Empowering Birth

I believe that women are wonderfully designed to give birth so when they are supported by midwives with whom they have developed a relationship of trust then amazing births will happen. My philosophy of trust in the physiology of birth differs from the Medical model of child birth that proliferates in our health care system. The medical model believes that birth is only normal in retrospect and is fraught with potential problems that need fixing at any moment!  This form of care appears to disempower women and leads to the use of phrases such as “I was not allowed” or “I had to have and induction” evidence that the women did not have any choice in the matter.

What is in a Midwife’s Home Birth Kit?

I have been an Independent midwife for 8 years and have noticed that there are many things I view as essentials to my home birth kit that were absent when I was a community Midwife for the NHS. I am not talking about the standard equipment sonic aid, sphygmomanometer and stethoscope, thermometer, sterile gloves, etc.

No these are the idiosyncratic things that have made women’s birth and my life far better over the years!

The Importance of Home Birth

I have been invited as a guest blogger by UK Birth Centres Ltd to speak about the importance of a home birth for both you and your baby. I have been an Independent midwife for 8 years and an NHS midwife for 20 years before that and it has been a privilege to work with women who are very sure of how they want to give birth.

Fifth of NHS spending goes on insurance cover

A fifth of NHS spending goes towards insurance cover for clinical negligence, according to a report conducted by the National Audit Office.

The number of births in England has risen by almost a quarter in the last ten years, with the National Audit Office declaring that maternity services on the NHS were generally good, but there is still room for improvement.