Mum's the Word

“I was prepared to be a mum but I don’t think I was prepared for some of the things that come with being a mum.”

We’ve now put together this free DVD to help you to explore some of the issues of your new life as a mum, either at home or within a facilitated group. From changing relationships and how you feel to exploring how you care for your baby, this NCT DVD will help you through the early days.

The DVD shows

• a range of mothers talking frankly about their feelings and experiences, about their hopes, disappointments, challenges and triumphs, about their relationships and about their need for support
• a real-life mother, Abbie Moore, in the later stages of pregnancy and her birth experience, as well as several sequences of her life as a new mother
• an NCT postnatal leader discussing life as a new parent

Throughout, we see a realistic portrayal of what it’s like to become a mother and how mothers may need time to feel confident and to enjoy being a mum. They may experience a mix of emotions - but support, friendship and encouragement is there, now and in the months ahead.

We’ve put together some further information on some of the scenes contained in the DVD to help you to think about your own choices and experiences, as well as some suggested activities for use by health professionals.

Watch the preview clip on YouTube. 

Order now

Mum’s the Word DVD comes free with the current issue of Bumps & Babies, NCT’s free magazine for expectant parents. Mums can order a copy of the magazine online or call 0300 330 0770 to just order the DVD.

We offer free bulk orders of Bumps & Babies magazine to health professional working with new and expectant parents – place your regular order now.

Your pregnancy, your birth, your baby, your choice…

Abbie’s pregnancy, labour and early weeks of motherhood were of course filmed without anyone knowing what the outcomes would be. NCT supports informed choice, including Abbie’s ­­– throughout, we see and hear her making thoughtful decisions, understanding her options and sharing discussions with her professional care-givers and her family.

Where would you like to give birth? Is a home birth in water (Abbie’s choice) what you want? What arrangements are needed to give birth in your preferred place?

Who do you want to be with you? Healthcare professionals will give you midwifery and/or medical care, but who else will be there? Abbie’s preference was to have her family in the same room; some women prefer to be with their partner only, or a trusted friend or family member; some decide to have no one apart from a midwife. There may be moments you want to be alone, and others where you truly need the familiar support of someone you know well.

Positions for labour and birth. Abbie’s midwives enabled Abbie to get into whatever position felt most comfortable – we see her leaning forward several times, first in the birth pool and then later on all fours on the hospital bed. Other mothers discover other positions are better for them.

Your options for pain relief. Abbie used the pain-relieving properties of water, plus gas and air, and then in the later stages she felt she needed the option of an epidural and went to hospital with this in mind. When she arrived, she was almost in the second stage of labour, and there was no time for her to have one.

How you plan to feed your baby. After a tricky few days, Abbie’s breastfeeding went well. However, she stopped after a few weeks. She found the frequent feeding – not unusual in young babies, however they are fed – difficult. How might she have been supported to continue? Where will you get your support from?

Expectations and reality. Abbie’s labour, birth and feeding didn’t go the way she’d planned. Her relationship with her partner broke up – again, not something she expected. Other mothers recount similar unplanned, unexpected events, too. Will staying open-minded about your journey to parenthood help you, or do you prefer to be determined and focussed, to maximise your chances of things happening your way? What might your reaction be if events don’t go according to plan? Who will be your support? Who can you confide in?

Using Mum’s the word with a group: 10 top teaching moments

If you are using the DVD as a tool for classes with pregnant women, you may want to make use of our activities guide for facilitated sessions (PDF).