Maternity & Midwifery Forum

Festival

Midwifery Sector News

Wales & South West Maternity & Midwifery Festival Awards 2019 Shortlist Announced

Paul
Photo by Erwan Hesry on Unsplash
The Wales & South West Maternity & Midwifery Festival takes place at Cardiff City Stadium on Wednesday 18th September 2019. The festival will feature our usual mix of high quality speakers, the latest industry innovations in our exhibition area, free taster treatments in our wellbeing zone and of course our second annual Wales......
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Midwifery Sector News

“You shouldn’t have to feel you’re pushing your pregnancy aside…”

Paul
“Even when you account for ethnicity, substance misuse, smoking – an out-of-home [situation] or housing instability leads to a low birth-weight baby.”   Being pregnant whilst homeless throws up a unique set of challenges. Pregnant women who become homeless have priority need for accommodation, according to government guidance, but problems......
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Midwifery Sector News

Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome during pregnancy, birth and beyond

Paul
After the actor and activist Jameela Jamil mentioned her Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in an Instagram comment in February and was later presented with an award by the Ehlers-Danlos Society for being a patient advocate, a lot of fans were left scratching their heads. Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) is a relatively unknown......
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Midwifery Sector News

Getting it right the first time – Holding on to labour

Paul
Many pregnant women – especially those who have given birth before – have an innate sense of when they’ve gone into labour ‘for real’.  However, if they show up to the labour ward of their local or chosen hospital too soon, they run the risk of being sent home where......
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Midwifery Sector News

“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. ......
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Midwifery Sector News

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......
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Videos

Northern Maternity & Midwifery Festival Awards 2019

Paul
Team Award Winner: Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Maternity Service
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......
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Midwifery Sector News

LIVE STREAM: Northern Maternity & Midwifery Festival 2019

Paul
Wales_SW_Festival_Live_Stream
The Northern Maternity & Midwifery Festival 2019 takes place on Tuesday 25th June at Old Trafford Football Stadium, Manchester. We are expecting around 600 midwives and healthcare professionals to join us on the day, but if you are unable to attend in person you can watch a live stream of......
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Midwifery Sector News

How can all women be given the choice and the options? 

Paul
In a week of fevered speculation about how Archie, the son of the Duchess of Sussex’s was to be born it was clear that, whatever finally happened, whether it was a home birth or at the private Portland Hospital, the Duchess had informed choice and the infrastructure to make it......
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Midwifery Sector News

The Case for Parental Voices in Perinatal Mortality Review

Paul
Watching the start of the “infected Blood Enquiry” into the 1970s contaminated blood products scandal which had such devastating effect on the haemophiliac community and others is hard. 3000 died. The Enquiry started with heart rending testimonials from those affected, and the relatives of the dead.  The Grenfell Enquiry started......
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