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Midwife Experiences
Neurodiversity in maternity care: why it is a safety and equity issue, and the reasonable adjustments that help
This blog post was written by Laura Spence. She is a midwife, MSc Perinatal Mental Health, and founder of NeuroNatal Academy CIC, focused on neuroinclusive maternity care (ADHD, autism, sensory processing differences, dyspraxia, etc.). She is also an ADHDer.Consider a...
Is Avoidable Serious Harm in Childbirth Associated with ‘Normal Birth Ideology’ – or ‘Not Doing Our Job Properly’?
It’s official – the concept of ‘pursuit of normal birth at any cost’ will be considered in the national maternity and neonatal investigation. Its scope includes ‘understanding the impact of specific professional beliefs and approaches … the extent to which a ‘normal...
The Pursuit of Normal Birth at Any Cost: Where Did it Come From and Where Has it Taken Us?
I believe this dramatic and hurtful (to me) phrase was first introduced in the 2015 report of the Morecambe Bay Investigation by Dr Bill Kirkup, when he wrote, “There was a growing move amongst midwives to pursue normal childbirth ‘at any cost’”
21. THE POISONED APPLE
My baby was born blue and motionless. She didn’t even look real. ‘Is it dead?’ I asked, blurred by morphine. This was my first response to my only child. Beyond the apathy, nothing.
Exploring the Socio-cultural Aspects of Obstetric Interventions Through a Feminist Lens
Childbirth in the UK is defined by societal and cultural beliefs, expectations and customs which influence women’s decisions (Luce et al, 2016). These beliefs become accepted as the ‘norm’ and are based on ideas which emerged
Reading “Closure”
Reading “Closure”, Becky Reed and Nadine Edwards account of the sabotage of the Albany Midwifery Practice (AMP) by managers at Kings College Hospital enraged me, made me cry, and woke me up in the night. It is just as well that Tim Smart, former CEO at Kings doesn’t...
Money Matters – the cost of living crisis and student debt
In June of this year, the National Union of Students carried out a survey of roughly 3,500 students into their financial situations, concerns and how they feel about the current cost of living crisis. I believe that this may be affecting midwifery and other healthcare...
Will Bill Kirkup March for Midwives?
I was surprised that the Sunday Times wasn’t full of the latest scandalous report into maternity services. Bill Kirkup’s report into East Kent showed a toxic culture that harms women, babies their families – and midwives. It was the same old story: rapid turnover of...
The Baby on the Fire Escape – A Review
From the captivating cover art, ‘Mother and Child’ by Alice Neel, to the community of ‘mothers and others’ in Julie Phillips acknowledgments at the end of the book, this text reverberates with honest reflections of artists as mothers, mothers as artists, that will resonate with anyone combining work and mothering.
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