Category Archives: birth

The Perineal ‘Bundle’ and Midwifery

Posted on May 9, 2018 by

Updated: December 2018 I’ve tried to avoid tackling this issue for months now but it won’t go away. It seems that the ‘bundle’ is one of the main topics of concern amongst midwives and students at the moment. So here … Continue reading →

Posted in birth, intervention, law, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , , | 36 Comments

Gestational Diabetes: beyond the label

Posted on March 20, 2018 by

Updated: January 2019 I have written this blog post in response to readers’ requests. Trying to make sense of the research and guidelines hurt my brain, and I almost gave up a few times. So, for those who asked – I … Continue reading →

Posted in baby, birth, pregnancy | 37 Comments

Understanding and assessing labour progress

Posted on February 3, 2017 by

I have previously written about how the current framework for understanding and assessing labour progress is inaccurate, not supported by evidence, and fails to incorporate women’s experience of birth. This post is in response to readers asking me to write … Continue reading →

Posted in birth, midwifery practice, uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

Childbirth Trauma: care provider actions and interactions

Posted on January 11, 2017 by

A big THANK YOU  to all the women and men who shared their experiences of traumatic childbirth for Christian Inglis’ Honours study. There was so much data that Christian chose to focus on paternal mental health for his thesis and publication. Later … Continue reading →

Posted in birth, midwifery practice | Tagged , , | 17 Comments

Pre-labour Rupture of Membranes: impatience and risk

Posted on January 11, 2017 by

Amniotic sac and fluid play an important role in the labour process and usually remain intact until the end of labour. However, around 10% of women will experience their waters breaking before labour begins. The standard approach to this situation is to induce labour by using prostaglandins … Continue reading →

Posted in baby, birth, intervention, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 225 Comments

Induction of Labour: balancing risks

Posted on July 13, 2016 by

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 , , , , , , , , , , | 261 Comments

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

Posted on June 15, 2016 by

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 , , , , , | 432 Comments