Dr Rachel Reed
midwife • academic • writer • presenter
Newsletter
Sign up for a monthly newsletter
Book
Facebook Page
Instagram
Me circa 1973... and my life in general 😆New Cochrane Review on Membrane Sweeping. I wish we could think more deeply and critically about this. We are carrying out interventions to make a woman's body fit externally prescribed timeframes. The intention is to save her from further intervention ie. induction. But, we are transmitting and reinforcing the same old message... women's malfunctioning bodies are the problem rather than the timeframes. Time to start thinking about the box rather than 'outside the box'. If you want to read the full findings google the review. #midwifethinking #rachelreed #midwife #midwifery #doula #birthdoula #studentmidwife #childbirtheducation #childbirth #researchIf you’re a childbirth professional of any modality, join me in Melbourne this March to help weave a tapestry of Human Rights, Informed Choices, Sustainability and more. Standard ticket pricing ends on 29th February. Don't miss out! Also stay tuned for some tempting incentives. Link in BIO #midwifethinking #rachelreed #midwife #midwifery #doula #birthdoula #studentmidwife #childbirtheducation #childbirthGot this beauty framed 😊 ‘Expectant’ by @carmeljenkinChapter 1: Herstory: "We can only understand what happens to women during the childbirth rite of passage by understanding birth culture and its historical roots." For more information about the book - link in my bio #reclaimingchildbirth #ritesofpassage #midwifethinking #rachelreed #midwife #midwifery #doula #birthdoula #studentmidwife #childbirtheducation #childbirthThis is what happened when a midwife pinned my ‘big babies’ post on a hospital notice board 😆😆😐 #blamewomen #fuckingitupfromtheinside #ignoranceondisplay #midwife
Archived by the National Library of Australia and Partners
-
Recent Posts
Top Posts
- The Curse of Meconium Stained Liquor
- The Anterior Cervical Lip: how to ruin a perfectly good birth
- Supporting women's instinctive pushing behaviour during birth
- Amniotic Fluid Volume: too much, too little, or who knows?
- Nuchal Cords: the perfect scapegoat
- An actively managed placental birth might be the best option for most women
- Induction: a step by step guide
- Vaginal examinations: a symptom of a cervical-centric birth culture
- Gestational Diabetes: beyond the label
- Shoulder Dystocia: the real story
Tag Archives: oxytocin
Understanding and Assessing Labour Progress
Updated: October 2019 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 … Continue reading
Posted in birth, midwifery practice
Tagged birth, contractions, labour pattern, oxytocin, pushing
15 Comments
Pre-labour Rupture of Membranes: impatience and risk
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 amniotic fluid, amniotic sac, augmentation, baby, birth, contractions, induction, nuchal cord, oxytocin, prelabour rupture of membrances, risk, syntocinon, waterbirth
225 Comments
Induction: a step by step guide
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 amniotic fluid, birth, induction, information giving, intervention, oxytocin, syntocinon
165 Comments
An actively managed placental birth might be the best option for most women
The birth of the placenta is my least favourite part of the birth process. I know I have ‘issues’ and I’m working on them. Hopefully writing this blog post will be therapeutic as well as informative. I am going to … Continue reading
Posted in birth, intervention
Tagged intervention, oxytocin, pitocin, placenta, syntocinon
286 Comments
The Assessment of Progress
Links updated: August 2019 This article was written for AIMS Journal (2011, vol. 23, no. 2) and expands on my previous post about my New Years resolution – which by the way I have kept. AIMS have kindly allowed me … Continue reading
Posted in birth, intervention, midwifery practice, publications
Tagged ARM, augmentation, birth, contractions, labour pattern, oxytocin, pushing, syntocinon
95 Comments
The Effective Labour Contraction
One of my failings as a midwife is my inability to assess the strength and effectiveness of a uterine contraction. This presents a problem in the hospital setting as midwives are often asked ‘how strong are her contractions?’ or ‘is … Continue reading
Posted in birth, midwifery practice
Tagged contractions, heart rate, induction, labour pattern, oxytocin, pitocin, syntocinon
103 Comments
