Dr Rachel Reed
midwife • academic • writer • presenter
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I have been getting some very positive and heartwarming feedback about my book on the socials, via email and face-to-face. Thank you! I would really, really appreciate some reviews on Goodreads and/or online bookstores because this helps others find the book and know whether it is worth a read.CHAPTER 5 PREPARATION: However, it can be helpful to have a 'map' of the institution you plan to birth in ie. the cultural norms, hierarchies and your rights within that.@little_fox5107 (daughter) reminded me of the Menarche Blanket I made her to welcome her into womanhood a few years back. I think I spent more time unravelling this (and swearing) than I did crocheting it. Luckily I only have one daughter and luckily she’s worth it 🤣 #menarche #crochet #ritesofpassage #grumpycatFor millennia women have been socialised to accommodate and 'be nice' rather than mobilise against our oppression. We have been turned against each other to redirect our energy away from oppressors. It's time to nurture female solidarity.If you are interested in ordering 20+ books at a discount for your organisation or friends - DM me for details.Woohoo Happy Graduation Midwives! Perfect opportunity to wear a vulva-sleeved gown and clap all that hard work and achievement with @kennygresearch Big Congratulations to all the new midwives 🎉❤️
Archived by the National Library of Australia and Partners
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Recent Posts
Top Posts
- The Anterior Cervical Lip: how to ruin a perfectly good birth
- The Curse of Meconium Stained Liquor
- Shoulder Dystocia: the real story
- An actively managed placental birth might be the best option for most women
- Gestational Diabetes: beyond the label
- Big Babies: the risk of care provider fear
- Amniotic Fluid Volume: too much, too little, or who knows?
- Vaginal examinations: a symptom of a cervical-centric birth culture
- Post-Dates Induction of Labour: balancing risks
- Induction: a step by step guide
Author Archives: MidwifeThinking
Responsibilities in the mother-midwife relationship
Updated: April 2020 When I facilitate workshops with midwives and students, there is always a lot of discussion and debate about professional responsibilities in the mother-midwife relationship. These debates often get heated, and the complexities of legal, professional, and ethical issues … Continue reading
Posted in law, midwifery practice, opinion and thoughts, uncategorized
Tagged information giving, law, risk
29 Comments
The Anterior Cervical Lip: how to ruin a perfectly good birth
Updated: December 2020 Here is a scenario I keep hearing over and over: A woman is labouring away and all is good. She begins to push with contractions, and her midwife encourages her to follow her body. After a little … Continue reading
Posted in birth, intervention, midwifery practice
Tagged birth, cervical lip, cervix, occipito-posterior, OP, pushing
439 Comments
VBAC: making a mountain out of a molehill
VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) is big. A google search for ‘vbac’ results in ‘about 795,000’ results. Reviews, guidelines, policies and statements are being produced by every organisation with an interest in birth. Support groups and networks are growing. I am … Continue reading
Posted in birth, intervention, midwifery practice
Tagged birth, caesarean, uterine rupture, vbac
345 Comments
In Celebration of the OP Baby
Updated: February 2018 How many times have you heard “I had to have an epidural/c-section/ventouse/etc. because my baby was facing the wrong way”? An occipito posterior (OP) position occurs when the baby enters the pelvis facing forward with his back … Continue reading
Posted in baby, birth, midwifery practice
Tagged birth, blame, cervix, intervention, labour pattern, occipito-posterior, OP, optimal fetal positioning, positions
207 Comments
The Placenta: essential resuscitation equipment
Updated: September 2019 The common practice of premature cord clamping has been challenged in recent years due to a greater understanding of how this intervention disrupts the physiology of placental transfusion (Mercer & Skovgaard 2002). Premature cord clamping results in … Continue reading
Posted in baby, birth, intervention, midwifery practice
Tagged ARM, baby, birth, heart rate, intervention, nuchal cord, placenta, resuscitation, syntocinon, umbilical cord
115 Comments
The Human Microbiome: considerations for pregnancy, birth and early mothering
This post was co-authored by Jessie Johnson-Cash and based on her presentation at the USC Midwifery Education Day. The human microbiome is rather fashionable in the world of science at the moment. The NIH Human Microbiome Project has been set up to … Continue reading
Posted in baby, birth, midwifery practice, pregnancy
Tagged birth, breastfeeding, Chris Kresser, gut bacteria, gut microbiota, human microbiome, microbiome, nutrition, pregnancy, probiotic, stress
119 Comments
Perineal Protectors?
Updated: September 2019 Most women will sustain some damage to their perineum during birth (AIHW 2018). Around 50% will have a tear or graze in the skin and/or vaginal wall (1st / 2nd degree). Occasionally (1% of non-instrumental vaginal births) … Continue reading
Posted in birth, midwifery practice
Tagged birth, episiotomy, perineum, positions, pushing, water
109 Comments
In Defence of the Amniotic Sac
Artificial rupture of membranes (ARM) aka ‘breaking the waters’ is a common intervention during birth. However, an ARM should not be carried out without a good understanding of how the amniotic sac and fluid function in labour. Women need to … Continue reading
Posted in birth, intervention, midwifery practice
Tagged amniotic fluid, amniotic sac, ARM, birth, caul, contractions, heart rate, induction, intervention, syntocinon, waterbirth
224 Comments
