The Maternity & Midwifery Hour

Episode 12 of Series 3 of the Maternity and Midwifery Hour This session will be the last in Series 3, we look forward to welcoming you back for series 4 in April.   Part 1 - Reflections: A Year On  It has been a year since the Covid-19 lockdown was commenced and Maternity and midwifery Hour participants will know that the MM Hour was designed in response to the lockdown to support midwiv...

This session will share continuity of care from a midwife and new midwives' perspective, illustrating some of the demands and challenges of this approach to care, the importance of planning, and of communication between the team.   Continuity of care; transforming maternity care for women, babies, and families. Continuity of care has been highlighted for many years as a tool to improve matern...

Association of South Asian Midwives (ASAM) is a platform for the South Asian Midwifery Workforce and birthing community. Statistics show that South Asian women and birthing people are twice as likely to die from pregnancy related issues compared to their white counterparts. Neonatal mortality is 66% more in the South Asian babies than in white babies. The company was founded by three midwives, Naf...

Let's Look At... Postnatal Care is an opportunity for us to reflect over the last year of the Covid-19 Pandemic, and think about what we have learned, and the changes we need to see in maternity services. Many changes have been made in terms of ensuring safety of women and their babies during this time, and using technology to communicate and support women and their families.    One area...

We are delighted to welcome Joyce Adu- Amankwah, Dr Rachel Kesse-Adu, Dr Emma Drasar who are joining the Maternity and Midwifery Hour again to address some of the complexities which face midwives and others in maternity care supporting women and families with haemoglobinopathies. This includes the issues that face women and their families, such as their choices, dealing with outcomes, potential st...

In January 2021 the latest MBRRACE report (Mothers and Babies Reducing Risk through Audit and Confidential Enquiries) was published. In this episode of the Maternity & Midwifery Hour, we ask 2 experts to tell us what the report's findings mean for BAME women and women with epilepsy.  Find out more about the MBRRACE Report: https://www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/mbrrace-uk/reports Episode 7 of Series 3...

Episode 6 of Series 3 of the Maternity and Midwifery Hour: Nurturing Positive Mental Health During the Pandemic Guest host: Dr Sheena Byrom OBE,  Director, All4Maternity Contributors: Fatima Ezzahra Ghauoch,  Continuity Lead Midwife, Northampton General Hospital Sam Tennyson,  Team Leader, Northampton General Hospital Dr Becca Moore,  Clinical Psychiatrist, NHS Louise Speakman,...

Every day, healthcare professionals and the public are bombarded with information and misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines.  Join this week’s Maternity and Midwifery Hour to find out everything you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine, both for yourself and for your mums. This session will confront the issues and give you the facts.   Episode 5 of Series 3 of the Maternity and M...

Over the last few months, we have been very aware of some of the changes made in maternity services in order to ensure safety and services of women and their families, and this has impacted on women and their partners in particular. This evening we are looking at the views and experiences of parents – first through sharing the newly published WRISK study ’Users experiences of COVID -19 maternity s...

Following on from our programme on blood disorders in Series 2, this episode will take a closer look at Thalassaemia in pregnancy - what it is, how to identify it, how it can be managed, screening and experiences of caring for pregnant women with the disorder.   Episode 3 of Series 3 of the Maternity and Midwifery Hour  Hosted by:   Sue Macdonald , Chair and Curator Midwifery Festiv...

Episode 2 of Series 3 of the Maternity and Midwifery Hour:  Highlights from the London Maternity & Midwifery online Festival 2021 (13.01.21) Catch up on Wednesday's London Festival highlights and learn more about the hepatitis B antenatal screening and selective neonatal immunisation quality improvement project: improving the quality of care of women with hepatitis B in pregnancy and thei...

Throughout 2020, maternity services were the one big health service that kept going, despite COVID-19.   Back in March, we launched the Maternity and Midwifery Hour, with a new episode every Wednesday, to provide midwives, student midwives and others in maternity care with an important update and connection every single week.   Each week we covered a wide range of topics - from COVID-19...

