Category: medicine
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Comments On Maternal Request Cesareans
A couple of days ago, the charity Birthrights published a report into maternal request cesareans. It found that 75% of UK maternity units were going against NICE guidelines and refusing women this option for giving birth to their babies. The story was covered by TV and online news, including this piece by Rebecca Schiller from…
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Getting Involved Offline – The National Maternity and Perinatal Audit
I’ve set myself a few challenges for this, my third (and final) round of maternity leave. With my older two children at school and a severely diminished interest in group singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, I’m doing things a bit differently. I’ve ditched (most of) the baby groups. Instead, I’ve been looking for opportunities to get…
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The Slightly Sweary Caesarean Recovery Plan
I’ve had three caesarean births. I still wish I had a detailed plan about how to recover from one. If you look for the pros and cons of C-section V vaginal birth, the recovery is always a big deal. Caesarean recoveries are much harder we’re told. But that’s about all we’re told. When I first…
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Are Women Losing The Ability To Give Birth Naturally?
Or, Has Michael Odent finally jumped the shark dolphin…* Has something happened that is stopping women from performing the most ordinary but amazing act in nature? Well according to French surgeon and Obstetrician Michael Odent it has. But I’m not so sure… Firstly big hat tip to Kiran Chug who has already blogged about this…
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The WHO Recommended Caesarean Section Rate (2015 Edition)
Yesterday the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a statement about Caesarean sections- the title was: Caesarean sections should only be performed when medically necessary This was, of course, picked up by the press, with The Guardian pretty much copy-pasting the headline. So, does the WHO have some striking new evidence that there are far too many…
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10 (+1) Things Not To Say To A C Section Mum
Whatever the Telegraph may think, most Caesarean sections don’t happen because “posh” women want to schedule them around their manicures or business meetings. They are usually undesirable, often unexpected and occasionally downright terrifying. I was lucky enough to come out of my emergency c section with a healthy baby, without the surgery the outcome would…
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Angels and Demons, Some Thoughts On The Morcambe Bay Scandal
I’ve been reading about the Kirkup inquiry into the deaths of mothers and babies at Furness hospital with great sorrow today. I wish I could also say I was shocked but I’m really not. I’ve not read the full 209 page document but one part of the executive summary really struck me. “…working relationships were extremely poor, particularly…
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Have Your Kids Had Their Smallpox Vaccination?
Have you vaccinated your kids against smallpox? No? Why on earth not? Oh, wait… I’ve not given my kids the smallpox vaccine, I doubt anyone reading this has – why? Because there is no more smallpox. Barring a few samples in two high security labs the disease simply does not exist anymore. Look it up…
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Post Natal Care; My After The Birth Story
This post is mostly for the #MatExp folks who I have been trying to keep up with on twitter (it really wouldn’t have fitted into 140 characters!) Heads up other readers this isn’t a very happy or positive story, although thankfully we were ok in the end. If you are expecting a baby and anxious…
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"Three Parent Babies" Science, Hope and Parliament
Just sometimes, I feel very proud to be British, which isn’t very British I know. Today is one of those days because MPs have voted to allow scientists and doctors to create so called “three parent babies”. //embed.gettyimages.com/embed/450244859?et=jHH5jlM5Rlp9jxXADy2D6A&sig=_EF2q2WherJMZMFIPA1mOdS9B5ILsi9uNGXc1h-TdaI= View image | gettyimages.com As a scientist myself I find this fascinating; the great challenge to better…
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