, pros, and cons... to equip the expecting parents to make educated decisions that are best for them.
Hi Fleur, I was wondering in your next Pregnancy video could you tell us how you're going to go about introducing the dogs ( and cats) to the baby? Love your videos. Xx
Hi, I think Natural childbirth is great and recomend an 'out-there' book written in the '70s by Ina May about natural childbirth. Good luck, have fun x
My NCT classes with my first born were incredible. Not for the actual classes, but for the 5 amazing girls I met. Nearly 3 years on we are all still in touch and 3 of us are on our 2nd babies. Start a What’s app group, it will get you through the night feeds and billions of questions you will have. Don’t go on pregnancy forums, this is we’re trolls are born, haha. Also please research further than what your NCT teacher advises. Some of us ended up with PND or post traumatic stress as our perfect births didn’t happen. X
Just on the birth plan, I was super good and filled all mine out with what I would like but aware that during anything could happen ect and 3 days later was told I had to have an elective section lol. I never did any classes before due to working fulltime to 10 days before my section but I have met lots of new friends at the baby sensory class I go to, would recommend it, you feel a bit silly doing some of the stuff but seeing them grow with it and how much the babies love it is fun.xkx
NCT push natural childbirth and are very anti intervention, which is fine except it can be a bit hardcore depending on the person doing your class. Ours was a bit hardcore and given I was a high risk pregnancy who required intervention that side kind of sucked. Was great to meet other mums though
Who needs NCT? Just relax and enjoy the journey. Any questions ask your mum or mum friends although every mum is different and will have differing opinions. You will know what’s right for your baby.
I'm so excited for you! I once went on a school trip to a birthing clinic about 10 years ago when I was still in school and we were told there that midwives would do most of the work and doctors would only be there for the critical parts and that that was the best model. But all said and done I think what is important is that you are surrounded by people you trust and that make you feel at ease :)
Maybe check out the positive birth company Louise is using. Might help with the labour prep. I had 3 classes on baby care when I had my first which were alright but I forgot most of it after I had my daughter. You'll be great! Its in your DNA. :) xxx
I was consultant led and couldn't have asked for a better labour and delivery! I pretty much got the birth I hoped for on my birth plan. However for my second baby I'll go down the totally midwife led route. I had an easy natural labour and I found my midwife really supported my wishes. The consultant was nice but everything is just a bit more clinical and lacking in warmth!
I wouldn’t worry about the due dates as me and my friends were 6 weeks apart then I went a week over and her little boy was 3 weeks early so they ended up being quite close in age x
Hi fleur I had my first child in July in the midwife led unit at my local hospital. As I was low risk etc. it was the right choice for me, I had a great water birth with just gas and air. I was induced as an out patient so went home had dinner etc and came back once labour was well established (I was 7cm when I got to the hospital!) I had a great experience but everyone is different. I didn’t have a detailed birth plan and just went with the flow. I chose not to do NCT following my cousins poor experience and would say do what you feel is right for you and your baby and enjoy the last weeks of pregnancy!
Is a shame you could only get the express nct course. I went on the longer course about three years ago. I can't remember a single thing that we discussed but I made the most amazing best friends.
Please don’t wish time away! I was only 27 weeks pregnant when I had my youngest daughter would of given anything to have been heavily pregnant with her 😔 enjoy your bump while you have it! All the best. Love your videos have done since day 1! Xx
Be prepared that the delivery is often different from what was originally intended. Don't expect to control things, birthgiving is always the bigger and best adventure of your life. :)
Im so excited for you two!! Ive loved following your journey this year! Its so crazy to think of all the time that has passed since you started youtube! Your looking beautiful btw. 😊❤️✨
Don't stress over the weight gain! I think from my experience that some women just tend to gain a certain amount, no matter what. I gained the same through all 4 pregnancies, and I'm retry sure I didn't try to gain less or more.
So excited for BDF!!! I remember the day you announced your pregnancy and it feels like only a few weeks ago. I am happy that your pregnancy is going so well!! You always look radiant! xoxo
I'm midwife myself and have to admit that some of us are a little wary of the NCT. They can be rather militant about natural childbirth issues, with not much information given about other possible outcomes such as epidurals and C sections. The groups can be good for connecting with other parents though.
