Word-thought for the day: replacing risk with chance
Tag: language
Deciding to decline, or deciding to wait and see?
Sara Wickham considers issues around the language we use to discuss birth decisions, and highlights nuances in what people are actually asking for.
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…
The language of information: obscuring choice
Sara Wickham discusses how language can be used to obscure choice, or as a tool to exercise power, often in subtle ways that aren’t easily spotted.
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.
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…
What’s in a name?
Sara Wickham ponders the names that midwives have around the world, along with their meanings.
Untangling tocophobia
‘What is it called,’ a woman asked, ‘when you’re fearful of medicalisation?’ Sara Wickham attempts to provide an answer to this.
The ungentle art of persuasion
Sara Wickham unpacks the way in which professionals are sometimes told to persuade childbearing women – even when they don’t want to.
The words we use…
Sara Wickham’s article in which she discusses some of the language used around birth. Offers questions, insights and suggestions for change.