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...

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...

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...

Midwifery and the 2020 Nightingale bicentenary celebrations

Midwifery will be in the spotlight throughout 2020 as this year has been declared the international year of the nurse and midwife by the World Health Organization (WHO); the Nightingale bicentenary...

Non-invasive prenatal testing and decision-making

The phrase ‘tyranny of choice’ has been widely used in recent years to illustrate the increasing range of options that are available to consumers in the developed world But Suter (2018) uses the term...

Volunteering with Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

In August 2019, I left the NHS to volunteer as a midwife in Kutupalong refugee camp in the south of Bangladesh Approximately 909 000 Rohingya refugee are residing in 34 camps in Bangladesh's...

The value nurses and midwives hold

As the World Health Organization announced 2020 the year of the nurse and midwife, many influential organisations are rallying round to showcase the achievements of the professions and give a platform...

An exploration of reasons why some women may leave the birth experience with emotional distress

Women use different terms to describe distress in relation to a poor childbirth experience Whereas some women consider it as having been negative, others feel their birth was traumatic (Creedy et al,...

The influence of women's cognitive status on their understanding of Down syndrome screening

The booking appointment is the first antenatal appointment a woman has with her midwife At this appointment, women are offered screening for numerous conditions, including Down syndrome It is vital...

Primiparous women's narratives of confidence in the perinatal period

Pregnancy and childbirth are described as transitional phases or existential thresholds that childbearing women have to cross These events are multifaceted experiences with many dimensions, unique for...

It's up to us

The impact of birth-related injury and pain on breastfeeding outcomes

Human milk is acknowledged to be the optimum source of nutrition for infants, while also being beneficial to maternal health (Victora et al, 2016) As such, the World Health Organization ([WHO], 2019)...