Liz MacLeod we found our leader really great about discussing all options, even c section as a planned option as opposed to emergency and all types of pain relief from natural hypnobirthing up to epidural, and everything in between, even showed a tens machine so I think it really depends on the different leaders x
Hi Fleur Don't know what NCT is. We are boomers. We have had tragic pregnancies. We adopted a boy from Hong Kong in 1997. He is soecial needs. He neds help everyday. It has been for us loving, upsetting, joy and sadness. I really can't comment anymore. You just have to go through the experience. Joan Bates
nct in England was something different in Wales apparently.I went to the first 2 there was only.three sessions it was mainly.breastfeeding feeding focused in.England it seems more.beneficial
Hi Fleur. I also had a December baby and we had a small NCT class! We all got closer and met up after the classes which I have to say...make sure you take with a pinch of salt (I think you will!) I remember the breastfeeding class very well and I was planning to breastfeed but had such a hard time doing it. I just kept thinking back the class and the scary breastfeeding lady. In hindsight, I should have just put it out of my head but it was hard at the time! Our babies are all coming up to five now and we still chat in WhatsApp all the time. We actually moved away from the area where my little girl was born but are planning an NCT reunion next year. When your babies are here you will have so much to chat about with the other mums. You're looking lovely. I'm so excited for you! X
We experienced the same in our class - we are a big class though, with 9 couples in total. But a few are due in the end of November, some in December and then there's us - due on the 16th of January... So it's a bit hard to really connect, because we're 'behind'...
We can totally be parent buddies, I’m only a week ahead of you. I’ll be 31 weeks Monday❤️ although I’m having a baby boy 👶🏻💙 We are on the same page no one around us is having babies. Love your vlogs, I feel like we are hitting the same milestones together 😘
Aww I absolutely love your updates, such a cute couple. I never went to those classes but I do wish I had its better getting a bit more hands on instead of just reading about it all. I hope I'm the second day was better xxxx
I just finished watching limitless (the the series, not the movie) on Netflix and it kind of freaked me out everytime you said nct haha (nzt is the drug that the movie and series is all about)
8 years...my god! I moved away from home when I was 19 to go to university. I started a completely new chapter in my life and living alone / not knowing anyone in the city brought me to UA-cam. This was way back in September 2009 and I found one of your very first videos. My life quickly became very busy, new friends, studying, partying and I've never been someone who's watching LOADS of UA-cam but you stuck with me constantly over the past years. So yeah, thanks for all the entertainment and making the beginning of a new chapter of my life easier! All the best for you and mike and the baby x
Roxy z
It feels like you only announced the pregnancy a few weeks ago and she'll be here soon! Where has that gone?! So looking forward to watching you and Mike in the next chapter of your lives! X
A year later I still see my NCT friends all the time. I was due to be the last one by about 7 weeks from the first baby and I ended up having my baby joint 3rd. Babies will come when they want to so don't worry about any gaps.
Create a whatsapp group with the NCT mummies. In those first few weeks, they were the ones up at 3am chatting and answering all the questions!
Hahaha!! Yes mine were literally life savers. You have all the support around you like brothers sisters and your mums. But there is nothing like knowing another first time mummy to speak to when you’re going through the thick of it. We had a WhatsApp group too!! Well we still do xx
I agree, I am still in contact with my nct group in fact we are meeting for tea end of November. Also I agree with midwife led birthing units being great! You have the midwives on hand during and then after for help with breastfeeding. Unfortunately my first birth didn’t go to plan and I had to be bluelighted to the hospital to give birth as I wasn’t dilating past 7cm, once the jungle juice worked though I gave birth naturally! Second time round I had a water birth which was amazing and I got to give birth in the midwife led unit. Am glad you are going in open minded - it’s good to have a birth plan but always have it in mind that it might to be tweaked!!
