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.
A revelation that every birth worker needs to know about gravity and placental transfusion
Unexpected home birth: let’s keep our shoelaces on…
Sara Wickham explains why advice given by the emergency services to use shoelaces to tie the cord at birth is incorrect and dangerous
Has the pandemic affected induction of labour?
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.
How to cancel a labour induction?
Dr Sara Wickham discusses how to cancel labour induction. And where to get more information if you need it before making your decision.
Vitamin K Resources
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 everyone benefits…
How to share content so that everyone benefits? Dr Sara Wickham offers some suggestions and tips to help you stay generous, friendly and legal.
Vitamin K: the stories behind the evidence
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.
Women with higher BMI: it doesn’t have to be complicated!
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…
Five things parents should know if they decide to decline vitamin K for their baby
What information should we offer when parents decide to decline vitamin K? Sara Wickham offers an overview and an infographic.
Happy Birthday Birth Information Update!
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
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?
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…
Six principles for effectively managing your research project
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…
Bacteria and the Microbiome – Resources
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!
Eight things I’d like to share with midwifery students who care…
Sara Wickham offers some words of support and advice for the student midwife – aspiring, new or experienced – to take on their journey.
Induction and synchronised swimming: Mary Cronk words of wisdom
Sara Wickham shares the wisdom of Mary Cronk, one of midwifery’s heroes. Thoughts on induction, labour and synchronised swimming…
Another study, another dodgy headline! Please don’t steal our coffee!
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…
Black women are STILL far more likely to die in childbirth
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…
Vitamin K and the Newborn online course
Join Dr Sara Wickham for a week of online learning, discussion and reflection on the evidence relating to vitamin K prophylaxis for newborn babies.
Black, Black British, Asian and Asian British babies twice as likely to die
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…
Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays from Sara Wickham. Here’s wishing you a fabulous festive season, and we’ll see you next year!
Five tips for seasonal self-care
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
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
Ten things you can do before clamping the umbilical cord…
Dr Sara Wickham suggests things that can be done before clamping the umbilical cord, thus ensuring that babies get their full complement of blood.
Knitted breast patterns and exchange
Cervical wisdom resources
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.
Women’s perceptions and experiences of COVID-19
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…
Would you like me to email you a relevant, reliable, regular update?
Get regular, reliable, free monthly email updates on birth-related research and thinking from Sara Wickham.
The importance of illumination – the case of covert retention
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: clinicians’ concerns
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…
The Sara Wickham Etsy shop has been restocked!
The Sara Wickham Etsy shop has been restocked, and will be open for you to buy holiday gifts – or maybe something for yourself – between now and the end of the year! In the autumn of 2019, Chris and…
Top ten technologies that have improved the lives of women and midwives
Dr Sara Wickham shares the top ten technologies that have improved the lives of women and midwives, voted for by midwifery and medical colleages.
Ten ways I can help midwifery students
Sara Wickham offers a variety of resources for student midwives and others studying birth-related areas.
Black women are five times more likely to die in childbirth, so what can we do?
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…
Holiday time, and a self-care reminder
Normality and Goalposts
Dr Sara Wickham discusses questions relating to normality. And goalposts. What can we learn from studies about urine output and new mothers’ sleep?
Explaining the induction postcode lottery
Dr Sara Wickham looks at research which explains the “induction postcode lottery” and shows how there’s not always good evidence behind the recommendation.
On wellness
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.
Sara Wickham’s Inducing Labour book: look inside!
Look inside Sara Wickham’s Inducing Labour book! See full contents list and read the first few pages of this bestselling book.
Gestational diabetes
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.
COVID-19 and birth: mums and babies should stay together
Two recent studies have confirmed the value of vaginal birth, breastfeeding and mother-baby contact, even when a woman has confirmed COVID-19.
The Language of Birth: Resources
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…
Transvaginal examination – the need for care
Dr Sara Wickham looks at some of the information women need in order to make an informed decision about transvaginal ultrasound examination.
The induction decision: what do women want?
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.
Four vitamin K myths – and the truth
Dr Sara Wickham shares and unpacks four commonly-seen vitamin K myths, explaining why some information sources have got it wrong.
Seven things every parent needs to know about vitamin K
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 – a midwife’s review!
Gathering in the Knowledge – review by Lynn Genevieve, a midwife who attended Sara Wickham’s online course and shared her thoughts in Midwifery Matters.
Birth trauma research – what can we learn?
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.
A Tribute to Tricia’s Lab Cats
Sara Wickham dedicates a poem to Tricia Anderson and their shared love of writing about birth and cats.
Vitamin K and tongue tie division
What happens when parents want a tongue tie division but the baby hasn’t had vitamin K? Can professionals decline to do this? What are the issues?
Evidence comes in many forms
Dr Sara Wickham discusses how evidence comes in many forms. The issue is not which type is most valuable, but whether the method fits the question.
Curiosity and the Caul
Sara Wickham describes a caul birth where the intact membranes may have protected the baby. What wisdom is there in the ‘safety labour’?
Reclaiming the Art in Birth
Sara Wickham discusses art, craft, birth and knitting, revisiting a topic she first wrote about twenty years ago whose content is still as relevant today.
Academic Tips
Our latest information hub gathers together classic articles and blog posts written for and about midwives and midwifery practice by Dr Sara Wickham.
Self-care: caring for ourselves…
Self-care is vital. Sara Wickham offers a bit of background and a long list of ideas for those who need to focus more on themselves.
Midwifery Practice Wisdom and Reflection
Our latest information hub gathers together classic articles and blog posts written for and about midwives and midwifery practice by Dr Sara Wickham.
Bad science and the limitations of choice
Dr Sara Wickham discusses ‘bad science’ and the papers which purport to show that birth is risky. But is risk being used as a means to control?
Sara Wickham’s books are now available on Kobo!
Sara Wickham’s most recent books are now available in electronic form on Kobo, as well as in paperback and on Kindle.
Why are some women dissatisfied after induction of labour?
Dr Sara Wickham looks at new research. Why are some women dissatisfied after induction of labour? What aspects do they dislike?
Membrane sweeping for induction of labour
Sara Wickham looks at the latest edition of the Cochrane review on membrane sweeping for induction of labour. What are the key points?