Overcoming the barriers of vitamin D in pregnancy: A midwifery public health perspective

Guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2008, 2017a; 2017b) and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) (2014a) recommends vitamin D...

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,...

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...

Why Home Birth Matters by Natalie Meddings

Why Home Birth Matters I was excited...

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,...

Students in practice: The role of the student support midwife

‘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...

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)...

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...

Pregnant women are doing it for themselves: Self-monitoring of blood pressure in pregnancy

Pre-eclampsia screening is one of the cornerstones of antenatal care Early recognition of the disorder is linked to improved maternal and neonatal outcomes (Action on Pre-eclampsia (APEC), 2004) and...

Asthma in pregnancy: Physiology, management and recommendations for midwives

Midwives will be aware that pregnant women are reflective of the society in which they live This incudes the prevalence of medical conditions; therefore, it is useful to set the context for asthma as...

Moxibustion: An alternative option for breech presentation

The safest mode of birth for a breech-presenting fetus has been a topic for debate among researchers and clinicians for decades (Walker, 2012; Evans, 2013; Odent, 2013; Homer et al, 2015) Women with a...

Caring for women with thyroid disorders in pregnancy

Thyroid disorders are prevalent in women of childbearing age and may therefore present during pregnancy Awareness of the implications of thyroid disorders in pregnancy is therefore essential to ensure...

Repealed the Eighth

The 26 May 2018 was a historic day for the women of Ireland and for the nurses, midwives and doctors who care for them Following a democratic referendum, the people of Ireland voted to repeal the...

Maternity is a part of the whole safety system

Safety is high up on the health agenda—and rightly so Providing evidence-based, safe, quality care, first time, is effective and makes efficient use of resources However, there is one aspect that...