Maternity & Midwifery Forum

midwife

Midwifery Sector News

How to deal with stress and build resilience within the healthcare profession through laughter!

Paul
LOL Laughterworks first presented – or perhaps performed – at the Midlands Maternity & Midwifery Festival in 2019 but were such a hit that they quickly became a fixture! Laughter is clinically proven to help alleviate depression, anxiety and stress – and best of all, a fake laugh is as......
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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

Midwifery a global update, what this means for normal labour and birth

Paul
Photo by Zach Lucero on Unsplash
At the World Health Assembly this year, 194 member states agreed unanimously to put nursing and midwifery at the centre of achieving Universal Health Coverage. It’s a first in world health. They also declared 2020 ‘the Year of the Nurse and the Year of the Midwife’ and pledged to focus......
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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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Midwifery Sector News

Mental Health and Stress in Maternity

Paul
The UK Health and Social Care Secretary announced new plans for better mental health and wellbeing care for NHS midwives, based on the HEE report on the mental health and wellbeing of NHS staff and learners.  In her extremely popular presentation to the Midlands Maternity & Midwifery Festival, Dr Sally......
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Midwifery Sector News

Complex Care in Caseloading: the way forward for ALL pregnancies

Paul
Maternity services are under increased debate.  Rethinking methods of delivery, personalisation of care pushing back against increased caesarean sections and increased focus on postnatal care.  Into this mix groups of midwives, of which 121 midwives are an example, are working outside the institutional structures of the NHS to give women......
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