Many women are offered a ‘stretch and sweep’ in late pregnancy. But what is this, why and how is it done, does it work and can you say no?
What is a stretch and sweep?
Three things I wish every woman knew about pregnancy and birth knowledge
Sara Wickham shares her thoughts on birth knowledge, women’s wisdom and what she wishes she could tell everyone about these topics…
Birthing your baby
Sara Wickham reviews the updated (2019) version of Birthing your baby, by Dr Nadine Edwards.
Screening: what are we missing?
Does the use of modern screening technology come with downsides? Sara Wickham argues that it does, both in life and birth.
Induction of labour at or before 42 weeks of pregnancy: new evidence
Sara Wickham looks at Danish research which compared induction of labout at 42 weeks with induction of labour at 41+3 weeks, with interesting results.
Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays from Sara Wickham. Here’s wishing you a fabulous festive season, and we’ll see you next year!
Cerridwyn and the Pixies: A Holiday Fairytale
Sara Wickham tells a holiday story of research pixies who learn why some types of research are (inappropriately) valued more than others.
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.
The Poo Taboo
Sara Wickham presents the results of a conversation amonst women who are also midwives on the topic of poo in labour.
The importance of practising from the heart…
Sara Wickham considers the concept of heart-centredness and discusses this in relation to birth and the maternity services. Why is this not valued?
Informed is Best
Dr Sara Wickham reviews – and loves – Informed is Best: How to spot fake news about your pregnancy, birth and baby, by professor Amy Brown.
Induction of labour and avoidable harm
Sara Wickham shares research which highlights the issue of induction of labour and avoidable harm, showing us that there’s another side to the story…
The folly of fully dilated
There are a few myths about the idea that women need to be fully dilated to give birth, and that this means the same thing for every woman.
A big GBS thank you!
Six months after the publication of the updated version of Group B Strep Explained, Sara Wickham offers a thank you to all who helped.
Stepping Stones and Cervical Wisdom
What is cervical wisdom, why is it important, and why have many midwifery and medical textbooks got it so wrong? Sara Wickham explains.
Holistic therapies: proof and plausibility
Why it isn’t justifiable to ban complementary therapies from use in the NHS, and why women and clinicians are concerned about this.
The value of the knitting midwife
Sara Wickham tells the story of the Silent Knitting Workshop in Hawaii and reflects on the value of ‘the knitting midwife’.
Does CTG monitoring reduce perinatal mortality in ‘high risk’ women?
Does electronic fetal heart rate or CTG monitoring reduce perinatal mortality in ‘high risk’ women? Sara Wickham looks at research showing that it does not.
Sara Wickham now has an Etsy shop!
Sara Wickham and her husband Chris announce the birth of their Etsy shop, featuring Sara’s handmade vaginas, birthkit purses and friendly knitted bacteria!
101 dissertation tips – read the first chapter free
Free dissertation tips! The first chapter from Sara Wickham’s book, 101 tips for planning, writing and surviving your dissertation.
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.
Tips for physiological birth of the placenta
Sara Wickham shares tips for physiological birth of the placenta which emerged from a discussion held with a circle of midwives.
The problem of product propaganda
Sara Wickham looks at the problem of product propaganda, seen where companies are using sales messages that undermine parents’ confidence in their ability.
Pondering the post-birth tea break
Sara Wickham explores the uniquely British ritual of having a cup of tea after birth, with the help of midwives and women who share their thoughts on this.
Fetal monitoring research resources
A list of fetal monitoring research resources available on www.sarawickham.com. Includes blog posts and references to relevant research.
Is home birth safe?
Is home birth safe? Sara Wickham looks at the evidence of home birth safety, including a meta-analysis involving around half a million women and babies.
Homebirth: Safe & Sacred
Expert opinion and evidence
Can I have a natural placental birth after induction?
“Is it possible to have a natural placental birth after induction?” That’s a question I get asked a lot. My first reply to this question usually begins with me saying that I am not sure that any part of a…
Ten ways I can help midwifery students
Sara Wickham offers a variety of resources for student midwives and others studying birth-related areas.
