The Obs Pod

We are always asking women about their baby's movements, why is that and what is considered normal? Want to know more? https://www.rcog.org.uk/media/2gxndsd3/gtg_57.pdf https://www.rcog.org.uk/for-the-public/browse-all-patient-information-leaflets/your-babys-movements-in-pregnancy-patient-information-leaflet/ https://www.aims.org.uk/journal/item/counting-the-kicks Resources for women with a r...

As obstetricians we can be ignorant of infant feeding issues and its not our fault incredible as it seems we have no training in this and it turns out loads of other professional don't either. To help me discuss this sometimes tricky issue I am joined by Lyndsey Hookway lactation consultant,  researcher and author. Want to know more? https://courses.abm.support/courses/team-baby-getting-ready...

This week I am chatting to Teri Gavin-Jones about her work on health inequality and her journey with community partners resulting in a fantastic resource of cultural curiosity films titled 'It's Ok to ask'. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Want to explore more? You can watch all the videos here https://vimeo.com/user146271099/videos Thank you all for listening, ...

To mark international women's day on 8th March I am discussing the recent WHO report of trends in global maternal mortality. Want to know more? https://www.who.int/news/item/23-02-2023-a-woman-dies-every-two-minutes-due-to-pregnancy-or-childbirth--un-agencies https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240068759 Thank you all for listening,  My name is Florence Wilcock I am an NHS doctor work...

I have been doing some training to be ready for the new NHS Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF). In this episode I reflect on what I have learnt and what the challenges there may be as we implement this new way of learning from incidents. You may also like to listen to Episode 13 Mistakes Want to know more? https://www.england.nhs.uk/patient-safety/incident-response-framework/ https...

FGM or female genital mutilation can be a tricky topic that we feel uncomfortable talking to women about. Here I sign post some useful NHS training and resources and remind people its the little things , kindness and compassion that will make a difference to these difficult conversations. Want to know more? Information https://www.forwarduk.org.uk/violence-against-women-and-girls/female-genital-mu...

Last summer August 2022 I gave a TEDxNHS talk. I wanted to bring the perspective of women giving birth but also that of the obstetricians and other maternity staff to try and encourage collaboration to find the sweet spot bringing safety and a positive birth experience together. The result is my talk 'Birth should be special' This episode is an introduction to my talk, why I wanted to ta...

Cord blood is actually an inaccurate description, this is the baby's blood. Here I am exploring the timing of cutting the umbilical cord and the impact this can have on the baby's health. Want to know more? https://www.bloodtobaby.com/ https://www.cochrane.org/CD004074/PREG_effect-timing-umbilical-cord-clamping-term-infants-mother-and-baby-outcomes https://www.cochrane.org/CD003248/PREG_...

Today I am joined by two very special guests to discuss City of Sanctuary Maternity Stream. Katherine is a midwife and Wan is a woman seeking sanctuary. We discuss some of the barriers vulnerable women face seeking maternity care and some very simple ways we can put them at ease. Want to know more? There are some fantastic videos and resources for maternity services here https://cdn.cityofsanctuar...

Each year the Care Quality Commission surveys experiences of maternity care in England.  Here I take a look and discuss the lateset results published last week. Want to know more? https://www.cqc.org.uk/publication/surveys/maternity-survey-2022 Thank you all for listening,  My name is Florence Wilcock I am an NHS doctor working as an obstetrician, specialising in the care of both mother and baby d...

What is meconium? Why do we worry about meconium in the waters during labour? Want to know more? https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/1185 https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD012671.pub2/full https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg190/ifp/chapter/if-there-is-meconium-during-labour Thank you all for listening,  My name is Florence Wilcock I am an NHS doctor working as an ob...

As we start the new year I thought I would build on previous episodes 23 & 24 on language by discussing Re:Birth a project looking at language by the Royal College of Midwives in collaboration with other maternity organisations published in Summer 2022. Want to know more: https://www.rcm.org.uk/rebirth-hub/rebirth-summary-2022/ https://www.rcm.org.uk/media/6228/rebirth-method-and-technical-rep...

