The value of a midwife

Recently, I read news of carbetocin, a heat-resistant oxytocic that could mostly be used in developing countries where refrigeration facilities are beset with issues (Matthews-King, 2018) Problems can...

Is it time to address male postnatal depression?

Readers are doubtless aware that the etymology of the word ‘midwife’ is ‘with woman’ Guidelines (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2017) state that good care is woman-centred, where a...

The NHS at 70

On the 5 July 2018, the NHS turned 70 and this was marked by celebrations across the UK It was humbling to hear the experiences and reflections of many midwives, support staff, obstetricians and...

Parenthood: Uncharted territory?

It may have taken millions of years for humans to evolve, but when it comes to attitudes, evolution can be rapid

‘No offence, it's just that research is boring’: The trials and tribulations of the midwifery research educator

The argument that ‘research is boring’ is one that greets me most days when trying to introduce research to undergraduate student midwives The role of research in midwifery has become well established...

Students in practice: The role of the student support midwife

Vaccines and the fetus

The vote to repeal the Eighth Amendment of the Irish Constitution, which previously banned abortion, righted a long-standing wrong The vote also vindicated the principles of autonomy and justice,...

Why Home Birth Matters by Natalie Meddings

Why Home Birth Matters I was excited...

Coercion or consent?

The principle of ‘do no harm’ has been a part of medicine since the Hippocratic oath more than 2000 years ago Expanded upon by the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), this...

Maternal attitude towards breastfeeding: A concept analysis

This article explores and clarifies the concept of maternal attitude as related to breastfeeding by exploring the literature and undertaking a concept analysis using Walker and Avant's (2011)...

Transition

The word ‘transition’ can apply to many areas of our lives Our very first transition is that from the warm, usually inverted world of in-utero existence, into the air- and light-filled birth room,...

Recreational exercise during pregnancy: Attitudes and beliefs of midwives and physiotherapists

Many studies have confirmed the benefits of recreational exercise during pregnancy for both the mother and the fetus (Magro-Malosso 2017; Rogoziñska et al, 2017) Recreational exercise is defined by...