CAKE! CAKE! AND MORE CAKE!!!

Karrins twins Charlee & Cooper enjoying their 1st Birthday Cake

We have said goodbye to many mums and babies over the past few months. As you know when a Bellybuttons baby turns ONE they must move on and leave Bellybuttons. It also means we get to eat birthday cake!

All of these babies have celebrated their first birthday - Nate, Mayse, Bailey, Joseph, Brayden, Charlee & Cooper. So farewell and love to them all and their mummies, Ashleigh, Carlie, Carleen, Monique, Michelle and Karrin.

XXXXXXX

MOTHERS

Real mothers don't eat quiche - they don't have time to make it!
Real mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.
Real mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids.
Real mothers know that dried playdough doesn't come out of carpets.
Real mothers don't want to know what the vaccum just sucked up.
Real mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?' and get their answer when a little voice says 'Because I love you best.'
Real mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grade.....It is marked by the progression of mummy to mum to mother......

The images of a Mother through their child's eyes
4 years of age - My mummy can do anything!
8 years of age - My mum knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 years of age - My mother doesn't really know quite everything.
14 years of age - Naturally mother doesn't know that either.
!6 years of age - Mother? She's hopelessly old fashioned
18 years of age - That old women. She's way out of date!
25 years of age - Well, she might know a little bit about it!
35 years of age - Before we decide lets get mum's opinion.
45 years of age - Wonder what mum would have thought about it.
65 years of age - I wish I could talk it over with mum.

To all of the special women out there whether you are mummy, mum or mother I hope you had a fantastic Mothers Day last Sunday.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Today at Bellybuttons our babies made us special mothers day mugs. Thank you to Carlie who bought in the mugs and paint for our babies to make the special presents for their mums. Here is Benji with the mug he made for his mummy Bry.

Happy Mothers Day to all of the hard working mums out there.

THE WAITING GAME!!

One of our mums, Hannah was due yesterday. Here is Hannah looking very unimpressed that her baby girl Charlotte did not arrive on her due date!

Im sure you will meet your new baby soon Hannah and we are looking forward to welcoming baby Charlotte to Bellybuttons.

Domestic & Family Violence

Today at bellybuttons we had a talk about Domestic and Family Violence.

What is Domestic and Family Violence?
Domestic and family violence occurs when one person in a relationship uses tactics to try and gain control and paower over another person.
Violent behaviours include:
Physical abuse
Emotional abuse
Verbal abuse
Sexual abuse
Social abuse
Financial abuse
Spiritual abuse
Damaging property to frighten you
Threatening to hurt you or someone or something you care about
Depriving you of necessities of life
Stalking and intimidation
Any actions or behaviours that try to control you

If you are need too talk to someone about domestic violence there are many services that can help
Gunnedah Family Support 67421515
Tamworth Womens Refuge (24/7)1800 073 388
Domestic Violence Line 1800 656 463

2010 Bellybuttons Calendar

Hi Everyone. We are back after a short break. We needed a break after all the hard work we did on the Calendar. Here is the the video presentation of the 2010 Bellybuttons Calendar.

Bellybuttons Calendar Launch

We are currently working on the 2010 Bellybuttons Calendar launch. Here is the video from the launch of the 2009 Bellybuttons Calendar. Hope you enjoy it.

2010 Bellybuttons Calendar

We haven't been on here much lately as we have been very busy at Bellybuttons. We have been working on the 2010 Belly buttons Calendar. This is a HUGE project and it has finally been sent away for printing. Now our hard work has turned to the Bellybuttons Calendar Launch. It is on Thursday 3rd Deccember at 10.30am at the Civic Theatre, Chandos Street Gunnedah. and will also include the "From Here to Maternity" Belly Cast Exhibition. And you are all invited to join us.

GOODBYES

We have had lots of babies and mums leave us since last year as many of our babies have turned 1. Dylan, Nate and Heidi and their mums Christina, Emmie and Tamika have left Bellybuttons now.
We will miss you all but I am sure we will catch up again soon. XXX

BOYS! BOYS! BOYS!

Over the last few months 5 of our pregnant Bellybuttons mums have given birth to their babies - and they are all boys.

Cale born 25/6/09

Kobi 27/7/09

Mayse 11/8/09

Bailey Craig

Brayden David Gregory 7/9/09

More Goodbyes

JACK & MILLA

We are again saying goodbye to two more mums and babies. Once our babies turn 12 months old they "graduate" from Bellybuttons. It only seems like yesterday both Jack and Milla were newborn babies. It is so lovely to watch our Bellybuttons babies grow up. They grow up so fast though!! So goodbye to Jack and his mum Faith and Milla and her mummy Erin. We will miss you all. Take care. XXXX

More Bellybuttons Belly Casts

Some more of our Bellybuttons Bellycasts

Michelle & Bry

LILY TURNS THE BIG 1

Last week at Bellybuttons we said goodbye to another mum and bub.

