Tag Archives: baby

Big Babies: the risk of care provider fear

Posted on September 2, 2019 by MidwifeThinking

Updated: June 2022 Big babies are normal in well resourced countries. Over 10% of babies born in the UK and Australia weigh 4kg (8lb 13oz) or more. Healthy well nourished women grow healthy well nourished babies. Genetic factors also influence … Continue reading →

Posted in birth, intervention, midwifery practice, pregnancy, uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 25 Comments

Pre-labour Rupture of Membranes: impatience and risk

Posted on January 11, 2017 by MidwifeThinking

Updated: July 2019 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 … Continue reading →

Posted in baby, birth, intervention, midwifery practice, pregnancy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 230 Comments

The Placenta: essential resuscitation equipment

Posted on April 13, 2016 by MidwifeThinking

Updated: August 2022 Premature cord clamping/cutting Premature cord clamping (clamping before placental transfusion is complete) has been the norm since ‘active management’ of the placenta became routine. In recent years, research has highlighted the harms caused by cutting the umbilical … Continue reading →

Posted in baby, birth, intervention, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 117 Comments

Cord Blood Collection: confessions of a vampire-midwife

Posted on September 16, 2015 by MidwifeThinking

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 , , , , , , | 178 Comments

Nuchal Cords: the perfect scapegoat

Posted on May 13, 2015 by MidwifeThinking

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 , , , | 336 Comments

The Curse of Meconium Stained Liquor

Posted on January 14, 2015 by MidwifeThinking

Updated: January 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 , , , , | 205 Comments

Listening to Baby During Labour

Posted on August 14, 2013 by MidwifeThinking

Updated: October 2022 Listening to the baby’s heart rate during labour is considered to be an important aspect of routine midwifery care. There are two methods of listening—intermittent auscultation (IA) and continuous electronic monitoring (CEFM) via a cardiotocograph machine (CTG). … Continue reading →

Posted in baby, birth, midwifery practice | Tagged , , , , , , | 32 Comments

Birth from the Baby’s Perspective

Posted on March 13, 2013 by MidwifeThinking

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