After our member Abbi Vynck shared the journey of her family after the premature birth of their daughter Chloe (A different Start), we approached her for a list of support services that helped them get through the challenging time they were faced with. She told us:...
The BCT Blog
Let’s talk about the hard parts
Let's talk about the hard parts Abbi Vyncke’s daughter Chloe was born prematurely, a story she shared with us in the BCT's Small Talk magazine (A different Start on the BCT blog). Last year, Abbi shared a more detailed account of the story on a page for parents of...
The ‘feminising’ of place names in Brussels
To mark International Women’s Day in 2020 and 2021, the Brussels intercommunal transport company (STIB/MIVB) published interesting information about important women in Belgium’s history, who have been remembered in the capital (stibstories.be). You may be familiar...
Be prepared – What to pack for a hospital visit with your child
No matter the season, colds, flu, Corona, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, ear infections, conjunctivitis, sinusitis, chicken pox or whatever it is, they all seem to come with a fever, and with a fever comes the uncertainty. Do I take them to A&E, or not? I can’t answer...
Hormones – Friend or Foe?
Hormones tend to get the blame for a lot of things, sulky teenagers, spotty skin and bad-tempered women. But that is only half the story. There are good things that hormones do too, leading to love, happiness, creating new life, bringing a baby into the world and the...
From language refusal to language-curious: exploring children’s attitudes to growing up multilingual
In 2022, BCT started a series of Talks on Multilingualism. The first talk was presented by Dr Sabine Little, a German native who has been living in Sheffield and teaching language education for many years. Her bilingual son ended up offering his own relationship to...
An Introduction to BCT Local Groups
Where’s the BCT? While the Brussels Childbirth Trust has a headquarters with the lovely light and bright Clubhouse in Ixelles full of toys and coffee mugs, it’s also has a network of valuable local groups. There are 10 local groups across the city and just outside...
Returning to work – Tips and Tricks for Continuing Your Breastfeeding Journey
When I was pregnant with my son, I knew I wanted to breastfeed, but I had no strong views on how long I wanted to breastfeed for nor any expectation for how things might evolve once I would return to work as a lawyer at Google. While our breastfeeding journey has not...
The ever-changing life cycle of a local group
Around 21 years ago I just happened to see a small advert in the then BCT Newsletter asking if any BCT member lived near Gent and would like to meet up. As a new mum with a 6 week-old baby, no family around and a husband who was travelling for work the majority of...
How to manage the impossible: Being a working parent with a sick child
The first year of crèche is a horror. Little people catch every bug going and runny noses never seem to stop. More importantly, they have to stay at home and parents still need to show up at the job that pays for food and shelter. So how do you manage? 1. Call...
Where to spend Halloween in Belgium
Ghosts in the Grottes de Han, Weird Witches in Bellewaerde, Pumpkins in Plopsaland and Scary Pairi Daiza … Plans are underway at the activity parks in Belgium to continue offering families plenty of freaky fun this Halloween. This summer Walibi was recruiting 300...
What is your pelvic floor and why should you look after it?
Gynaecologists and midwives advise every new mum to start postnatal gymnastics about 6-8 weeks after giving birth. Why do medical experts place so much emphasis on postnatal exercises? What are the effects of back-strengthening exercises? When people still gathered...