As we hit the festive season join me and my great friend Gill Phillips of the wildcard whose shoes podcast as we reflect on 2022 and have a little fun. Thank you for listening throughout 2022, see you next year! Thank you all for listening,  My name is Florence Wilcock I am an NHS doctor working as an obstetrician, specialising in the care of both mother and baby during pregnancy and birth. If you...

What is Fetal Blood Sampling? How did we do it , and why I think it should it be abandoned if you haven't already stopped this procedure? Want to know more? https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/gid-ng10174/documents/draft-guideline https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aogs.12416 https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006174.pub3/full https://www.nice.org.uk/...

Are there four types of pelvis, that's what we are taught but is it true? Are we sometimes misinforming women about their pelvic shape and ability to give birth? Want to know more? https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140673697054317 https://www.cochrane.org/CD000161/PREG_pelvimetry-fetal-cephalic-presentations-or-near-term-deciding-mode-delivery https://www.britishjournalo...

The episode is out on Thursday this week in honour of World Prematurity Day 17th Nov  when we focus on the fact  the worldwide 1 baby in every 10 is born prematurely. Find out all about in utero transfers, what are they,  why do we transfer between hospitals, and what do they  involve? Want to know more? Useful links for parents expecting a premature baby https://www.londonneonatalnetwork.org.uk/w...

This episode covers Sepsis  & the sepsis six the mainstay of  initial treatment for this serious life threatening illness. Warning this episode contains mentions of maternal death and baby loss. Want to know more? https://sepsistrust.org/ https://www.rcog.org.uk/media/ea1p1r4h/gtg_64a.pdf https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/group-a-streptococcal-infections-guidance-and-data#management- T...

I can't believe I have managed to neglect the topic of a small baby up to this point especially given Episode 29 Big baby is now my most popular episode. Join me to rectify this omission as I discuss what we think about when a baby is small , and what do we mean by small anyway? Want to know more? https://www.isuog.org/static/b2aa3fb4-031e-4d84-b7246d613a466884/ISUOG-Practice-Guidelines-diagn...

It is a difficult time in maternity care in the UK, last week saw the release of the report into East Kent Maternity services 'Reading the signals' which has lessons for us all. Join me as I digest and think about this report and the previous reports of  maternity services failing families and think a little about where we go from here. Want to know more? https://assets.publishing.servic...

Have you wondered what it would be like practicing maternity care in a low or middle income country? What if you went to do that, and then found yourself in the middle of an Ebola Epidemic? Here I chat to Benjamin Black about his fascinating book Belly Woman , about his experiences of working in Sierra Leone and his reflections on differences and similarities with challenges in the UK. Want to kno...

Meet Sunita Sharma a consultant in O&G with a passion for all things postnatal. Take a listen to the innovative work she is  doing to improve postnatal care  at her own hospital and across London. I am hoping our conversation will inspire plenty of ideas for postnatal improvement work. Sunita can be found on twitter @SunitaS2016 Want to know more? https://www.beyondbirthlivinglibrary.org/ http...

It is Baby Loss Awareness week 2022. In its 20th year the aims are: Remembrance, Raise Awareness & Drive Change. This year the theme is 'Stepping stones' looking at the journey parents face after a baby dies. I have chosen to compliment this with some thoughts on the stepping stones a professional takes when looking after a family in these circumstances. Want to know more? https://ba...

What are medical conferences for? Are they just an excuse for some fun or do they add value? Here I explore a bit about why there are so many medical conferences and share some thoughts about which conferences I find helpful to my practice. Want to know more? https://bicsoc.org.uk/ Thank you all for listening, if you have enjoyed my podcast please do continue to subscribe, rate, review and recomme...

Have you read the FiveXmore Black Maternity Experience Survey published this year? If you haven't and you work in maternity then its essential reading. Here I discuss why its so valuable and my thoughts on some of the results. Want to know more? https://www.fivexmore.com/blackmereport https://www.fivexmore.com/6steps Thank you all for listening, if you have enjoyed my podcast please do contin...

Today I am discussing if the age a woman is when she become pregnant is important? Find out some stats and definitions of how age can have an impact on pregnancy outcomes for both mother and baby. Want to know more? https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tog.12710 https://www.rcog.org.uk/guidance/browse-all-guidance/scientific-impact-papers/induction-of-labour-at-term-in-older-mothers-s...