Are women empowered to make decisions about the use of antidepressants in pregnancy?

Depression and anxiety are two of the most common health problems in pregnancy in the UK, affecting 12% and 13% of women, respectively (Heron et al, 2004; Gavin et al, 2005; Vesga-Lopez et al, 2008)...

Embedding evidence-based practice within the pre-registration midwifery curriculum

Research and evidence-based midwifery practice are essential in order to drive the profession forward and deliver safe, effective, women-centred care Evidence-based practice is not a new concept, but...

Restorative supervision for student midwives: The professional midwifery advocate in the classroom

Flexibility for independent midwives

I first heard about UK Birth Centres Ltd's Professional Risk and Indemnity Scheme for Midwives (PRISM) when it launched in February, directly through Private Midwives The scheme is one-of-a-kind and...

The issue of consent

One memory of my former career as a police officer sticks with me: stood in a soft play with a college who gently touched the member of staff and explained, ‘if I touch you without your consent, then...

25 years at the forefront of midwifery research

Welcome to a very special anniversary issue of British Journal of Midwifery (BJM). Now celebrating 25 years of publication, this bumper issue of BJM will look back on how far midwifery has come since...

A woman's cry for her midwife

As I reflect on my midwifery experience over the past 30 years, I am reminded of the privileged role of the midwife and my personal experiences of providing continuity of carer, supporting vulnerable...

Repealing the Eighth Amendment

On 25 May 2018, the Republic of Ireland will hold a referendum to decide whether to repeal the Eighth Amendment, a constitutional provision that effectively amounts to an all-out ban on abortion in...

25 years of BJM

For those of you as old as us, you will remember 1993 as a significant year for many reasons Mr Blobby was knocked off the number one spot by Take That with their song ‘Babe’; Sonia represented the UK...

BJM's birth story

It was one of those epiphany moments I had driven up to attend a nursing conference in north Wales—I can't remember the focus of the meeting or the main reason for me wanting to be there, although...

Midwifery education: Reflecting on the past and changing for the future

Looking back over the past 25 years of midwifery education enables us to learn from old ways of working and the related events that took place, to help plan for a future where the women is at the...

Pay deal recognises the value of the NHS

Surely there can be no reader ignorant of the news that a pay deal for NHS staff was agreed, as the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) (2018) carefully phrased it, ‘in principle’ last month. Members of...