As an older mom, my best advice would take people’s suggestions/opinions with a grain of salt till you discuss it with your dr. If something concerns you definitely talk to your doctor about it. I’m so excited for you & Mike and the little one that will be making her way into this world soon. Hugs, Summer xo
Aww you are looking fantastic Fleur. Pregnancy really suits you. I am a Mum to two young men now so I feel qualified to be able to say that Motherhood is thee best thing EVER. It puts everything else in to prospective. The love of a child is amazing and makes everything else insignificant. You and Mike will be fantastic parents. My boys are both up and following there own dreams now but it just seems like yesterday that they were babies. The best bit of advice I could give you both is to enjoy every minute because before you know it they will be adults and leading their own lives and making their own decisions. It's the start of an amazing chapter for you, and I'm so excited for you both. I'm looking forward to reliving my babies through watching you with yours. Sending lots of sentimental hugs to you xxxx
I think you both have a really healthy attitude towards pregnancy and birth. In my experience a lot of women who go through NCT feel very stressed and discouraged when things don’t go according to their plan, and I have found that this can affect their mental health and well-being postnatally. Your idea of going with the flow will serve you well, and everything you don’t know you’ll learn on the job! So happy for you both, you’ll make fab parents xx
Ha ha , Mike's reaction to having to spend his precious weekend time off talking about babies !😛 my guy would be exactly the same , let us know how it goes xx
I think going into labour open minded and prepared to go with the flow is the best thing you could do, you don't need any extra pressure for expectations of what you want to happen as everybody is different, every birth is different, every baby is different and once it gets started it could go any which way! Just hope it's speedy and relatively painless!!
I've been keeping up with you since waayy before you and Mike got engaged, so these baby vlogs are so so exciting to watch!! Hope all is well darl - take it easy! Xx
I'm in the US and my husband and I took our childbirth class a little earlier than most also, at around 28 weeks but I found it very beneficial in the long run because more knowledge is always better.
Also, you are right about not having a rigid birth plan because there are going to be things you can't control or plan for. I had my hopes up for a natural delivery and ended up having a c-section because my baby girls heart rate was dropping during contractions (called late decels). I was very disappointed and upset in the moment but she was born as happy and healthy as we could have hoped. Try not to have too many expectations when it comes to things like that but I definitely think there are certain things you should choose and know ahead of time like planning to breastfeed, if you'll allow bottles and pacifiers to be given, if you want skin on skin contact immediately after birth (Do it! It's amazing and helps create such a bond with baby), delayed cord clamping and if you want to wait for baby's first bath to allow the vernix to protect baby's skin longer. Do lots of research but be prepared for things to possibly go a different way.
Congratulations on your baby girl!! My LO is 5 months old and the best blessing I've ever received!
When Piglet kissed Mike at 10:47 ..so cute! 😂
I hope they touch on having a c section because it happens and bring informed is well was for me a good way of not being so scared as i had discussed it with my provider beforehand.
Donna C. I don’t think our nct class did at all. Just said you might have a c section.
I wish they would go more into c section and induction. I know it’s not ideal....but sometimes in my case it was necessary!!! And an emergency. In fact even the nhs antenatal classes didn’t touch on it much. Xx
neo culture technology, yes stan nct
I was looking for an nctzin and I knew I would find one😂
I was looking for this comment
Stand talent )o)
This was clickbait
Searching for this comment😂😂
In Ireland NCT stands for the National Car Test I was very confused for a lot of this video 😂😂😂😂
BabyDeForce is coming. Oh my gosh. I'm excited to see her. :)
If you want more opinions on birth and babies, I found the Netflix documentary The Business of Being Born very interesting, although I'm not pregnant or plan of being any time soon. It's a great documentary!!
That documentary, whilst raising some important issues, is inherently wrong in portraying US midwives as equal to midwives elsewhere in the world. UK, European, and Australian/NZ midwives are all university educated, mostly work in hospitals, and are medical practitioner's in their own right. I know in Australia, that midwifery is a 4 year degree that requires extremely high results to get into. Whereas most midwives in the US do not have to undergo the same level of training and are not considered to be medical practitioner's in their own right. Some midwifery programs in the US are only a few months training and only require a high school diploma to enter the program. There are some midwives who are have a bachelor's in nursing who then undergo further training but they do constitute all midwives in the US.
Fella, you don't know what you're talking about.
