Author Archives: midwifethinking

About midwifethinking

Midwife and Senior Lecturer

Induction of Labour: balancing risks

Posted on July 13, 2016

In Australia 26% of labours are induced. The most common reason for induction is a ‘prolonged pregnancy’. That’s an awful lot of babies outstaying their welcome and requiring eviction. I am not going to get stuck into the concept of a … Continue reading →

Posted in baby, birth, intervention | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 259 Comments

Responsibilities in the mother-midwife relationship

Posted on June 28, 2016

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 can become confusing. … Continue reading →

Posted in law, midwifery practice, opinion and thoughts, uncategorized | Tagged , , | 29 Comments

Information Giving and the Law

Posted on June 15, 2016

I was writing a blog post on induction for prolonged pregnancy but got side tracked reflecting on a recent study day I attended about law. So, I will get this out of my system before finishing the induction post. It … Continue reading →

Posted in law, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , , , | 49 Comments

The Anterior Cervical Lip: how to ruin a perfectly good birth

Posted on June 15, 2016

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 while the midwife … Continue reading →

Posted in birth, intervention, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , , , | 431 Comments

VBAC: making a mountain out of a molehill

Posted on June 15, 2016

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 , , , | 335 Comments

In Celebration of the OP Baby

Posted on June 8, 2016

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 , , , , , , , , | 199 Comments

The Placenta: essential resuscitation equipment

Posted on April 13, 2016

Updated: January 2018 Knowledge about the short-term and long-term benefits of ‘delayed cord clamping’ is finally making it into practice. Midwives and in some cases obstetricians are realising the importance of allowing the placenta to finish circulating blood before intervening. … Continue reading →

Posted in baby, birth, intervention, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 109 Comments