Lily has turned the Big 1 now so that means the end of her time at Bellybuttons. Its always a sad but exciting time when our babies grow up and leave. Sophie & Lily will be moving up to playgroup now. It has been lovely to have them both there and they will be missed. They can keep up to date with all of what is going on at Bellybuttons through the blog.

We will miss you Sophie & Lily xxx

TODAY AT BELLYBUTTONS WE GOT PLASTERED!!!

Today at Bellybuttons we got plastered!!! Not all of us, just the pregnant ladies.
WHAT!!!! I hear you ask..........No not the kind of plastered you were all thinking.

Today we started making bodycasts of our pregnant ladies, Ashleigh, Desiree, Carleen and Carlie. We are very lucky to partner with our local TAFE college to work on this fantastic project. TAFE teacher Roz will be joining us at Bellybuttons over the next few months to help us with each womans cast. It is a simple (but slightly messy!) procedure. Each woman chose a couple of support people to help them with their cast.

Ashleigh getting ready
We start by covering each womans body with Vaseline

• 

  Carlie & Charmaine preparing Desiree's belly for the plaster
  

• Then strips of plaster bandage are applied to their bodies
  

Carlie & Asheigh getting plastered

Erin was one of Carlies support people who helped her with the plaster body cast

Roz and Sophie working on Carleen

Desiree with her cast completed

• Then the cast comes off
  

After they come off the casts need to be reinforced with more strips of plaster.

Carleen & Carlie work on their body casts

Keep watching as we work on our bodycasts. We will keep you posted!!

While making the bodycasts we realised that womens bodies are very different, but all very beautiful in their own right.

Pregnancy Is a time of change as hormone levels and body shape alter. Being pregnant means you will gain weight. Weight gain during pregnancy is normal and healthy. Whatever your weight was before your pregnancy, and regardless of how much weight you are (or are not) putting on, it is important to have a well balanced diet with plenty of carbohydrates, protein and fresh fruits and vegetables, with not too many fatty and sugary foods. Pregnancy is not an appropriate time to diet, nor is it an excuse to 'eat for two'!

Unfortunately, many pregnant women spend a lot of time and energy worrying about their weight gain. This is no doubt a reflection of our society's obsession with weight and how we look.
However, how much weight you gain is very individual, yet it often becomes the focus of concern for many pregnant women

Reference: www.birth.com.au

POSTNATAL DEPRESSION

• Sometimes the reality of motherhood doesn't match the 'warm and fuzzy' images often portrayed in the media. Unfortunately, for many women, the early weeks and months of motherhood is a constant, tiring and demanding job. Most women feel 'blue' and weepy a few days or so after they have a baby. This is due to all the changes in their bodies and lives and it goes away before long. All women, after they have babies, have some bad days when they feel really down - due to tiredness, being constantly on call, not being able to keep their homes as well as they did, losing their old lifestyle and so on. This is normal. Women need extra help and support when they are caring for a new baby - this is the time to accept offers of help and ask for what you need.
  
  For some women, however, it is more than just having a bad day or days. The bad feelings become so strong that they take over and make it very difficult for the woman to cope with the demands of her life - this is called postnatal depression. Post natal depression affects almost one in six women giving birth in Australia.
  Postnatal depression can occur soon after birth or come several weeks or months down the track. It is very distressing and can make life very difficult for the woman and her family but it can be helped and it is important to get support and help as soon as possible.
  Post natal depression is not your fault. It happens just like any other illness for a variety of reasons and it will get better.

ALERT!Sometimes when depression is very severe there is a risk that the woman will harm herself or her baby. Emergency action is needed if a woman feels she will harm herself or her baby in the near future if she doesn't get help.