There are several types of midwives in the US: CNMs (certified nurse midwives) who possess a GRADUATE degree (not simply a bachelor's) and are absolutely "medical practitioners in their own right." CPMs (certified professional midwives) must also take a midwifery program and pass a certification exam. Then there are direct-entry and lay midwives who have zero certifications/licensing - these are illegal in many if not most states. Midwifery is still re-emerging in the US and CNMs and CPMs are becoming more and more popular, which means women who prefer the midwifery model of care have more options to choose a provider with better qualifications. This documentary has had a huge role in this (along with general birth knowledge and being an advocate for oneself in labor). Suggesting that "most" midwives in the US are not on par with those in other countries is simply inaccurate and will only continue to be as more CNMs especially become available. As a personal anecdote, I live in a southeastern state and there are 10+ practices with CNMs (either standalone midwifery or together with OB/GYNs) within an hour of me. I even know of two midwives who only attend home births and they're also CNMs. They're already here, and they're only continuing to grow. Big time.
"We'll talk about that when we're off camera" ☺️
I have heard it before, but "fell pregnant" is the funniest British phrase!! Lol
this is so fun following your pregnancy. my daughter is 35 weeks with her second -- her first (little grandman) is just 2, so they will be busy. you are doing great. still cheerful. i was telling my daughter the other day that she isn't miserable enough to be ready! when you can't get around and can't smile....you are closer. but, her first came 3.5 weeks early, we we may meet our little girl sooner than we think. you look great. just don't let anyone (women especially) bully or guilt you into any kind of decisions. you and mike do what you think and let it go.
An NCT in Ireland means something very different!! 😂😂 Dara O Brien has a great sketch about it.
jasnmaf it makes me laugh so much to hear pregnant English women talking about going to the NCT 🚙
About the difference in term: a good range to have the baby is from 37 to 42 weeks, so you could even go into labour earlier than one of the other women!
I'm 29 weeks tomorrow so I love watching your pregnancy updates and feel like I've got somthing to look forward to watching and also found your channel the week I found out I was pregnant and have enjoyed your journey so much and also im having a girl so iv loved all the hauls xx
I only kept in touch with ONE set of parents from my prenatal groups, all the others I met when you take your little one to baby groups like baby massage and music singalongs etc
I am glad it is all going well.
This was helpful. My husband and I feel the same about analyzing biases from birth educators, as well as friends and family. I'm 24 weeks pregnant and we are starting childbirth classes ("Prepared for Birth") in about 3 weeks. The course is 6 weeks long (2.5 hours/week). Thanks.
Ina mays guide to childbirth is pretty good. Learned a lot, I also took a hypno birthing class and that really helped me through a natural childbirth. That class wasn't telling people not to have epidurals or c-sections but mostly education about the birth process and how to cope through labor. It's good to have a birth plan but it's also important to be able to cope if you aren't able to use that plan and that you know your position on different situations should they arise.
laura marie yes this book is great! Very factual and helpful!
Hi Fleur, I did NCT classes five years ago with my first, I personally didn't rave about the sessions, but the six mums I met still meet when ever we can for dinner, we had a private Facebook page which was so useful and I'm so glad I met them all!
I didn't do an nct class and I don't regret it. Mum friends are easy to find at baby and toddler groups, so don't worry you won't be alone. I found not having a core group of mums I knew already actually made me go out and meet people which was great. Also statistics about midwife led vs. Obstetrician led births are always skewed in the U.K.- the presence of a doctor at a uk birth means the birth is already more complicated and therefore intervention is more likely. The best advice- don't worry about it, go with the flow whatever happens. I have 3 babies a midwife birth and an obstetrician twin birth. Both experiences were great if very different. All the best xx
In the birthing class my husband and i attended it was so driven towards a natural birth that i felt bad for the moms who wanted another option. All natural isnt right for everyone and it shouldn't feel like your being pushed in that direction or left hanging.
It seems like yesterday that you announced you were expecting. I still get excited when you talk about your pregnancy and how well she is..
The labor stuff freaked me OUT! I had read some books and things, but it still overwhelmed me. I had a birth plan, gave it to our nurse and it totally didn't go as planned; not just the music bit and what not but the whole labor didn't go as planned. Love watching your videos, been here since around the time you introduced us to Mike and it amazing to see how far y'all have come! Can't wait to see Baby Girl DeForce! xx
I can't believe that you are already in the third trimester! Not too long from now...
I love seeing your updates!!