Reverse mentoring is when a worker in senior position is mentored by someone in a more junior position than themselves. There is emerging evidence that this innovative form of mentoring can be effective in promoting individual anti-discriminatory practice, organisational culture change in gender and race equality (Murphy 2012; Clutterbuck 2011) and can contribute to organisational diversity and in...

Long COVID is estimated to be affecting 60,000 people so far. Specialist, long COVID clinics are being set up across England. Maternity and midwifery professionals need to look for indicators in mothers, babies and HCP staff. Explore what we know about long COVID, what is being researched – its impact on pregnant women and babies and maternity services plus healthcare professionals themselves. Hea...

Over consumption, over reliance on plastic, single use and disposable items are all damaging the planet at a far greater pace than previously understood. The Covid-19 pandemic, with millions of discarded masks and gloves now finding their way into the ocean, also looks set to have a major impact on the environment. A must for all healthcare professionals who would like recommendations on how to li...

Keynote address Clare Haughey MSP, Minister for Mental Health, Scottish Government Contemporary postnatal care  Professor Helen Cheyne , Professor of Maternal and Child Health Research & RCM (Scotland) Professor of Midwifery Research, University of Stirling From the Scotland Maternity & Midwifery Festival on Wednesday 25th November 2020.  Introduced by Sue Macdonald. 

This episode will focus on the demands and pressures COVID-19 has placed on midwifery education, spotlighting, in particular, inequalities, institutional racism and unconscious bias, and how we can work together as allies to ensure midwifery education and practice is fit for purpose. Presented by: Sue Macdonald, Co-editor, Mayes Midwifery; Curator and Chair, Maternity and Midwifery Festivals With...

This episode explores antenatal and newborn testing, care & family support for birthing woman with sickle cell and other haemaglobinopathies during pregnancy, in particular ethnic groups who are most at risk.     Joyce Adu-Amankwah, Specialist Haemoglobinopathies Midwife, and Consultant Haematologist Rachel Kesse-Adu, will speak about the challenges presented during COVID-19 whe...

5 minute guided meditation with Dr Maeve O'Connell. As we head into winter and further lockdowns and restrictions across the UK and globally, it’s more important than ever that midwives recognise the warning signs and have the techniques to take care of both themselves and the families in their care. In this session our guest speakers will share some strategies and approaches that everyone can use...

As we head into winter and further lockdowns and restrictions across the UK and globally, it’s more important than ever that midwives recognise the warning signs and have the techniques to take care of both themselves and the families in their care. In this session our guest speakers will share some strategies and approaches that everyone can use to enhance personal well-being and answer your ques...

Midwifery education has changed so much over the last ten years. Students need to be equipped with the tools and strategies to learn and develop through their initial programme and throughout their career. New ways of learning and teaching are being implemented - from self directed learning, to guided study, through to flipped classrooms and scenario based learning. All approaches used to enhance...

Continuity of Care (CoC) has been shown consistently as being a key part in providing quality care and increasing the physical and emotional safety of the childbearing woman and her baby. Recent maternity service strategies and developments have made this a priority and, even with the impact of COVID-19, midwives and those engaged in maternity services are working to set up strong and sustainable...

The loss of a baby, whatever the gestation, is a devastating event for mothers and their families. It is crucial that care and support is tailored to the needs of the woman or birthing person and their family, culturally sensitive and aware. Timed to mark Baby Loss Week, this session will explore the key aspects of what midwives can do in terms of assessing the needs of the woman, and planning com...

Professor Jim Thornton from the University of Nottingham explores… What we’re discovering 6 months on What’s the science? Emerging issues and long COVID How organisations are responding and impacts on staff Lessons for midwives Episode 3 of Series 2 of the Maternity & Midwifery Hour. Presented by:  Sue Macdonald, Midwifery Educationalist; Co-editor, Mayes Midwifery In conversation with: P...

Dame Elizabeth reflects on her early life, her experiences as a young nurse, the issues that are dear to her heart, her optimism for the future and why bullying caused her to drop out of midwifery studies.   Episode 2 of Series 2 of the Maternity and Midwifery Hour    Presented by:   Sue Macdonald , Midwifery Educationalist; Co-editor, Mayes Midwifery   In conversation wit...