A review of the law surrounding female genital mutilation protection orders

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a procedure where the female genitalia are altered, injured or removed (World Health Organization [WHO], 2020) without medical indication (Crown Prosecution Service...

Emotional intelligence and coping with stressful conditions: the case of Iranian midwives

Emotional quotient (EQ) – or emotional intelligence – means controlling the internal emotions to reduce stress and to have a positive relationship and be able to communicate with other people (Segal...

Lactation after loss: supporting women's decision-making following perinatal death

Perinatal death affects 54 out of every 1 000 births in the UK (Draper et al, 2019) and is classically defined as a stillbirth (where a baby is born in the UK with no signs of life after 24 completed...

Exercise during pregnancy

Exercise during pregnancy is safe for women and their unborn babies It is essential that midwives advise women of the UK chief medical officer's ([CMO], 2019) physical activity guidance and support...

From graduation to practice

Induction with your trust usually happens within the first couple of days of starting

The Modern Midwife's Guide to Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond

Supporting childbearing women who are at risk of having their baby removed at birth

Applications for babies to be taken in to care at birth are at a national high. This results in significantly impaired life outcomes. A cycle of maltreatment model is presented. Social stigma,...

Against the grain: midwives' experiences of facilitating home birth outside of guidelines

Historically, childbearing women were generally young and healthy, yet societal changes and fertility treatments have meant women who are older or with pre-existing conditions becoming pregnant have...

‘Please treat me like a person’—respectful care during adolescent childbirth

The risk factors, health implications and socio-economic repercussions of adolescent pregnancy and early childbearing is widely covered in literature The World Health Organization ([WHO], 2018a) and...

Importance of vitamin D during the antenatal period for maternal well-being

The best source of vitamin D is exposure to natural sunlight and 90% of vitamin D is derived from sunlight with 10% derived from food and plant sources (Paxton et al, 2013; Cannell, 2019)...

The Poole approach to a smoke-free pregnancy

Targeted and personal support for pregnant women to stop smoking as early as possible in pregnancy is an important intervention to optimise the health of both unborn babies and their mothers, and for...

Obesity in pregnancy

As the world changes, new pandemics come to light, stress increases, anxiety skyrockets, and in order to combat all of that fear, many develop certain ways to cope Some take exercise, some find...

COVID-19: what are the physical and mental challenges?

The global emergence of COVID-19 a matter of months ago means that while its relatively thin evidence base expands, the need to interpret new findings with caution implies that the science of this...

Supporting women with breast cancer during pregnancy

Breast Cancer Now's website serves as a useful guide for up-to-date information on breast awareness

Neonatal transitional care: what it is and isn't

In the second article of my series exploring neonatal topics relevant to the midwife, I'd like to discuss the contemporary topic of neonatal transitional care (NTC) This is an area of particular...