Induction of labour—the debate

Induction of labour is currently a topical issue in midwifery This month, I am risking controversy by discussing my thoughts on the debate over increasing induction of labour Over the past two years,...

Breaking the silence

Richard Horton, the editor-in-chief of the Lancet, described stillbirth as ‘one of the most neglected, marginalised, and stigmatised issues in global health today’ (Jolly, 2016) More than 26 million...

Understanding the coronavirus

Since January 2020, news of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China has made headlines around the world (Reynolds, 2020) However, how many of us fully understand what the virus is and what the...

Autonomy and its impact on midwifery practice

Autonomy is not a new concept in midwifery Although not explicit, the term autonomy has been embedded in the definition of a midwife (International Confederation of Midwives [ICM], 2011) Reiterated in...

Exploring the experiences of student midwives completing the newborn infant physical examination

The newborn and infant physical examination (NIPE) is a screening programme delivered by Public Health England ([PHE], 2019), consisting of screening of the eyes, heart, hips, and testes (in male...

Why Breastfeeding Grief And Trauma Matter

Supporting the next generation

As student midwives, we all come across a real variety of cases It is, arguably, the sole purpose of our large number of Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)-stipulated placement hours; to experience...

Women's decision-making about mode of birth after a previous caesarean section

Despite the World Health Organization ([WHO], 2015) consensus that rate of caesarean section (c-section) should be between 10%–15%, because higher percentages are not associated with a reduction in...

Fathers staying overnight at the maternity ward?

Abdominal palpation—a core skill

My mind starts to wander to the days spent training and the basic midwifery skills taught to the midwives in the health centres The two health centres I taught at were in remote ‘kebeles’ (villages)...

A box of memories

The Sands memory box is a tool for midwives, and those supporting bereaved parents, to provide sensitive opportunities to begin the lifelong process of acknowledging and remembering their baby

Influenza and pregnancy

Pregnant women are at higher risk of developing complications following influenza, particularly in their second and third trimesters, due to their altered immunity and physiological adaptations...

Fathers' perinatal mental health

Around 10 years ago, there was little discussion around the incidence of postnatal depression Statistics by Cox et al (1987) demonstrated that at least 1 in 10 mothers suffered from it and this was...

Pulse oximetry screening

Critical congenital heart defects (CCHDs) affect around 2 in 1 000 newborns, and babies with CCHD often have low blood oxygen concentrations, which can be measured by non-invasive pulse oximetry (PO)...

The establishment of breastfeeding in the small-for-gestational-age baby

The term small for gestational age (SGA) refers to an infant born with a birthweight ‘lower than expected for a given duration of gestation’ (Tudehope et al, 2013) More specifically, it applies to...