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#MidwiferyHour Episode 12
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Maternity & Midwifery Hour Episode 12: Changing Times – Supporting Women’s Choices

On this page you can access the live stream, links and resources for Episode 12 of Midwifery Hour, streaming live on Wednesday 1st July from 7pm.

Women and birthing people deserve the opportunity to choose where and how to give birth to their babies. It matters. Since COVID-19 we have witnessed restrictions placed on women’s choices through the withdrawal of home birth services, closure of midwifery units and banning the use of water for labour and birth.

In this week’s episode of Midwifery Hour, Sheena and Lucia will present the evidence and debate why human rights and choice are integral to high quality maternity care and midwives are central to keeping this focus.

Joining us for this episode are:

Sue Macdonald, Co-editor of Mayes Midwifery

Dr Lucia Rocca-Ihenacho, Lecturer and Researcher, Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research, School of Health Sciences, City, University of London

Dr Sheena Byrom OBE, Consultant Midwife and Director, All4Maternity

The video will be available to watch right here on Wednesday 1st July from 7:00 – 8:00pm.

EPISODE 12 RESOURCES:

NEWS BITES:

NEW: RCM secures agreement for student midwives on work and education 30th June 2020 https://www.rcm.org.uk/media-releases/2020/june/rcm-secures-agreement-for-student-midwives-on-work-and-education/

Changing Times – Supporting womens choices

Hill, M 2019Give Birth Like a Feminist Downe, S., Byrom, S 2019 Squaring the Circle: Normal birth research, theory and practice in a technological age Pinter & Martin https://www.amazon.co.uk/Squaring-Circle-Researching-Normal-Technological/dp/1780664400/

Midwifery Unit Network https://www.midwiferyunitnetwork.org

The Practising Midwife aka All4Maternity https://www.all4maternity.com

Resources from previous episodes:

Student Perspectives

Form to submit questions to HEE Webinars

Student Midwife Case Study (Sharepoint)

General COVID HEE guidance  https://www.hee.nhs.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-covid-19-information-midwives

FAQs complied from HEE webinars:   https://www.hee.nhs.uk/coronavirus-covid-19

COVID e-learning resource:  https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/coronavirus/

Training and services in Ireland

Becoming a midwife/nurse in Ireland   https://www.nmbi.ie/Careers-in-Nursing-Midwifery/Becoming-a-Nurse-Midwife

Maternity services in Ireland  https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/3/maternity/

Antenatal care https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/birth_family_relationships/before_your_baby_is_born/choices_in_antenatal_care.html

Home birth  https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/3/maternity/homebirth-services.html

Community Midwives Association Ireland   http://communitymidwives.ie/

Cavan MLU

Midwives Association Petition https://my.uplift.ie/petitions/save-cavan-midwifery-led-unit-mlu

AngloCelt 5/6/2020 https://www.anglocelt.ie/2020/06/05/maternity-services-at-cgh-to-merge/

Irish Times 6/6/2020 https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/call-for-the-protection-of-midwifery-led-maternity-units-1.4272836

AngloCelt 12/6/2020 https://www.anglocelt.ie/2020/06/12/midwifery-unit-in-cavan-hospital-will-remain-open-minister-humphreys/

COVID restrictions

Maternity (as of 30/3/2020 via AIMS Ire) http://aimsireland.ie/aims-ireland-guide-to-visiting-restrictions-in-irish-maternity-hospitals/

HSE https://www2.hse.ie/services/hospital-service-disruptions/hospital-service-disruptions-covid19.html

Letterkenny Entonox https://www.donegallive.ie/news/news/549625/142-women-denied-choice-of-gas-and-air-due-to-covid-19-fears-at-letterkenny-maternity-department.html

Mullingar birth partners 

  1. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52071033
  2. https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mullingar-hospital-lifts-restrictions-on-partners-attending-birth-of-children-993216.html
  3. http://aimsireland.ie/birthing-women-in-mulingar-regional-hospital-only-allowed-partner-support-for-the-last-30-minutes-of-labour/

Neonatal units   http://www.inha.ie/wp-content/uploads/INHA-PumpPal-Covid19-Joint-Statement.pdf

INMO press release IDM2020     https://inmo.ie/Home/Index/217/13585

RCM / Dr Bernie Divall June 2020 https://www.rcm.org.uk/news-views/rcm-opinion/2020/midwives-having-courage-eing-kind/#.XtkFEOrWqxI.twitter

Join us every Wednesday for Midwifery Hour from 7pm – 8pm

Every episode, short video and podcast from Maternity & Midwifery Hour is available to you completely FREE after the live stream – this is curated especially for you by Narrowcast Media Group and is available from Midwifery Forum’s YouTube – don’t forget to subscribe to our channel.

Keep your eyes peeled for instant updates from Maternity & Midwifery Hour: Series 1 by following @MidwiferyForum on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn – choose which suits your best.

The Midwifery Forum’s weekly live streamed studio brought to you in association with MATFLIX – video streaming from maternity experts.