Piglet killed me during the second half of this vlog. She’s such a funny (and adorable) little dog 😂
I really appreciate your pregnancy chat!!! Please keep doing this videos also after the baby is born so you can update us. Thank you for sharing your experience. You and Mike will be such amazing parents. I send you lots of love and support!
Fleur if you're havig your baby at your local hospital they should also run antenatal classes where you can meet other mums. Also nct/hospitals run breastfeeding classes post birth, your health visitor can give you local groups information, music time or rhyme time and baby/toddler groups. It can be really intimidating but sometimes you have to put yourself out there. I've made great friends through nursery and wish i'd pushed myself earlier when i'd had my youngest and moved home. So exciting for you, so close now...bump is like your own little advent calendar baby🤗💗 x
Exciting times for you! Mike makes me laugh..
You look amazing as always, definitely got the pregnancy glow! In my opinion the best place to make ‘mummy friends’ is by going to Baby groups. I have made some amazing friends and I don’t know what I’d do without them because motherhood can feel quite lonely x x
I had a bub in December last year. I was exactly like you and went in with thoughts of what I wanted but no real plan. I had to be induced but still wanted to avoid an epidural. After trying everything, I ended up needing the epidural which worked brilliantly and I was able to quickly push out my baby still. I felt like superwoman afterwards. I'm excited to have another baby one day!
I'll admit I was totally distracted by Piglet's cuteness for pretty much the entire video! I did catch that you and baby are doing well, though, so that's great news!
Love you so much, and love how you build a family with Mike, and not forgetting yourself
you kept growing and developing new skills, despite all difficulties. Sometimes when I feel down
I remember how you work hard and that gives me so much energy. Thank you
From my experience my birth plan was helpful not cause really of birth specific things but after wards. With my wishes for what I wanted afterwards and all the Midwife's noted this and made sure they happened which was lovely! X
Grace Lidster yes this! Our midwife read our plan, said he would stick to as much as possible and really made an effort to give us the time after birth in private we had requested. Was great! Also gave something to my hubby to use With my wishes on it regarding pain relief etc!
Im local Fluer if you ever need anybody to speak to and just had a little boy myself. Motherhood can feel pretty lonely at times but having that good support group even just to text at 2am whilst your doing night feeds is invaluable x
Glad to see that you, Mike and the puppies are doing well! When we took the childbirth classes, I think the informative parts were the most helpful like for breastfeeding, tour of the maternity ward, C-section discussion, etc. I hope you enjoy your classes (Mike too 😉), it's starting to get close now, so exciting! 😍
Defo give NCT a chance, I met one of my best friends there and it was lovely to have the people we met around us when we were going through the new born days!!
Some of the info was really useless, just take certain points from it that actually interest you xx
I also laboured in the midwife led unit with a pool.for nearly 20 hours and still had him in theatre you never know what will happen
Love this video Fleur. Your excitement is contagious. I am only 1 year into being a mum, and although it can be challenging, it's a hugely exciting and rewarding time. I was the same way, wishing time away is so natural. You won't truly appreciate the time before the baby until after the baby is born lol... typical ! All the best x
I know this is still a couple of months away but are you considering working with Piglet to welcome the new baby? She is your shadow through and through and very attached. She may feel jealous (which is very normal) when BabydeForce arrives. She is also the last of your adoptions so she is the least familiar with changes like this! Would love for you to update us on how the pets are reacting as well :)
Piglet looks so funny sat between the two of you and Squidge with your socks! My youngest dog is obsessed wig my socks! X
It's always so nice to have some news from you and your lovely family Fleur! And I'm so happy that you and the baby and healthy! Time really flies! I started following you years ago, and man, that was 2 houses back! Thank you for sharing your journey, I missed seeing you and Mike bickering and now I'm happy!
Mike wants to play golf instead of going to the birthing class! haha Poor Mike :/
Your time is getting close.....so excited for you guys!! Eight years already on YT......amazing!
Thanks for sharing your vlogs with us!
I think the reason you may feel it was bias is because the healthcare profession of midwives and supporting groups are trying to move back to lower intervention birth after everything went so highly medicalised in the 60s x
Mike 5 was definitely THE Star of this episode :) He's funny.