Oxytocin and birth: the latest evidence
The latest evidence on oxytocin and birth: Sara Wickham looks at a review which helps explain why spontaneous, physiological labour and birth is beneficial.
The induction crisis continues (and what we can do about it)
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.
Fixed point due date or a wider window (part 2)…
How do holistic midwives get across the fact that ‘normality is a range’ when talking about the expected date of birth, asks Sara Wickham.
Dreams help…
A quote illustrating how dreams can help pregnanct and birthing women to build power, explore fears and develop knowledge.
Fixed point due dates and wider windows (part 1)…
If Doctor Who turned up in front of you right now and offered you the chance to go elsewhere in time to change, remove or amend one tenet of modern maternity care, what would you choose? Even though I understand…
Vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy
New data have changed the conclusions of the Cochrane review on vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy.
Love, kisses and other ways of knowing…
Sara Wickham asks whether maternity care providers and those who attend births are focusing on the right things.
EFM: ubiquitous yet flawed
“EFM has become a quintessential example of the perils of adopting new medical technologies without proper study of risks and benefits,” says a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Vaginal examination in pregnancy
“There are clearly few reasons to do vaginal exams during pregnancy,” says Nancy Wainer. But such a practice does carry risks.
Group B Strep resources
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.
Giant Breakthrough in Screening or Great Big Stressor?
Sara Wickham’s 2004 article in which she looks at the pros and cons of offering screening for the group B strep bacteria in pregnancy.
Microbiome seeding and woman-centred care
Sara Wickham discusses a woman-centred paper on vaginal seeding, whose authors highlight complex but really important elements of this conversation.
Screening and the consequences of knowledge (part three)
The third part of Sara Wickham’s article in which she discusses the consquences of knowledge gained from medical screening, which aren’t always anticipated.
Screening and the consequences of knowledge (part two)
The consequences of screening: downsides as well as advantages. Sara Wickham looks at the issues in the second part of her article on this topic.
Caseload midwifery continues to outperform standard maternity care
Sara Wickham shares links to evidence showing that caseload midwifery outperforms standard maternity care – time and time again.
Screening and the consequences of knowledge (part one)
Is it always good to know things, just because we can? Sara Wickham explores this idea in a series of blog posts about the consequences of knowledge.
Another way of helping babies with shoulder dystocia?
Sara Wickham discusses a paper on the shoulder shrug maneuver, designed to facilitate birth in cases where a baby experiences shoulder dystocia.
Prophylactic antibiotics after instrumental birth?
A large trial on prophylactic antibiotics after instrumental birth which shows that this reduces the chance of infection from one in five to one in ten.
“EFM is a waste of extremely scarce resources…”
A new paper analysing the evidence for electronic fetal monitoring shows this to be ineffective as a means of reducing cerebral palsy in sub-Saharan Africa.
Recurrent episodes of reduced fetal movement and pregnancy risk
New research from the UK has found no evidence to suggest that recurrent episodes of reduced fetal movement increase pregnancy risk.
Nutrition and the wisdom of craving
Sara Wickham’s 2005 article in which she riffs about nutritional advice, pregnancy cravings and whether there is a case for optimism…
What I knew about placental birth that my obstetrician friend didn’t…
Evidence is important, but it isn’t enough. Sara Wickham explains why we need to learn from stories as well as science.
We are all biased by what we see…
Sara Wickham looks at how we are all biased by our experiences, and how different viewpoints can develop and solidify, depending on what we see.
Women’s experiences of birthing their placenta
Australian researchers have carried out an important study looking at women’s decisions about, and experiences of birthing their placenta.
Are birth seats beneficial?
Sara Wickham looks at research which considered the relationship between birth seats and tears in healthy women.
Sharing resources with families…
Sara Wickham offers links to informative blog posts which childbirth educators and others might like to share with families.
Group B Strep Explained – now updated and available!
Sara Wickham’s updated book on Group B Strep is now available! Aims to help parents and professionals understand the issues.
A break for crafting and self-care…
The ARRIVE Trial: another perspective
Sara Wickham shares the work of an obstetrician who has added further doubt to the value of the results of the ARRIVE Trial.