Category Archives: birth

Cord Blood Collection: confessions of a vampire-midwife

Posted on February 10, 2011 by

Edited/Updated: September 2015 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 | Tagged , , , , , | 171 Comments

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

Posted on January 22, 2011 by

Edited and update: June 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 … Continue reading →

Posted in birth, intervention, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , , , | 406 Comments

Stages of Labour and Collusion

Posted on December 22, 2010 by

My New Years resolution is to stop colluding in the myth of stages of labour. Will you join me? This may be a little difficult as a midwife and an educator but I’ll give it a go – will you? … Continue reading →

Posted in birth, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , | 43 Comments

Shoulder Dystocia: the real story

Posted on December 3, 2010 by

Edited and updated: May 2015 The media have been reporting on shoulder dystocia. Apparently doctors are having to attend special classes to learn how to break babies’ bones because mothers are fat, and make their babies too big. At least that’s … Continue reading →

Posted in birth, intervention, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , , , | 174 Comments

The Curse of Meconium Stained Liquor

Posted on October 9, 2010 by

Edited and updated: January 2015 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, labour in water, and increasing … Continue reading →

Posted in baby, birth, intervention, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , , | 178 Comments

Induction of Labour: balancing risks

Posted on September 16, 2010 by

Edited and updated: June 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 … Continue reading →

Posted in baby, birth, intervention | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 252 Comments

Pre-labour Rupture of Membranes: impatience and risk

Posted on September 10, 2010 by

Edited and updated: November 2015 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 … Continue reading →

Posted in baby, birth, intervention, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 206 Comments