My mum did NCT and had my brother at the end of December. There was only a couple of weeks or days between them as well and about 5 couples xx
The NCT are always going to be more pro-“natural” birth. It’s handy advice but the best thing about it is meeting people who you can then meet up with when the babies are born. And it does t matter if your due dates are all different some will be early and some will be 2 weeks late so you might end up with babies closer in age than you expect. Definitely worth sticking with it for the network you gain. You’ll have so much in common once the babies are born. Good luck! Xx
Most people who sign up for those classes are first-time parents and I think it's perfectly reasonable for the instructor (who I assume has more birthing experience/knowledge) to explain the options, pros, and cons... to equip the expecting parents to make educated decisions that are best for them.
I'm so excited to see your beautiful daughter! So happy to hear how happy and positive you are!
So sweet to see Piglet loving on Mike.
Hi Fleur, I was wondering in your next Pregnancy video could you tell us how you're going to go about introducing the dogs ( and cats) to the baby? Love your videos. Xx
Hi, I think Natural childbirth is great and recomend an 'out-there' book written in the '70s by Ina May about natural childbirth. Good luck, have fun x
The poses Piglet makes at the end of the video make me think she is a DIVA dog. Soo funny:)
My NCT classes with my first born were incredible. Not for the actual classes, but for the 5 amazing girls I met. Nearly 3 years on we are all still in touch and 3 of us are on our 2nd babies. Start a What’s app group, it will get you through the night feeds and billions of questions you will have.
Don’t go on pregnancy forums, this is we’re trolls are born, haha.
Also please research further than what your NCT teacher advises. Some of us ended up with PND or post traumatic stress as our perfect births didn’t happen. X
Just on the birth plan, I was super good and filled all mine out with what I would like but aware that during anything could happen ect and 3 days later was told I had to have an elective section lol.
I never did any classes before due to working fulltime to 10 days before my section but I have met lots of new friends at the baby sensory class I go to, would recommend it, you feel a bit silly doing some of the stuff but seeing them grow with it and how much the babies love it is fun.xkx
I die everytime at Piglet, she’s such a princess! 😂💛
the faces that Piglet is making when you talk about the class :D so funny!
NCT push natural childbirth and are very anti intervention, which is fine except it can be a bit hardcore depending on the person doing your class. Ours was a bit hardcore and given I was a high risk pregnancy who required intervention that side kind of sucked. Was great to meet other mums though
Who needs NCT? Just relax and enjoy the journey. Any questions ask your mum or mum friends although every mum is different and will have differing opinions. You will know what’s right for your baby.
Isn't it weird in 11 weeks you are going to have a baby and your life is going to be completely different, so exciting
Hi fleur iv had a baby recently he's 11 weeks, I love watching your updates on pregnancy x
Piglet looks absolutely hilarious circa 9-10mins! :D
I'm so excited for you! I once went on a school trip to a birthing clinic about 10 years ago when I was still in school and we were told there that midwives would do most of the work and doctors would only be there for the critical parts and that that was the best model. But all said and done I think what is important is that you are surrounded by people you trust and that make you feel at ease :)
Maybe check out the positive birth company Louise is using. Might help with the labour prep. I had 3 classes on baby care when I had my first which were alright but I forgot most of it after I had my daughter. You'll be great! Its in your DNA. :) xxx
I was consultant led and couldn't have asked for a better labour and delivery! I pretty much got the birth I hoped for on my birth plan. However for my second baby I'll go down the totally midwife led route. I had an easy natural labour and I found my midwife really supported my wishes. The consultant was nice but everything is just a bit more clinical and lacking in warmth!
I thought you meant the kpop band NCT from the title...
DIRTYFACEU same. 😂😂😂
I wouldn’t worry about the due dates as me and my friends were 6 weeks apart then I went a week over and her little boy was 3 weeks early so they ended up being quite close in age x
"I've got things to do" Oh dear Mike you are in for the shock of your life! Good luck with everything xxx
Love your Vlogs ! Can’t wait for the next chapter of your lives. So much fun to come!!
Piglet is the real star of this video. Haha! Its so nice to watch your journey, Fleur! Baby will be there before you know it!
NCT...WE STAN!
