Maternity & Midwifery Forum

Coping with a crying baby – Warrington & Halton Hospitals launches programme aimed at helping parents and carers across Cheshire

Paul
“Babies Cry, You Can Cope – never, ever shake or hurt a baby” is the message from ‘ICON’ – a national programme of interventions and awareness that aims to help parents and carers to cope with a crying baby.  Yesterday, midwives, health visitors, GPs and other professionals who work with families,......

New report spotlights how housing problems jeopardise women’s rights to safe maternity care

Paul
A report published recently by the charities Birth Companions and Birthrights highlights the need for a more proactive, integrated approach to addressing the maternity care needs of women experiencing multiple disadvantages during pregnancy and early motherhood. Through in-depth interviews with women and professionals, the research found that, in almost every......

“Behaviour is an invisible cloak that you think nobody can see… Embroider your cloak with love, kindness, goodwill, integrity, truth and honour”

Paul
England’s first Chief Midwifery Officer was appointed earlier this year. The appointment marked a shift in maternity and midwifery care in the NHS both towards midwife-led care for women and towards midwives becoming an ever-more self-governing group.   In this presentation, Jennifer ‘Jenny the Midwife’ Clarke explains that a true......

More Than Morning Sickness: Understanding Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Paul
When we think of pregnancy we imagine rounded bellies nurturing the baby within, expectant mothers adorned in flowing dresses with cascading hair and glowing skin. For those people who want to have children pregnancy is idealised and we anticipate nine months of radiance and happiness shared with family and friends......

“We felt so in awe of [our midwife]… We felt that she was so special.”

Paul
We’ve all heard of ‘Continuity of Carer’ in midwifery – it is a key component of the NHS’ move towards Better Births. Not so long ago, the (private) continuity of care service Neighbourhood Midwives in Walthamstow made the news when it closed unexpectedly, to the consternation of many expectant parents. ......

Normal Birth…What’s going on?

Paul
In most contexts, ‘normal’ is a boring word – but within the world of maternity and midwifery it is a contentious one. Between them, Sheena Byrom OBE and Professor Soo Downe OBE have some 75 years of experience in midwifery practise.  Many of those years have been spent actively researching......

Midwives needed for digital pilot

Paul
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is looking for midwives and healthcare professionals to take part in their pilot programme for digital maternity exemption certificates. The digital scheme is a quicker and cheaper alternative to the paper FW8 application form for faster and easier access to maternity exemption for mums......

Northern Maternity & Midwifery Festival Awards 2019

Paul
Northern Maternity & Midwifery Festival Awards 2019 from Narrowcast Media Group on Vimeo. Midwives from across the North of England were honoured at the second annual Northern Maternity & Midwifery Festival Awards last week. The Awards ceremony took place at Old Trafford Football Stadium in Manchester on Tuesday 25th June, the big winners on......