Tag Archives: baby

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , | 224 Comments

The Placenta: essential resuscitation equipment

Posted on April 13, 2016 by

Updated: January 2018 Knowledge about the short-term and long-term benefits of ‘delayed cord clamping’ is finally making it into practice. Midwives and in some cases obstetricians are realising the importance of allowing the placenta to finish circulating blood before intervening. … Continue reading →

Posted in baby, birth, intervention, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 109 Comments

Cord Blood Collection: confessions of a vampire-midwife

Posted on September 16, 2015 by

Updated: January 2018 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 , , , , , | 175 Comments

Nuchal Cords: the perfect scapegoat

Posted on May 13, 2015 by

Updated: February 2018 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 , , , | 331 Comments

The Curse of Meconium Stained Liquor

Posted on January 14, 2015 by

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 her chance of having … Continue reading →

Posted in baby, birth, intervention, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , , | 201 Comments

Listening to Baby During Labour

Posted on August 14, 2013 by

Updated: January 2018 Intermittent auscultation (IA) is considered to be an important aspect of midwifery care for women during a ‘low risk’ labour. The expectation of surveillance of the baby is reflected in guidelines and hospital policies. The recommended frequency of … Continue reading →

Posted in baby, birth, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Birth from the Baby’s Perspective

Posted on March 13, 2013 by

Picture this… A mother sits holding her newborn son on a postnatal ward during visiting time. One of her visitors reaches forward, grasps the baby by the head and pulls him out of his mothers arms leaving him dangling by … Continue reading →

Posted in baby, birth, intervention, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , | 99 Comments