Hi fleur I had my first child in July in the midwife led unit at my local hospital. As I was low risk etc. it was the right choice for me, I had a great water birth with just gas and air. I was induced as an out patient so went home had dinner etc and came back once labour was well established (I was 7cm when I got to the hospital!) I had a great experience but everyone is different. I didn’t have a detailed birth plan and just went with the flow. I chose not to do NCT following my cousins poor experience and would say do what you feel is right for you and your baby and enjoy the last weeks of pregnancy!
Is a shame you could only get the express nct course. I went on the longer course about three years ago. I can't remember a single thing that we discussed but I made the most amazing best friends.
Please don’t wish time away! I was only 27 weeks pregnant when I had my youngest daughter would of given anything to have been heavily pregnant with her 😔 enjoy your bump while you have it! All the best. Love your videos have done since day 1! Xx
Jess Talk - same here 😊 x
Be prepared that the delivery is often different from what was originally intended. Don't expect to control things, birthgiving is always the bigger and best adventure of your life. :)
Im so excited for you two!! Ive loved following your journey this year! Its so crazy to think of all the time that has passed since you started youtube! Your looking beautiful btw. 😊❤️✨
When I watch your pregnant updates I have the biggest smile on my face I am so happy for you both! It is lovely to see you so excited and happy! Xx 💗
Don't stress over the weight gain! I think from my experience that some women just tend to gain a certain amount, no matter what. I gained the same through all 4 pregnancies, and I'm retry sure I didn't try to gain less or more.
So excited for BDF!!! I remember the day you announced your pregnancy and it feels like only a few weeks ago. I am happy that your pregnancy is going so well!! You always look radiant! xoxo
Omg when you said a whole new world I started singing and then you started singing too!! it’s was too funny 😂😂🤗😍🍼👏🏽
I'm midwife myself and have to admit that some of us are a little wary of the NCT. They can be rather militant about natural childbirth issues, with not much information given about other possible outcomes such as epidurals and C sections. The groups can be good for connecting with other parents though.
Liz MacLeod we found our leader really great about discussing all options, even c section as a planned option as opposed to emergency and all types of pain relief from natural hypnobirthing up to epidural, and everything in between, even showed a tens machine so I think it really depends on the different leaders x
Hi Fleur Don't know what NCT is. We are boomers. We have had tragic pregnancies. We adopted a boy from Hong Kong in 1997. He is soecial needs. He neds help everyday. It has been for us loving, upsetting, joy and sadness. I really can't comment anymore. You just have to go through the experience. Joan Bates
nct in England was something different in Wales apparently.I went to the first 2 there was only.three sessions it was mainly.breastfeeding feeding focused in.England it seems more.beneficial
Hi Fleur. I also had a December baby and we had a small NCT class! We all got closer and met up after the classes which I have to say...make sure you take with a pinch of salt (I think you will!) I remember the breastfeeding class very well and I was planning to breastfeed but had such a hard time doing it. I just kept thinking back the class and the scary breastfeeding lady. In hindsight, I should have just put it out of my head but it was hard at the time! Our babies are all coming up to five now and we still chat in WhatsApp all the time. We actually moved away from the area where my little girl was born but are planning an NCT reunion next year. When your babies are here you will have so much to chat about with the other mums. You're looking lovely. I'm so excited for you! X
We experienced the same in our class - we are a big class though, with 9 couples in total. But a few are due in the end of November, some in December and then there's us - due on the 16th of January... So it's a bit hard to really connect, because we're 'behind'...
We can totally be parent buddies, I’m only a week ahead of you. I’ll be 31 weeks Monday❤️ although I’m having a baby boy 👶🏻💙 We are on the same page no one around us is having babies. Love your vlogs, I feel like we are hitting the same milestones together 😘
Love Mike's honesty.
I know so many people who are due in December this year! Must be the month to give birth!
Aww I absolutely love your updates, such a cute couple.
I never went to those classes but I do wish I had its better getting a bit more hands on instead of just reading about it all. I hope I'm the second day was better xxxx
*NCT* *IN* *THE* *HOUSE*
Neo Culture Technology = KiNGs
I just finished watching limitless (the the series, not the movie) on Netflix and it kind of freaked me out everytime you said nct haha (nzt is the drug that the movie and series is all about)
oh my gosh, the dog at 9:12..... stawwwwppppp so cute!