When less may be more. Sara Wickham writes about the human tendency to want to prioritise action and ‘doing more’, when this may not be the best solution.
Less is more…
Category: Articles
A midwife’s guide to birth fairies
Sara Wickham describes some of the birth fairies that hide around the labour ward in a fun article originally written for the holiday issue of a journal.
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 I wish every woman knew about induction of labour
The most important things you need to know before deciding whether or not to have an induction of labour. There are pros and cons and no ‘right’ way.
Birthkit essentials – what do we really need at a birth?
This is my birthkit purse. It has been all over the world, and has formed the basis of hundreds of conversations. I made it myself, and I use it to show women, families, friends, students and colleagues how little one really…
Why your estimated due date might need a rethink
If you’ve ever thought that your or someone else’s estimated due date might need a rethink, this article is for you. It’s my reflection, as a midwife and academic researcher, on what I’ve learned from researching pregnancy calculation tools. In…
Induction for big baby: what’s the evidence?
Been offered induction for big baby? Well, let’s start with a really important fact. Researchers admit that, “it is not clear whether it is better for women with big babies to have their labour induced or to wait for labour…
Induction for advanced maternal age
Sara Wickham notes the rather illogical nature of the recommendations made for induction of labour in older women, citing the lack of good evidence on this.
Screening and the consequences of knowledge
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.
Which first-time mums are more at risk of caesarean?
Which first-time mums are more at risk of caesarean? There is growing concern about the number of unnecessary caesareans, and the rate of these is especially high in first-time mums. That concern is the reason behind doing the research that…