Sara Wickham shares the wisdom of Mary Cronk, one of midwifery’s heroes. Thoughts on induction, labour and synchronised swimming…
Induction and synchronised swimming: Mary Cronk words of wisdom
My eight favourite blog posts of 2018
Sara Wickham revisits her favourite and most popular blog posts from 2018. Includes book announcements, induction research and shoelaces!
The language of the complicated
Sara Wickham discusses how our languages focuses more on complication and risk than normality, and considers how this might affect women.
In celebration of plateaus
In celebration of plateaus; Sara Wickham quotes from Elizabeth Davis’ wonderful article on plateaus, in which she compares how these occur in birth and sex.
Why some research results are more likely to be published than others
A Cochrane review confirms that some research results are more likely to get published than others; one reason why evidence isn’t as reliable as we’d like.
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.
Word-thought for the day: replacing risk with chance
Midwifery care is shown to lead to better outcomes (again)
Another study has shown that receiving pregnancy care from a midwife can reduce the chance of having problems, says Sara Wickham.
Bring back the bed bath?
Sara Wickham discusses the practice of midwives offering a bed bath to a woman who has just given birth, and the value of this.
Positive benefits of physiological birth
Sara Wickham highlights a research study showing the transformative benefits of physiological birth; an ’empowering journey for women’.
Your birth: stories from midwifery-led areas
Sara Wickham reviews the book, “Your birth: stories from midwifery-led areas”, a project about women’s stories led by a midwife from Wales.
Induction of labour: the gap between theory and reality
Research into women’s experiences of induction of labour show a big gap between what women need and want and the reality of what they experience.
Oxytocin-related resources
Sara Wickham provides a guide to the oxytocin-related resources available on her website. Benefits of physiology and information about synthetic oxytocin.
Routine early induction in healthy women not supported by evidence
Research looking at the effects of early induction of labour shows this is associated with few beneficial outcomes and several adverse outcomes.
Is it any wonder? Enough of the body shaming…
Enough of the body shaming, says Sara Wickham. Is it any wonder that many women don’t know how to trust their bodies or decisions?
Placental birth resources
Sara Wickham’s website contains lots of placenta-related resources. Here’s a current list of her blog posts, articles and books on this topic.
Further thoughts on the third stage
Sara Wickham’s article in which she shares experience relating to the birth of the placenta, and suggests that things may not be what they seem!
Seven useful words for the birth room…
Sara Wickham offers some useful words for the birth room; a handy phrase which helps prevent women from being coerced…
Work, health and emotional lives of midwives in the United Kingdom: The UK WHELM study
A senior midwife has shared her thoughts on a study looking into the work, health and emotional lives of midwives in the UK which does not appear to have been publicised by the organisation that commissioned it, the Royal College of Midwives.
Birthing Your Placenta: now available!
Announcing the publication of the fourth edition of our Birthing Your Placenta book, written for women, families and professionals.
Home births – where are we heading?
Sara Wickham looks at a recent editorial which explores some of the issues relating to home birth and how it is becoming more popular.
We need a better way of defining postpartum haemorrhage…
Sara Wickham looks at research which considers the way in which we define and measure postpartum haemorrhage, suggesting we need to re-think this area.
What’s true, pussycat?
Sara Wickham riffs about cats at birth, cats in maternity care and just how much we can learn by being open to other ways of knowing.
What’s in a name?
Sara Wickham ponders the names that midwives have around the world, along with their meanings.
Review shows that “evidence is lacking” to induce labour before 42 weeks of pregnancy
A review of trials comparing induction of labour with expectant management says evidence is lacking for the recommendation to induce labour at 41 weeks.
Labour progress resources
Labour progress resources available on Sara Wickham’s website. Everything from research challenging norms to the purple line!
Bearing witness: disrespectful maternity care
Sara Wickham writes about an important study which further illustrates disrespectful maternity care and abuse that some women experience during childbirth.
Untangling the Maternity Crisis
Sara Wickham reviews Untangling the Maternity Crisis: an important new book detailing the problems faced within maternity care.
On individualisation…
Sara Wickham on individualised care. Why it’s important to find out if what you’re being offered is routine, or tailored to your personal situation.
