Q&A with Jane Mason of Natural Birthing Company

Everywhere you look there are people offering advice and tips on how to be a parent. You are confronted with so many sources, and it can be a confusing and stressful time - neither of which are good when you're expecting a baby!

We have been excited to bring in a new brand - Natural Birthing Company - to our collection. All safe, all natural and cruelty-free, Natural Birthing Company's range of pre- and post-pregnancy tonics are made from 100% natural ingredients that are super effective at alleviating lots of the aches and pains of pregnancy. Breastfeeding and massage oils, body spritz and postnatal compression solutions make for a great collection of treats for mum.

Let us introduce you to Natural Birthing Company by way of midwife Jane Mason, who has spent time creating and designing these products alongside aromatherapists, chemists and herbalist experts. Here, we have a Q&A with Jane, chatting about how she developed these wonderful products, and the best advice for a brand new mum!

How long have you been a midwife and have you noticed an increase in people using natural parenting techniques? 

I've been qualified for 10 years now & yes during that time and, since I had my own children (who are now 23 & 19), parenting techniques have changed. I would have loved to have done baby wearing when mine were little but it was unheard of then. It was only disposables when my children were babies & now we have choice with the easy to use reusables & biodegradable chemical free nappies.  The whole advice on how long to breastfeed & how to wean has also changed over the years and parents are more questioning & cautious about things now such as dummies or baby skincare products.
 

What made you want to help develop these products? 

We developed the products because as a working Midwife I knew women experienced so many symptoms though pregnancy and then issues surrounding birth and afterwards but there wasn't really anything to support them, especially naturally based products.  

How were the products developed and how did you come up with the ingredients – through personal experience or a wider consensus of what has worked for others? 

I was using aromatherapy in the NHS hospital where I worked at the time. I always loved to use it & would promote its use because I could see what benefits it brought women both physically & mentally. At work, I would offer my breastfeeding mums aromatherapy breast compresses as part of my package of care that shift. The women loved the smell & the benefit they felt but when they went home they couldn't copy what we had done for them on the ward so that’s where the idea of Bosom Buddies came from. The whole range has involved the input of qualified aromatherapists, herbalists and chemists to ensure we were using lovely effective ingredients that are safe for use in pregnancy and the postnatal period. 

How important was it to use natural ingredients – have you always promoted the use of naturally-sourced elements? 

It was really important to use as natural as possible ingredients, so SLS & parabans were immediately out as were many of the other ingredients that are common in some of today’s cosmetics. Our skin is the biggest organ in our body so anything we put on to it can have an effect on our wellbeing. I only use natural products myself so it was crucial to me that the Brand reflected my own ethos. I have also secured registration with the Vegan Society for all of our products because I feel for those of us who lead a plant based lifestyle there is a growing need for products to reflect this choice. 

Is there one particular complaint that you get from pregnant or new mums?

Ooh only one?! I think tiredness & nausea are the biggest complaints in pregnancy, that's where our Cool It Mama comes in! Once baby has arrived - it's still tiredness!! 

What would you say is the most valuable piece of advice you could give to a new mum?

I have two pieces of advice I always end up giving to new mums! Don't look too far ahead & wonder about things that will happen later down the line - just deal with the here & now. As your baby grows you will grow as a parent too, so what you may worry about now won't phase you as much when it happens. 

Once baby arrives take time to just get to know your baby, enjoy them & bond with them. So many of us lead busy lives - always on the go and some women can find it hard to adjust. It's common for lots of visitors to descend on new parents, which is lovely in one sense but exhausting in another! New mums can often find themselves entertaining visitors when they've had little or no sleep the night before. I always advise new parents to take up any offers of help from friends & relatives, don't be too proud - they wouldn’t offer if they didn't mean it!