The Maternity & Midwifery Hour

Welcome to an event you won’t want to miss - join this Maternity and Midwifery Hour on 8th November from 7-8pm to explore all the important and truly vital differences you can make to a new mother after caesarean section. Meet with award winning clinician, personalised care ambassador and author, Janine McKnight, as she takes you on an enlightening journey of truth and factual accounts of mothers’...

In this hour, our guest, Stephanie Michaelides highlights the key aspects for midwives of supporting the examination of the newborn. A confident and competent physical examination of a newborn infant helps establish the midwife’s relationship with the mother and relevant others which will go on to enhance the baby’s wellbeing and empower the mother to give the best care to her baby. This will be e...

Mayes' Midwifery is a core text for students in the UK, known and loved for its in-depth approach and its close alignment with curricula and practice in the UK. In this session we meet the two editors, Sue Macdonald and Gail Johnson, of Mayes' Midwifery (just published!) and three of the authors, Lyn Jones, Alicia Burnett and Kylie Watson, who share their journey from initial draft the to...

This week it will be Menopause Awareness Day, and we will be focusing on the effects of peri-menopause and menopause on midwives in their working life supporting women and families. Menopause has for far too long been a taboo and stigmatised topic. Finally, this generation of menopausal and perimenopausal women are fighting back and smashing that taboo. 50% of the population will experience menopa...

This Baby Loss Awareness Week, we are thinking about how best to care for and support women, their families and friends through the loss of a baby. Hosted by: Sue Macdonald, Midwifery Expert, Mayes Midwifery Contribution from: Steph Wild, Bereavement Consultant & Relationship Manager, CuddleCot Steve Huggins, Commercial Director, CuddleCot Clare Beesley, Lead Midwife for Bereavement, Universit...

The title of midwife continues to be enshrined in law in the UK- but what is it that midwives do that is different to other health care professionals in maternity services? Why is the role unique? What makes it special? Hosted by: Dr Jenny Hall, Editor, Matflix Contribution from: Dr Maeve Anne O’Connell , Assistant Professor of Midwifery, Fatima College of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi, United Arab E...

As midwives we are caring for women and their babies and families, and for partners and dads too. This session explores the experience of fathers, and we will be hearing from two leading speakers. The first will be Mark Williams, author, Consultant, and campaigner for dads mental health. Then we are joined by Midwife Debbie Garrod, who will share insights from her ethnographic PhD research explori...

Does love have a role in midwifery? If so, what is that role? While the concept of love in nursing has been widely explored, this has not been the case in midwifery and maternity care. Therefore, we invite you to join us to reflect on the relevance of love to our work. Hosted by: Sue Macdonald,  Midwifery Expert, Mayes Midwifery Contribution from: Dr Diane Menage,  Senior Lecturer in Midwifery,  D...

- Reviewing assessment of the newborn at birth and beyond - Students as advocates As we come to the final programme in the season, we are including two issues that are ‘hot off the press’ and important for midwives and students to know about and engage with. One of that of Students role as not just learning the art and science of midwifery, and balancing theory and practice, but also about being a...

This session explores the under-researched phenomenon of midwives/student midwives themselves giving birth (and people who have given birth becoming midwives), how positive or negative experiences may inform future practice, and/or increase vulnerability to repeat trauma exposure. Kate Greenstock (practising midwife and author of Flourish: A Practical and Emotional Guidebook to Thriving in Midwife...

Midwifery is a career which carries so many possibilities and choices, and remains a popular career choice. In this session we are exploring with our speakers, their journeys into midwifery, including the highs and lows and the challenges they have face to be where they are now! Sue Macdonald,  Midwifery Expert, Mayes Midwifery Kemi Akinwunmi,  Qualified Midwife, Specialist in Public Health,  Prof...

On this episode we looked at continuity of care with a wider lens. Sam will explore how a very small team designed and implemented the maternity care system in New Zealand where 94% of women get government funded continuity of midwifery care. We will be joined by Emma to look at midwifery continuity of carer and supporting parents-to-be in their pregnancy and birth choices, working flexibly to pro...