Objectivity, religion and belief…
No-one is unbiased. Context is important. Knowing the context of information can help us better make the decisions that are right for us.
The Rhombus of Michaelis
Sara Wickham and Jean Sutton describe the Rhombus of Michaelis, an area of bone which plays an important role in labour and birth.
More evidence on how to keep birth normal
Evidence-based approaches to determining the onset of active labour, assessing progress of labour and determining dystocia may safely decrease intervention.
Large Carbetocin trial published
Sara Wickham discusses the results of a large Carbetocin trial which considers the use of this drug during the birth of the placenta.
Why birth-related decision making is trickier than ever…
A number of features of our modern culture have made making birth-related decisions trickier than ever, says Sara Wickham.
The risk-managed birth ball
The risk-managed birth ball; Sara Wickham’s article in which she considers just how far things are going towards a culture of risk management…
Standardisation of Care: a contradiction in terms
A guest post by Professor Emerita Mavis Kirkham: Standardisation of Care: a contradiction in terms. And why individualisation matters.
Further confirmation of home birth safety
A systematic review and meta-analysis has further confirmed the safety of home birth for healthy women, even if they are having their first baby.
What’s Right For Me? Now updated and available!
Sara Wickham announces the publication of her updated book, What’s Right For Me? Making decisions in pregnancy and childbirth.
Expert midwives and perineal care during birth
Sara Wickham looks at a study exploring the knowledge and skills used by expert midwives in keeping women’s perineums intact during birth.
Ten things I wish every woman knew about induction of labour: the article
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.
New systematic review on chlorhexidine
A review of the effectiveness of intrapartum vaginal chlorhexidine in the reduction of maternal and neonatal colonisation and infectious morbidity.
Revisiting the world wide wonder
Re-sharing a 2002 article by Sara Wickham about the way in which medical information is spread and shared on the internet.
Inducing Labour: making informed decisions – now available!
Announcing the publication of the newest edition of Dr Sara Wickham’s bestselling book, ‘Inducing Labour: making informed decisions’.
A Midwife in Amish Country
Why do women value midwifery care?
Sara Wickham looks at research exploring what it is that women value about midwifery care and the continuity of care model.
Evidence of the importance of listening to women
Research has provided further support for the idea that it is vital to listen to women and to pay attention to other ways of knowing such as intuition
The birth of a midwife?
Sara Wickham writes about children at birth through the story of ‘Eleanor’, a three year-old who came to her sister’s home birth.
Another way of supporting women who wish to decline
A woman-centred framework for documentation and communication for use when women wish to decline aspects of maternity care.
Happy Spring!
Happy Spring! Especially to those of you working over the holidays, because babies don’t know when the weather is good and we’re all outside!
Post-term pregnancy and induction of labour resources
This page lists all the resources available from Dr Sara Wickham on the topics of post-term pregnancy and induction of labour.
Continuing the electronic fetal monitoring debate
Research telling the story behind some of the recent EFM debates in the medical literature and discussing the bias towards electronic fetal monitoring.
Pinard Wisdom (part 2)
How do you use a pinard? Sara Wickham and other experienced midwives offer tips, tricks and suggestions for those wanting to develop this skill.
Pinard Wisdom (part 1)
How do you use a pinard? Sara Wickham and other experienced midwives offer tips, tricks and suggestions for those wanting to develop this skill.
The downside of trying to “manage” birth…
What is the downside of trying to manage birth? Sara Wickham looks at how our own actions are often working against women’s and babies’ physiology.
The wisdom of storks
Sara Wickham looks at what storks can teach us about the need for science AND stories when it comes to birth wisdom.
Fetal monitoring and cherry picking evidence…
Two senior doctors commend the BMJ for publishing a debate highlighting the way “in which the doctors supporting monitoring seem to cherry pick evidence”
Four recent birth-related revelations…
Sara Wickham offers an update of birth-related research. This post focuses on information published in Winter 2017-2018.
Midwives are heroes…
“Being a midwife is similar to being an Apache pilot,” says Steve Osterholzer, Apache pilot and a midwife’s husband. And midwives are heroes…
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
Untangling tocophobia
‘What is it called,’ a woman asked, ‘when you’re fearful of medicalisation?’ Sara Wickham attempts to provide an answer to this.