What is the Birthplace cohort study? This 2 year English study (April 2008-2010) looked at 64538 low-risk births involving 90% of all midwifery units in England to consider the safety, cost-effectiveness and availability of current maternity services in the 4 available locations: hospital obstetric units (OU), alongside midwifery units (AMU), freestanding midwifery units (FMU) (collectively ...
Tag Archive: Choice
One World Birth
An incredible new project is coming soon called 'one world birth' that proposes to give a new platform and voice to the international scene campaigning to improve birth for mothers and babies around the world. Watch the trailer and then sign up at the website...inspirational stuff. http://youtu.be/sCPZrK8C2ZY
Diary of a free range pregnancy: another way to monitor health
The reason pregnant women regularly see their midwives is to regularly monitor their health. In theory they are meant to be building up a relationship of trust and understanding so that the midwife learns what is 'normal' for that woman and the woman gets to know her midwife and trust her so that at the ...
NHS modernisation listening exercise
The Department of Health (DH) has instigated a consultation exercise to find out what people think about their proposed NHS reforms. An online form provided the basis for feedback and Maternal Link took the opportunity to share 7 years of experience talking to everyone from Trust managers to individual midwives around the UK, summarised under ...
One Born Every Minute: Love conquers all
People seem to love or hate this series. With clever editing this is designed to make good TV but as an educational resource this is exactly the sort of programme that should not be aired.
Introduction to HypnoBirthing: Short film by Maternal Link
I have made a short film to introduce HypnoBirthing explaining why it is necessary and what it can achieve. It includes amazing footage of calm births and explanations of how HypnoBirthing came into being.
Induction of Labour
Induction: help or hindrance? Like most medical tools, inductions have a valuable role to play when there is a medical need. Like most medical tools they are used too often, too quickly and with minimal regard for the complications they pose to mother and child. The NICE guidelines, on which this post is based, state in the ...
Want a second opinion? Get it yourself!
Seek and ye shall find Occasions may arise when you want to do your own research into maternity issues. You may want to expand your knowledge or challenge someone elses' view. In the past few years there has been an explosion in the use of the phrase 'evidence-based care' which means that all care is (should ...