Historically, in all cultures, midwives have had a close connection with spirituality, and with religion. So as we look at contemporary care, do we need to reflect and be aware of our historical links? An awareness of different cultures, and of differences between beliefs, and practices is fundamental to the way the midwife can personalise care to match with the women and families personal needs....

Series 10 - Episode 7: Communicating with babies We know that baby’s ways of communication, and how we communicate with them is important. This week it is Baby Communication Awareness week, and we are delighted to be joined by colleagues from the Brazelton centre. Betty Hutchon one of Brazelton Centre UK Master Trainers in the NBAS and NBO and the co-founder of the Brazelton Centre UK, and Sarah L...

In this session, renowned international midwifery expert Dianne Garland discusses the current evidence around water use during labour and birth, parent and midwife preparation, and what is happening nationally and internationally. Hosted by: Sue Macdonald,  Midwifery Expert, Mayes Midwifery Contribution from: Dianne Garland,  Midwifery Consultant and Author  of 'Waterbirth - an attitude to car...

Series 10 - Episode 5: Oxytocin Collective Care - The art & interdisciplinary strategies This week’s episode looks at Oxytocin Collective Care - an interdisciplinary live event about mothers, parents and carers that uniquely combines a bold programme of performances and live art along with discussion panels and workshops. It creates a platform for critical art practices, intersectional femini...

Series 10 - Episode 4: Baby loss - supporting black and mixed-black women Black and mixed Black heritage women in the UK experience pregnancy and infant loss at higher rates than their white counterparts. In response to these disparities, Tommy's Baby Charity have established a Support Service for Black and mixed Black heritage women, and midwife Alicia Burnett has launched Black Baby Loss Awa...

Each year more research is published extending our knowledge about the health benefits of relational care, midwifery continuity of carer for women, babies and their families. While job satisfaction is increased, and work-related stress is reduced for those providing this model of care, there is also resistance to changing daily routines, established patterns of work and areas of responsibility amo...

The International Day of the Midwife is a chance to reflect on what we have achieved and what midwives contribute to the health and wellbeing of women, their babies and families. And we celebrate midwives’ strength, resilience and creativity. Hosted by: Sue Macdonald,  Midwifery Expert, Mayes Midwifery Contributions from: Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent OBE,  Newly appointed First Chief Midwife,...

For many years, Entonox ‘Gas and air’ has been a treasured form of pain relief during labour. Recently interest in the media has highlighted other aspects, such as ‘recreational use’, and also the impact of Entonox levels on midwives and maternity staff as well as the environmental impact of Entonox – looking at a recent study. Sue Macdonald,  Midwifery Expert, Mayes Midwifery Dr Wendy Jones MBE, ...

This session looks at a student led model of learning for student midwives in the form of a student led postnatal clinic within maternity service. The SMiLE Clinic provides student led postnatal care, supported by midwives in partnership with women and families. We hear from Dana and Sam on how the clinic runs, and what the women and students think of the being part of this clinic. About SMiLE Cl...

This episode is an overview of the examination of the newborn, looking briefly at its history, the NMC requirements, and what this means for student midwives, qualified midwives and existing EON and NIPE practitioners. Our speakers explore the standards in action and consider how we can work towards a high quality standardised aspect of care, and develop skills, competence and confidence with the...

5 Easy wins with expectant parents How do you make the antenatal infant feeding and relationship-building information that you know you need to share, really be heard and understood by the parents you are working with, in the short time you have available? Renowned Infant Feeding Specialist and NHS Baby Friendly Initiative lead Shel Banks knows how tricky it is to deliver this key information alon...

For this episode you will need a piece of paper and pen, plus a glass of water (or wine!) before we start the session! There is no quick fix for sustaining midwives in the current climate. This practical session offers a selection of tools and mindsets to support you to stay well in midwifery – both in the day to day, and over the long term. If you are tired of the disheartened shoulder shrug and...

We welcome back Midwife Faiza Rehman, who set up the Raham Project in Peterborough, to provide support to mothers and families from ethnic minorities, through information, education and activities, with a focus on emotional support and advocacy. An important part of the project has been to give voice to the mothers, through monthly listening sessions. So how is this project going and how are the m...