Resources from previous episodes:

Baby Loss

Bereavement care during COVID-19 https://sands.org.uk/professionals/bereavement-care-and-covid-19

NBCP website (includes sign up details)   www.nbcpathway.org.uk

NBCP Scotland website  www.nbcpscotland.org.uk 

NBCP Online Learning Modules – www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/national-bereavement-care-pathway/

Follow SANDS on Twitter:

@sandsinsights @sandsuk @clare_worgan @marcharder

#nbcpathway #nbcpscotland #SandsHereToSupport #findingthewords

https://sandswebinar.eventbrite.co.uk

https://www.sands.org.uk/professionals/training-and-consultancy/sands-training

Human Rights in Maternity

Birthrights   –  https://www.birthrights.org.uk/

www.birthrights.org.uk – position statement and Q&A

RCM Rapid review on optimising maternity services and maternal and newborn outcomes in a pandemic:

https://www.rcm.org.uk/media/3869/rapid-review-optimising-maternity-services-for-rcm-v4-8-april.pdf

Human Rights Violations in Pregnancy, Birth and Postpartum during the COVID-19 Pandemic:  https://bit.ly/2UaaVKy

Renfrew, M. J., Cheyne, H,  Craig, J.,  Duff, E., Dykes, F.,  Hunter, B.,  Lavender, T. Page, Lesley.,  Ross-Davie, M.,  Spiby, H.  Downe, Soo (2020). “Sustaining quality midwifery care in a pandemic and beyond.”     Midwifery 88:   102759.   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2020.102759

A.N. Wilson, et al., Caring for the carers: Ensuring the provision of quality maternity care during a global pandemic, Women Birth (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2020.03.011

Current Issues

Jane Elliott – “take a walk in my shoes”… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qFl9isxTiQ   Based on brown & blue eyes

Pre-Eclampsia resources

Action on pre-eclampsia  (APEC)   https://action-on-pre-eclampsia.org.uk/news/

Action on pre-eclampsia virtual Learning Environment:  (APEC)   https://action-on-pre-eclampsia.org.uk/learning/

Infant Feeding

Brown, A  2019   Informed is best: How to spot fake news about your pregnancy, birth and baby    Pinter and Martin (also Kindle)

Brown, A Breastfeeding Uncovered: Who Really Decides How We Feed Our Babies?  2016 Pinter and Martin

Regan, S., Brown, A 2019   Experiences of online breastfeeding support: Support and reassurance versus judgement and misinformation Maternal & Child Nutrition  10.1111/mcn.12874

Brown, A 2018  Giving your baby solid food early won’t help them sleep better

https://theconversation.com/giving-your-baby-solid-food-early-wont-help-them-sleep-better-99645

Brown, A. 2018 Breastfeeding is good for mothers’ mental health – but those who struggle need support     https://theconversation.com/breastfeeding-is-good-for-mothers-mental-health-but-those-who-struggle-need-support-103788

Harries, V., Brown, A., Brown, A. 2019 The association between baby care books that promote strict care routines and infant feeding, night time care, and maternal-infant interactions Maternal & Child Nutrition e12858

Entwistle, F  2017 Chapter 44  Infant Feeding and relationship Building in Macdonald SE and Johnson G 2017 Mayes Midwifery Elsevier 

Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative website https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/COVID-19/ 

NEW UNICEF campaign launched today https://www.unicef.org.uk/donate/coronavirus/

UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Statement on Infant \feeding during the Coronovirus (Covid 19) outbreak Updated 02 April 2020https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/04/Unicef-UK-Baby-Friendly-Initiative-statement-on-infant-feeding-during-the-Covid-19-outbreak.pdf

UINCEF Statement: Infant feeding on neonatal units during the Covid-19 outbreak (updated 02 April 2020)  https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/04/Unicef-UK-Baby-Friendly-Initiative-statement-on-infant-feeding-on-neonatal-units-during-the-Covid-19-outbreak.pdf

Contact UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative: [email protected]

Maternity and Midwifery Forum 

Nursing and Midwifery Council: https://www.nmc.org.uk/news/coronavirus  

Guidance for students – also keep in contact with your university https://www.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/Student%20support%20guide%20master%20.pdf

RCM/RCOG  Information:

Royal College of Midwives

 (RCM): RCM Position statement: Birth Partners’  16.4.20 https://www.rcm.org.uk/media/3887/birth-partners.pdf

Other clinical briefings:

Midwifery Unit Network MUNet European Position Statement – Midwifery Units & CoVid-19  published  April 7th 2020  https://www.midwiferyunitnetwork.org/download/munet-eu-position-statement-midwifery-units-covid-19/

Public Health England – Covid-19 Personal protective Equipment (PPE ) 2.4.2020 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control

Also UK  Covid Symptom Tracker https://covid.joinzoe.com/  – download and check in daily John Hopkins Coronovirus Resource Center https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html

All4Maternity – Nurturezone  (www.all4Maternity.com)

The Practising Midwife site: http://www.practisingmidwife.co.uk/

The COVID-19 blog: https://www.all4maternity.com/the-covid-19-cohorts-real-life-accounts-of-being-a-student-midwife-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/

NHS information  about wellbeing apps for NHS staff:   https://www.nhsemployers.org/news/2020/03/free-access-to-wellbeing-apps-for-all-nhs-staff

NHS in Mind – Free platform with 8 easy access inventions for staff: https://www.nhsinmind.co.uk/

PPE Donning    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKz_vNGsNhc     

 and Doffing:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUo5O1JmLH0

Wobble Rooms and other FAB stuff… https://fabnhsstuff.net/fab-stuff/have-your-staff-got-a-wobble-room

The Midwife Patchwork 2020 project: .. See on Twitter: @ThemidwifePatc1   or www.midwifepatchwork2020.wordpress.com

WHO advice on breastfeeding 2020  https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/maternal-health/faqs-breastfeeding-and-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=d839e6c0_1

ObsCOVID  a new online  registry  designed for healthcare workers in maternity https://covid.knack.com/obscovid#encounters/

Keep your eyes peeled for instant updates from Maternity & Midwifery Hour: Series 1 by following @MidwiferyForum on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn – choose which suits your best.