Author Archives: Dr Rachel Reed

About Dr Rachel Reed

Doctor of (Birth) Philosophy • Author • Educator • Researcher

Post-Dates Induction of Labour: balancing risks

Updated: August 2019 In Australia 33% of labours are induced (40.5% of first time mothers). The most common reason for induction is to prevent a ‘prolonged pregnancy’. That’s an awful lot of babies outstaying their welcome and requiring eviction. I am … Continue reading

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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 , , | 29 Comments

Information Giving and the Law

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

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

Updated: October 2023 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 , , , , , | 444 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 , , , | 351 Comments

In Celebration of the OP Baby

Updated: October 2023 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 their back … Continue reading

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The Placenta: essential resuscitation equipment

Updated: August 2022 Premature cord clamping/cutting Premature cord clamping (clamping before placental transfusion is complete) has been the norm since ‘active management’ of the placenta became routine. In recent years, research has highlighted the harms caused by cutting the umbilical … Continue reading

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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 , , , , , , , , , , | 119 Comments

Perineal Protectors?

Updated: August 2023 Most women will sustain some damage to their perineum during birth (AIHW 2023). Around half will have a tear or graze in the skin and/or vaginal wall (1st / 2nd degree). A quarter will be cut with … Continue reading

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In Defence of the Amniotic Sac

Updated: September 2023 Artificial rupture of membranes (ARM) aka ‘breaking the waters’ is a common birth intervention. However, an ARM should not be carried out without a good understanding of how the amniotic sac and fluid function in labour. Women … Continue reading

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