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You can find my blog, podcast, YouTube, articles, books, courses and collective at www.rachelreed.website or via the link in my bio.I've recorded an audio version of my Big Babies blog post as an experiment for those who like to listen (also on YT). Let me know if you want more audio blog posts. You can find the written version in the usual place: https://midwifethinking.com/2019/09/02/big-babies-the-risk-of-care-provider-fear/We see echoes of this today in midwifery textbooks and knowledge.One of the hardest aspects of being a care provider or educator is managing our egos (I include myself here). We encourage pregnant women to develop self-knowledge, but we also need to develop our own self-knowledge. This is why I include these conversations, reflections and activities in my Reclaiming Childbirth Course.My paper copy arrived today. Another brilliant book by my mate Dr Sara Wickham. I've been waiting eagerly for this one to arrive. It is such an important topic, so many women have their birth experiences de-railed unnecessarily. As per tradition, I attempted to get a pet to participate in a photoshoot. As per tradition, I failed. 🤣 @drsarawickhamSince the wholesale medicalisation of birth, knowledge of birth physiology has continued to decline. This book from the 1940s (post-medicalisation) explains how the amniotic sac functions during labour. It reflects Friedman's findings (see previous post) and current research. Today, this knowledge has been replaced with a belief that amniotomy speeds up spontaneous labour.Top Posts
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Recent Posts
Archived by the National Library of Australia and Partners
Author Archives: Dr Rachel Reed
Cord Blood Collection: confessions of a vampire-midwife
Updated: February 2022 When I was a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed student midwife, I was awarded with a certificate and a box of chocolates. My achievement was collecting the most ‘cord’ blood in the hospital. At that time, the Local Health … Continue reading
Posted in baby, birth, intervention, law
Tagged baby, cord blood, ethics, information giving, law, placenta, stem cells
178 Comments
Asynclitism: a well aligned baby or a tilted head?
Asynclitism is when the baby’s head is moving through the pelvis ‘tipped’ to one side. This is usually diagnosed by a vaginal examination in labour. However, asynclitism is rarely caused by the baby having his/her head tilted to one side … Continue reading
Posted in birth, midwifery practice
Tagged asynclitism, birth, intervention, labour pattern
124 Comments
Supporting women’s instinctive pushing behaviour during birth
This article was published in The Practising Midwife journal in June 2015 along with ‘practice challenge’ questions for midwives (not included here). Introduction Clinical guidelines recommend that women should be guided by their own pushing urges during birth (National Institute for Health … Continue reading
Shoulder Dystocia: the real story
Updated: August 2023 There is a lot of unwarranted fear about ‘big babies’ getting stuck. The media reflects the usual story – that women are creating a problem. This post was initially written in response to a news article entitled … Continue reading
Posted in birth, intervention, midwifery practice
Tagged birth, complication, intervention, positions, risk, shoulder dystocia
196 Comments
Nuchal Cords: the perfect scapegoat
Updated: April 2022 To get this blog going I decided to write about a slight obsession of mine: The fear of, and routine ‘management’ of nuchal cords at birth (umbilical cord around the neck). I have written and presented about … Continue reading
Posted in baby, birth, intervention, midwifery practice
Tagged baby, birth, nuchal cord, umbilical cord
337 Comments
Vaginal examinations: a symptom of a cervical-centric birth culture
Updated: January 2023 This post is about routine vaginal examinations (VEs) during physiological birth ie. an uncomplicated birth without any medical intervention. The VE is a useful assessment in some circumstances, but it’s routine use in an attempt to determine … Continue reading
Induction: a step by step guide
Updated: August 2019 This post has been inspired by conversations I’ve had with women about their experiences of induction. Induction of labour is increasingly common, yet women often seem to be very mis-informed about what it involves, or what was … Continue reading
Posted in birth, intervention
Tagged amniotic fluid, birth, induction, information giving, intervention, oxytocin, syntocinon
169 Comments
An actively managed placenta may be the best option for most women
Updated: February 2022 The birth of the placenta is my least favourite part of the birth process. Hopefully writing this blog post will be therapeutic as well as informative. I am going to refrain from referring to the birth of … Continue reading
Posted in birth, intervention
Tagged intervention, oxytocin, pitocin, placenta, syntocinon
299 Comments
The Curse of Meconium Stained Liquor
Updated: July 2023 When meconium is noticed in amniotic fluid during labour it often initiates a cascade of intervention. A CTG machine will often be strapped onto the woman reducing her ability to move and increasing her chance of having … Continue reading
Posted in baby, birth, intervention, midwifery practice
Tagged amniotic fluid, baby, heart rate, intervention, meconium
205 Comments
Pushing: leave it to the experts
Updated: July 2019 A birthing woman is the expert regarding when and how she pushes. Providing directions implies she needs our guidance and we are the experts. Of course each woman and birth situation is different and in some circumstances … Continue reading
Posted in birth, intervention, midwifery practice
Tagged birth, cervical lip, cervix, hypnobirthing, pushing
118 Comments