The first Cochrane review of the research relating to the administration of Anti-D during pregnancy was undertaken in 1996. Nearly twenty years later, September 2015 saw the publication of the latest update. During that time, however, the only changes were…
Gathering in the Knowledge: an annual update online course for midwives and birth folk. Bite-sized, guilt-free, interactive and bang-up-to-date.
Sara Wickham offers a variety of resources for student midwives and others studying birth-related areas.
Over the years, I’ve become aware that there are a few things that people are sometimes surprised to learn when I speak about Anti-D. I made sure to include all of these and loads more when I wrote my book Anti-D…
Another study has confirmed that induction is associated with more interventions and adverse outcomes. That was the finding of a group of researchers who, “compared intrapartum interventions and outcomes for mothers, neonates and children up to 16 years, for induction…
May 2021 saw the publication of a draft NICE guideline on inducing labour. NICE stands for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. It is the body that provides national guidance and advice to inform health and social care…
How many women receive unnecessary anti-D? Sara Wickham looks at some of the issues concerning antenatal anti-D and fetal blood testing.
Many people visit this website looking for Anti-D information. Anti-D is the name of a medicine offered to rhesus negative women who may have been exposed to rhesus positive blood. It’s known as RhoGAM® in the USA. Anti-D is given…
Sara Wickham is in The Midwives’ Cauldron! We’re delighted to tell you that Dr Sara Wickham recently met up online with Katie James and Dr Rachel Reed, creators of The Midwives’ Cauldron podcast. They chatted about Instagram, orangutans, Sara’s new…
Anti-D Explained – now available! Anti-D Explained is Dr Sara Wickham’s newest book. It has been written to help parents and professionals to understand the science, the issues and the evidence relating to Anti-D. It has a foreword written by Michel Odent.…
This post offers links to all of the group B strep resources on Sara Wickham’s website, including articles, blog posts and a few external resources.
Our home birth information hub – the latest research on the safety of home birth and links to many of Dr Sara Wickham’s articles and blog posts on this.
Over the years, I have shared a number of studies showing that induction increases the chance of caesarean. A 2021 study has again reinforced our knowledge in this area. In real world settings – and I’ll explain what that means…
If there were a Nobel prize for birth activism, then Beverley Beech would surely have been given one by now. Formerly Honorary Chair of AIMS, still a legendary campaigner, brilliant speaker and supporter of women’s rights in pregnancy and birth,…
Do we really need to hold newborn babies at the level of the placenta so that gravity can assist transfusion? No, according to new research.
Sara Wickham explains why advice given by the emergency services to use shoelaces to tie the cord at birth is incorrect and dangerous
What do women want when it comes to the induction decision? Dr Sara Wickham investigates research which shows that it’s more complex than we might think.
Dr Sara Wickham discusses how to cancel labour induction. And where to get more information if you need it before making your decision.
Articles and resources relating to vitamin K for newborn babies. By Sara Wickham, a midwife, researcher and author who has written extensively on this.
How to share content so that everyone benefits? Dr Sara Wickham offers some suggestions and tips to help you stay generous, friendly and legal.
Sara Wickham shares ‘vitamin K stories’; the tales and context behind the evidence and knowledge that we have in relation to vitamin K for newborn babies.
We have heard much over the past few years about the risks posed to women with higher BMI than average. It’s clear, however, that this focus is problematic in a number of ways. The evidence isn’t clear cut. There is…
What information should we offer when parents decide to decline vitamin K? Sara Wickham offers an overview and an infographic.
Happy birthday to Sara Wickham’s Birth Information Update … and here’s the story of how it happened and how it continues…
Home birth after caesarean (or HBAC) is an increasingly popular option. Women and families know that they will be less subject to monitoring and interference at home. It is thought by some that this may lead to a higher chance…
How do midwives support women in bureaucratic health care systems? The past few years have seen some less than accurate depictions of midwives and midwifery practice so I was heartened to see the publication of a study that I chose…
Dr Sara Wickham offers six tips for managing your research project. What to keep, what to do with it, and how often to remove the cat from your in-basket…
Sara Wickham offers an overview of bacteria and microbiome related resources along with the story of her knitted bacteria and some ideas for their use!
