A recent report in The Telegraph has revealed that half of UK women are not getting the birth care they want.
The findings, announced at the inaugural Birthright’s Dignity in Childbirth Conference in London last week concluded that British women are not receiving a dignified birth.
Mumsnet conducted a survey on 1100 women and found that only 50% of women in the UK are receiving their ideal birth care. A further 26% were not able to choose where to give birth and 24% didn’t consent to intimate procedures such as forceps delivery, vaginal examination or cervical sweeps.
Relaxing 5-star retreat for mums-to-be!
UK Birth Centres are holding a relaxing 2 day getaway to ensure you are totally relaxed and prepared for a positive birth experience.
The retreat, to be held at a five-star Hotel in Cheshire, is the perfect place to get away from it all and meet new people. Our experienced midwives will give you full 24 hour support and ensure you get the most positive experience possible throughout your pregnancy.
Birth is unique and dynamic, working alongside your midwife you will be planning and preparing for many months towards an ideal birth. Sometimes things can and do change which may mean that you as the mother cannot hold your baby for the first time; this may be in the event of a CS for example. If for any reason you cannot hold your baby for a while, skin to skin can start between baby and your partner –Baby will Settle to the rhythm of his/her breathing and his/her heart beating, it is a voice that baby will recognise immediately and can go a long way to start the instinctual process until you are ready to take over.
Are you, like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, expecting an imminent arrival? You may be experiencing all of the typical ‘false alarm’ twinges and cramps that mums-to-be normally have at this point in your pregnancy. So how do you know that labour has started? Each woman is different, but normally one of the following will occur:
- Lower back pain/abdominal pain, similar to menstrual cramps.
- Painful contractions, occurring at regular and increasingly shorter intervals.
- Broken waters.
- A brownish or blood-tinged mucus discharge, often called a ‘show’.
The Royal College of Midwives annual legal birth conference in London last week concluded that ‘women can’t insist on a home birth if the NHS doesn’t have the capacity to provide it’. A leading Barrister Barbara Hewson was quoted as saying: ‘If you can’t send a midwife out to a home birth, then you can’t. This needs to be explained to women. The NHS may not be able to give them the choice.’
Yesterday Sky News published a story suggesting that the Government was failing mums to be and that pregnant women are still not receiving consistent care from a single midwife during labour.