My Joli Friends is our caring community of mums and dads sharing their own parenting experience. 

Today we are very happy to welcome Muriel in My Joli Friends‘ community!

Midwife is her job, lactation consultant is her speciality. For Muriel, if you want to go through a smooth breastfeeding journey, the earlier you start from your delivery day the better it will be. The good news is that she is here to assist you with her team of midwives.

Muriel’s Portrait

Job 1: Mum of a preteen girl (12) and a football fanboy (9), wife of a golf addict

Job 2: Midwife and Lactation consultant

What would be your best “mom to be ” advice ?

Follow your guts and enjoy the cuddles.

It may be difficult to deal with all the different advices everyone can give you when you are a new mum (sometimes without even asking) or to try to parent in a trendy way where you feel it is not so natural for you.

Follow your instincts, you are the expert of your baby, you know what is best for you and your family. What you do may be different from what your friend does but there is no right way or wrong way to parenting; the right way is what works for your family.

What is the worst young parent advice you were given ?

“Your child will not walk properly if you have had a C/Section”

I have had 2 emergency C/sections and I know there was a valid reason that motivated these decisions. My kids were walking ok and running around the house (not so much nowadays for one of them, blame the teenager stage…)

Also “that babies above 4kg are ready to sleep through the night”

There can be a lot of pressure on parents who then expect their few months old baby to sleep through the night. I did try to let my number 2 cry to sleep but it ended up being traumatic for both of us. Some babies need more reassurance and time than others.

Mama Bear or Mama cool?

I thought I was a Mama cool until one of my friend pointed out that I was a Mama Bear and since then I did realize I was indeed one of them.  I was trying hard to be cool but couldn’t fight with my real nature.

What could you bring to the “mum-to-be” or “nursing mums” community through your expertise/job/activity?

Educating yourself during the pregnancy and then getting the support you need after baby is born is really important.  In order to have a smooth and as long as desired breastfeeding journey, having a good start in the early days after delivery is crucial.

I am part of a team of 5 midwives and Lactation consultants IBCLCs.  We provide antenatal classes, postnatal support at home or in baby clinic (for weight checks, baby care advice, administering vaccines, answering all the different questions you may have, ensuring you recover from the birth and baby is growing well) or through our lactation clinic (helping with latching baby, management of mastitis, sore nipples, milk supply…) .

Where can we find you?

At Healthbay Clinic in one of our 2 branches (Verve Villa on Al Wasl Road or Detroit House Motorcity) or we can visit you at home.  You could also find us once a month in a café meeting with our mums to be or new mums just to have a chat.

For enquiries call 8004272 or email midwives@healthbayclinic.com

Follow us on Instagram also for more updates @ Healthbay_Midwives