Sara Wickham offers some words of support and advice for the student midwife – aspiring, new or experienced – to take on their journey.
Sara Wickham shares the wisdom of Mary Cronk, one of midwifery’s heroes. Thoughts on induction, labour and synchronised swimming…
A study was recently published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology entitled ‘Associations between consumption of coffee and caffeinated soft drinks and late stillbirth—Findings from the Midland and North of England stillbirth case-control study’. The…
MBRRACE-UK have published the latest report from their United Kingdom’s Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths programme and it shows that Black women are still far more likely to die in childbirth than white women. Those of mixed race and Asian…
Join Dr Sara Wickham for a week of online learning, discussion and reflection on the evidence relating to vitamin K prophylaxis for newborn babies.
A report published in the UK has shown that Black and Asian babies are twice as likely to die as white babies. (Direct link here). MBRRACE-UK (a project run by a multi-disciplinary research team based at Oxford University) have published…
Sara Wickham offers tips on holiday self-care and an invitation to think about how you’re going to care for yourself over the festive season.
A cautionary holiday tale, by Sara Wickham, about labour ward risk management and how it ruined the day of Rudolph the red-nosed quantity surveyor
Dr Sara Wickham suggests things that can be done before clamping the umbilical cord, thus ensuring that babies get their full complement of blood.
Have you ever noticed what real women’s cervixes do in labour? How they haven’t read the textbooks? Sara Wickham shares her work on cervical wisdom.
Researchers have just published the first study looking at women’s perceptions of COVID-19 and their healthcare experiences in the UK. This was a qualitative thematic analysis and it was published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. Back in May of this…
Get regular, reliable, free monthly email updates on birth-related research and thinking from Sara Wickham.
Dr Sara Wickham looks at the issue of covert retention in the hours after birth and asks whether evidence really does support routine urine measurement.
Perineal care bundles are a hot topic right now. The past few weeks have seen the publication of two papers relating to the OASI (or obstetric anal sphincter injury) care bundle that has been under trial in the UK. This…
Dr Sara Wickham shares the top ten technologies that have improved the lives of women and midwives, voted for by midwifery and medical colleages.
Black women are five times more likely to die in childbirth than white women. The increased attention that has been given to the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 has caused more people than ever to make tiles black and…
Dr Sara Wickham discusses questions relating to normality. And goalposts. What can we learn from studies about urine output and new mothers’ sleep?
Dr Sara Wickham looks at research which explains the “induction postcode lottery” and shows how there’s not always good evidence behind the recommendation.
It’s really important to ask what went well, says Dr Sara Wickham. And to consider wellness and other touchstones that are a cornerstone of good practice.
Look inside Sara Wickham’s Inducing Labour book! See full contents list and read the first few pages of this bestselling book.
Dr Sara Wickham looks at research into gestational diabetes. This affects many women, but it’s not clear that current diagnosis and treatment is beneficial.
Two recent studies have confirmed the value of vaginal birth, breastfeeding and mother-baby contact, even when a woman has confirmed COVID-19.
Language is important, and many people have highlighted issues relating to language and birth. This page offers signposts to resources, articles and blog posts available on our website on this topic. It’s our latest information hub, and you can find…
Dr Sara Wickham looks at some of the information women need in order to make an informed decision about transvaginal ultrasound examination.
What do women want when it comes to the induction decision? Dr Sara Wickham investigates research which shows that it’s more complex than we might think.
Dr Sara Wickham shares and unpacks four commonly-seen vitamin K myths, explaining why some information sources have got it wrong.
Dr Sara Wickham, author of Vitamin K and the Newborn, shares information about vitamin K. Seven things every parent needs to know before making a decision.
Gathering in the Knowledge – review by Lynn Genevieve, a midwife who attended Sara Wickham’s online course and shared her thoughts in Midwifery Matters.
Sara Wickham looks at birth trauma research which highlights the experiences of women and shows how important it is that we look at this area more closely.
Sara Wickham dedicates a poem to Tricia Anderson and their shared love of writing about birth and cats.
