Category Archives: intervention

VBAC: making a mountain out of a molehill

Posted on June 15, 2016 by

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 , , , | 343 Comments

The Placenta: essential resuscitation equipment

Posted on April 13, 2016 by

Updated: September 2019 The common practice of premature cord clamping has been challenged in recent years due to a greater understanding of how this intervention disrupts the physiology of placental transfusion (Mercer & Skovgaard 2002). Premature cord clamping results in … Continue reading →

Posted in baby, birth, intervention, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 114 Comments

In Defence of the Amniotic Sac

Posted on September 16, 2015 by

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

Posted in birth, intervention, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 224 Comments

Cord Blood Collection: confessions of a vampire-midwife

Posted on September 16, 2015 by

Updated: September 2019 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 , , , , , , | 177 Comments

Shoulder Dystocia: the real story

Posted on May 13, 2015 by

Updated: August 2019 There is a lot of unwarranted fear about ‘big babies’ getting stuck. The media reflects the usual story – that women are creating a problem that doctors have to fix. The incidence of shoulder dystocia does increase … Continue reading →

Posted in birth, intervention, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , , , | 191 Comments

Nuchal Cords: the perfect scapegoat

Posted on May 13, 2015 by

Updated: January 2020 To get this blog going I decided to write about a slight obsession of mine: The fear of, and routine midwifery management of nuchal cords at birth (umbilical cord around the neck). I have written and presented … Continue reading →

Posted in baby, birth, intervention, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , | 334 Comments

Induction: a step by step guide

Posted on March 18, 2015 by

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 , , , , , , | 165 Comments