In the current economic climate when families are struggling with everything from employment to food it is incredibly heart warming to know that a dedicated band of midwives are coming to the end of the beginning of their long standing battle to improve the UK maternity services. Campaigning for normal birth The Independent Midwifery Association (IMA) has ...
Tag Archive: Mothers
“Rediscovering Birth” By Sheila Kitzinger
Guest blogger Sarah Buchanan reviews 'Rediscovering Birth' by Sheila Kitzinger. Giving birth is a shared experience by women all over the world and no matter your experience, age or societal status it is a unifying act. However, the physical and spiritual methods of how the world’s different and diverse cultures give birth is fascinatingly complex ...
How Mothers Love by Naomi Stadlen
This book is based on the conversations of mothers with psychotherapist Naomi Stadlen in her weekly discussion group run for over 20 years at Janet Balaskas' Active Birth Centre in London. Reading this book as a mother it made me smile and grimmace. The most private truths of joy and sadness, guilt and pleasure are ...
“Natural Birth: A Holistic Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth and Breastfeeding” by Kristina Turner
Guest blogger Sarah Buchanan reviews 'Natural Birth' by Kristina Turner. Using her personal knowledge of motherhood and esoteric teachings, Kristina's book effortlessly blends contemporary information about the physical elements of pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding with the importance of the mental attitude of the mother. She explores the harmonious relationships between the physical and mental ...
The Birthplace cohort study: health outcomes by planned place of birth
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 ...
“The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth” by Henci Goer
Informed Choice If there is a conversation about 'rights' to be had around birth then the 'right' for mothers to make informed choices must be number one. Henci Goer describes herself as a Birth Activist, an American who has written extensive articles as well as books including the very popular and much quoted "Obstetric Myths Versus ...
“Stand and Deliver” by Emma Mahony
The rise in books for mothers It is gratifying to see a huge rise in the past 10 years of books about pregnancy, birth and parenting written by mothers for mothers. Particularly books about birth. This is a field every woman can become her own expert in because for every woman it is a unique and personal ...
“Raising Boys” by Steve Biddulph
Recognising the gender difference There is debate amongst some scientists and anthropologists about whether there is a difference between boys and girls brains or whether absolutely everything is the influence of external, sociological forces. Every parent I have spoken to reckons there is a fundamental difference in the way boys and girls are wired. Sometimes just ...
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
Diabetes pill to reduce obese babies
A trial has started in the UK to assess the use of a drug that normally controls diabetes to see if it could reduce the risk of obese mothers giving birth to obese babies. The drug, metformin, has been prescribed for use in gestational diabetes with little apparent side effects and so Dr Shehata ...