Symptoms of PND
· Sleep disturbance unrelated to baby’s sleep needs: most women with a young baby fall asleep as soon as they are able to. Women with PND often lie awake for hours feeling anxious while the baby sleeps. Some women have trouble falling asleep or wake early in the morning, and may have bad dreams.
· Appetite disturbance: women may feel totally uninterested in food and say. ‘I force myself to eat because I am breastfeeding, but I don't taste anything’. Sometimes women overeat in an attempt to control their anxiety or forget to eat.
· Crying: women may feel sad and cry without apparent reason. Tears come easily. They may cry watching news coverage of a plane crash. Some women say, ‘I want to cry but can't. I am crying on the inside’.
· Inability to cope: daily chores seem insurmountable. Women may feel like running away from it all.
· Chronic exhaustion or hyperactivity
· Irritability: women with PND may snap at their partners without cause. Partners often say, ‘I can't do anything right. If I fold nappies she complains I do it the wrong way. If I don't help, I'm being unsupportive’.
· Anxiety: women may feel a ‘knot in the tummy’ most of the time and panic without cause. Some women experience heart palpitations so severe that a heart attack is feared. They may be anxious about their own health or their baby's, even after reassurance that nothing is wrong. Many women describe anxiety as their most obvious symptom and reject the term postnatal depression. They deny being ‘depressed’. The term ‘postnatal disorder’ might more accurately describe the way some women feel.
· Negative obsessive or morbid thoughts: women may be afraid to let their partners go to work in case he has a car accident. They may be afraid to leave the baby with a friend in case something happens. They may feel like life has no meaning.
· Fear of being alone: many women go out a lot because they are afraid of being alone at home.
· Fear of social contact: some women don't want to go out and may find being with groups of people overwhelming.
· Memory difficulties and loss of concentration: women may forget what they want to say mid-sentence or be unable to concentrate on simple tasks.
· Feeling guilty and inadequate: women may feel they are ‘bad mothers’ even when those around them comment on what a good job they are doing.
· Loss of interest in sex
· Loss of confidence and self-esteem: women who enjoyed their jobs may panic at the thought of going back to it. They are no longer sure they are able to do it. Women who enjoyed entertaining may panic at the thought of visitors. They may feel unable to prepare a meal when they enjoyed doing so before the baby was born.
· Feelings of self harm, harm to the baby or suicide: this may be fleeting or very detailed. It is important to assess the risk to the mother and her baby’s wellbeing, and to intervene.
Some women sum it all up by saying, ‘There is no joy in anything any more’.
There is help and support for women with postnatal depression.

Things that can help

• Tell someone
• Seek professional help
• Try to reduce stress
• Be kind to yourself
• Find a support group
• Take things one step at a time
• Don't bottle up feelings
• Eat well
• Develop a support network
• Accept offers of help
• Attend a mums group
• Take some 'me time'

There is help and support for women with postnatal depression
Your local Doctor or Hospital Emergency Department.
Beyond Blue Info Line – 1300 224 636
Dona Maria Pre and Postnatal Support Network – 1300 555 578
Centralised Mental Health Service (New England/North West NSW) – 1300 669757
Lifeline Suicide Helpline 1300 651 251
Reference:
www.cyh.com

www.beyondblue.org.au

www.raisingchildren.net.au

GOODBYE SHANOWA & TAYLA

GOODBYE SHANOWA & TAYLA

AND HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY

Today at Bellybuttons we said goodbye to Shanowa and her daughter Tayla. Tayla has turned one so it is time for her to move on from Bellybuttons.
Shanowa made the yummy cake- doesn't it look fantastic.

It has been lovely to have Shanowa and Tayla at Bellybuttons and we wish them all the best.XXX

WELCOME

Welcome to the Bellybuttons Blog.......

This blog is a place where you can see what we have been up to and what we will be doing. If you look over to the right you will see links to helpful websites on pregnancy, birth, babies and parenting. There is also a slide with some of our crafty stuff. Thank you to Jodi who got us inspired to blog - she is also our first follower.

Bellybuttons runs on Tuesday and Thursday 10am - 12pm at Gunnedah Family Support, 3 Reservoir Street Gunnedah.

We do lots of different things at Bellybuttons and during the coming weeks we will be able to share them with you.
One of our biggest projects was the release of the 2009 Bellybuttons Calendar. The calendar combined touching photography with a collection of thoughts, facts and first hand experiences of birth, babies and motherhood. Kaysie Eveleigh from Captured Memories by Kaysie was the brilliant photographer. I will post a link to contact Kaysie soon

The following are pages in the calendar to date.

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

APRIL

Having trouble loading March but will as soon as I can.

Over to the right you will see this months Calendar page.

We would like to introduce Thurdays Bellybuttons group members. We have mums and babies, Faith & Jack, Erin & Milla, Christina & Dylan, Sophie & Lily, Annie & Ashley and Sarah & Ella. Sarah and Ella have now moved to Inverell but they always call in to see us when they are in town At the moment we have 5 pregnant mums-

Desiree expecting son Cale in 5 weeks but Dr Parsons told her to pack her bag because he doesn't think Cale will wait!!

Ashleigh is due with her second baby, a girl on 18th July.
Carlie knows the sex of her baby but she is keeping it a secret. We are all busy trying to guess!! Carlie is due on the 16th August.

Carleen is pregnant with her first baby. Its a boy due the 28th August.

And Michelle who is also another secret keeper knows what she is having but not telling us. She is due 13th September.

So as you can see we will be welcoming more Bellybuttons babies in the next few months.
Watch and you will see the Bellybuttons blog develop. Stay tuned till next time.