There is a lot I would like to say to you but it all boils down to this: Please listen. Listen to as many voices as you possibly can. Even, no, especially the difficult ones. There must be no voices too hard to hear and no beliefs too sacred to be challenged. Listen to the… Continue reading What I Want The National Maternity Review To Know
Category: birth choice
Finally, MissE’s Birth Story
I’ve always been in two minds about writing down the details of MissE’s birth. In some ways it seems odd to share such an intimate and difficult story with whichever total strangers come across my blog. It is necessarily very long and I’m wary of producing a horror story or looking like I’m just fishing… Continue reading Finally, MissE’s Birth Story
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… Continue reading Are Women Losing The Ability To Give Birth Naturally?
Normal Not Normal
A #MatExp post N is for Normal Today we reached N in the #MatExp ABC and that brings me to “Normal” birth. Regular readers of this blog will have noted that I tend to put normal in ” ” and may also have guessed that that is because I’m not very keen on the the… Continue reading Normal Not Normal
H is for Hospital, Home and Genuine Choice
This is another #MatExp ABC post. Today we have reached H and when I went on twitter this morning the first suggestion I saw was H is for Homebirth. That got me thinking and, as usual, 140 characters wasn’t really enough. So my H is for Hospital birth, Home birth and genuine choice. To be… Continue reading H is for Hospital, Home and Genuine Choice
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… Continue reading The WHO Recommended Caesarean Section Rate (2015 Edition)
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… Continue reading 10 (+1) Things Not To Say To A C Section Mum
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… Continue reading Angels and Demons, Some Thoughts On The Morcambe Bay Scandal
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… Continue reading Post Natal Care; My After The Birth Story
Caesareans, Sex Lives and the Good Old Daily Mail.
I was wondering what to write next on this blog, I had a couple of posts in mind before Christmas that I never got time to write, but they are hardly topical now. However, thanks to the NCT twitter feed I have something new to be cross about: It’s a startling figure, I knew the… Continue reading Caesareans, Sex Lives and the Good Old Daily Mail.