Maternity & Midwifery Forum

midwifery

Midwifery Feature Articles Midwifery News

Love that birth physiology: even more!

Debra
Do we know enough? That is really the question. “We are not really trained that well in anatomy and physiology as far as birth is concerned. That gap in our knowledge really hinders us”. “Bringing it down to three major disruptions, the cause of labour dystocia are fear, medicalisation and......
Midwifery Feature Articles Midwifery News

Preventing Neural Tube Defects: Plans to add Folic acid to flour

Debra
Folic acid
Good nutrition in pregnancy is important for the wellbeing of the mother and the unborn fetus. A recent statement from the UK Government reveals plans to fortify white bread to improve folate consumption during pregnancy. This post discusses the reasons for the addition.   The presence of folate (vitamin B9)......
Midwifery Feature Articles Midwifery News

Charging for NHS maternity care – new research

Debra
MATERNITY ACTION
In the UK there have been increasing incidents of news reports talking about cases where Trusts have charged migrant women large amounts of money for their maternity care. In this article Maternity Action discusses their report into compliance of NHS Trusts to the law on charging women. Maternity Action’s new......
Midwifery Feature Articles Midwifery News

Moving towards green pain relief

Debra
Moving towards green pain relief
Concerns about climate change and the short and long term effects on our world remain a hot topic in the news. In the article below, midwifery student Nicole Rajan-Brown, points out news on a new form of “green gas and air” that is being used in a unit in Newcastle,......
Midwifery Feature Articles Midwifery News

A student midwife’s reflection of 2020/21

Debra
Hauwa Hamza
Over the past year in the UK students in Universities (AEI) have been affected by the experience of COVID-19 lockdown. In the Maternity and Midwifery forum we have recorded a number of talks on the Midwifery Hour or at Festivals discussing the difficulties that student midwives, and educators, have been......
Midwifery Feature Articles Midwifery News

Prioritising safety in a post-Covid world

Debra
Hayley Parkhill
In this talk Hayley Parkhill, Midwife with Private Midwives, shares her perspective on caring during the pandemic considering the research published throughout the last year. She discusses using BPR Medical’s gas therapy products in her practice to support the comfort of women and new born babies in her care. Watch......
Midwifery Feature Articles Midwifery News

The language of the new Future Midwife Standards

Debra
Dr Jacqui Williams and Verena Wallace, senior midwifery advisers at the NMC, discuss the language of the new Future Midwife standards. The new future midwife standards are not so new, they have been out for a few years, but with the pandemic they may sound new to many. Follow this......
Midwifery Feature Articles Midwifery News

New research unearths midwives’ problematic substance use for the first time

Debra
Problematic substance use_ an assessment of workplace implications in midwifery
In recent years the pressure midwives are under is being documented across the world. Dr Sally Pezaro and Dr Karen Maher, from Coventry university, have taken this further with research investigation, and now would like your help.   Problematic substance use: an assessment of workplace implications in midwifery S Pezaro, K......
Midwifery Feature Articles Midwifery News

Reflecting on the previous year in Maternity and Midwifery services

Debra
“It’s been a tough, tough year for everybody: and you have made significant and rapid changes to the way you work during the pandemic. It has been relentless and tiring for you.  However you have made a huge contribution to keeping our maternity services safe and keeping our mothers, babies......
Midwifery Feature Articles Midwifery News

Why do 50% of pregnant mothers lapse from their iron supplements treatment?

Debra
During pregnancy, there is an increased need for iron as blood volume increases by 40-50%. During the second and third trimesters, dietary iron requirements can increase to as much as 30mg per day. High dose oral iron is the most recommended form of iron for pregnant women, however 8/10 suffer from the side effects of oral iron. This leads......