NICE Induction of Labour guidelines 2021

NICE have recently updated their guidelines on induction of labour. These can be found on their website here if you would like to read them in full but there are a few parts that stand out to me.

Induction of labour has become a worldwide epidemic. In some circumstances induction is absolutely necessary but more often than not, the reasons given to parents - you are overdue, too small, too big, not progressing - are not based on good science. Invariably, women are told about the risks of NOT having an induction, rarely are they told of the risk of consenting.

How music can help during labour - The Metro Article

Earlier this week, The Metro got in touch with Katharine for a comment on their article about the rise in pregnant people using music to soothe and guide them through their labour.

The article describes how research has shown that music can actually alter the way the brain perceives pain, in particular, the parts of the brain associated with emotions and memory.

Birth Trauma Awareness Week 2021

This week (19^th-24^th July) is Birth Trauma Awareness Week. Birth trauma is classified as distress experienced during or after childbirth – Postnatal PTSD. The trauma can be physical but can also be emotional and psychological. It is on the increase and what should be a joyful time for mother and baby has in many cases become a time of stress and worry which can last for a long time.

Do I have Postnatal PTSD?

It is estimated that 1 in 3 people experience some kind of birth trauma with 30% experiencing some symptoms of PTSD, both of which are alarmingly high numbers.

Why Independent Midwives need our support

After releasing this video several independent midwives rightly pointed out to us that our post was misleading, as one shared with us; "I'd like to point out that although we cannot attend births, we ARE able to provide our usual gold standard antenatal and postnatal care. We desperately need intrapartum insurance to provide birth care, but right now please don't say we can't practice at all, because at this time antenatal and postnatal care provision is my livelihood!"

We apologise for the misleading information and have updated the wording in our communication. We hope that this is now a true reflection of the situation, please do contact us if you feel there is any other information we should update or share.

Independent midwives are facing a desperate situation right now. In 2020, self employed midwives lost all access to commercial professional indemnity insurance covering them for intrapartum care (care of women and their babies during labour and immediately after the birth). Exhaustive search for alternative insurance providers and support from the UK government has proved fruitless, leaving independent midwives simply unable to provide their full services. They are still able to provide antenatal and postnatal care.

These self-employed midwives are professional and regulated. They choose to work outside of the NHS allowing them to offer personalised care for the parents they assist. Many have shown examples of how a different style of care and personal relationships can improve birth outcomes for woman. This can help feed into and improve the NHS guidelines - helping improve care for all. The service of an independent midwife has been described as: “A service that is priceless” and “The best money I ever spent.”

Why does this matter?

As shared by Birthrights; “We know not everyone can afford an independent midwife. However as a group, they play a vital role in maternity services by offering an alternative woman/individual centred model of care, and therefore continually challenging the NHS to do the same. During coronavirus, we are aware of individuals who have turned to IMs in desperation when local NHS services have been unable to meet their needs.”

International Day of the Midwife 2021

Today is International Day of the Midwife. We have always acknowledged the amazing work midwives do to help the birthing person and all the babies that arrive in the world – but particularly the last year. And what a year they have had!

Many parents I have taught during the Covid-19 pandemic have expressed fears directly related to the situation we are living right now. We can teach parents how to prepare for birth and how to remain in control of their situation, but the midwives they birth with really have helped to give them the best experience they can, despite of any restrictions thrown upon them. We can not thank them enough for what they have done and coped with.

Postnatal Depression Coping Strategies

Most new mothers experience the "baby blues" in the first few weeks after their baby arrives. This is from the effect of hormonal changes which can play a big part on your emotions. But postnatal depression is different and can last longer, or even arrive months after the birth.

With one in ten women suffering from postnatal depression, it a subject we should discuss more openly and there are many coping techniques to help women cope with the situation they find themselves in. Katharine was recently interviewed along with Liz Halliday, deputy head of midwifery at Private Midwives, by NetDoctor to discuss this subject.

World Hypnobirthing Day

Today is World Hypnobirthing Day!

The celebration always falls on March 21^st, the first day of Spring, which symbolises birth and new beginnings. This isn’t something just for our KGH followers – regardless of who you learnt with or what school you teach parents with, we all come together on this one day so we can raise awareness around the world of the benefits of hypnobirthing.

Virtual Business Event

On Friday 26^th February, I will be joining an informal online event offering networking and business opportunities. This is being hosted by my local North Wiltshire MP, Danny Kruger, and three other women who own and run businesses locally.

I would love you to join us for our discussion and there will be the opportunity to ask questions and network with likeminded people. The event takes place at 4pm this Friday via zoom. You can register for the event here. I look forward to seeing you there!

NEW - KGH Resource Sheets

In order to have the best possible birth for you and your baby, the birth you have planned and the image you have in your heart and mind, you need to be sure that the choices you make in advance in order to achieve this are based on evidence and research. It can be difficult to know where to turn to for good quality and impartial facts, so we have created clear resource sheets (including induction of labour, breech birth and Group B Strep) to signpost you to all the best articles, websites and books to help you make informed choices about your pregnancy and baby’s birth. These are fantastic resources for you to turn to for support if you feel stressed or under pressure. Do use them. They will make a positive difference to your experience. We hope you find these useful. Follow this link to find the subject area relevant to you. If there are any other topics you would find useful, please do contact us.

Pregnancy Charity Giveaway

We are excited to share details of our 2020 Christmas Charity Giveaway!

Kicks Count Charity

This Christmas we are highlighting the Kicks Count charity. The team at Kicks Count do an amazing job of highlighting the importance of monitoring your baby's movements. Movements are a key sign of a baby's wellbeing and Kicks Count is the UK’s leading awareness campaign. Through education and awareness, they empower mums-to-be with knowledge about movements and give them the confidence to call their Maternity Unit if something doesn’t feel quite right. While Covid-19 continues to bring restrictions, encouraging mums to monitor their baby's movements, trust their instincts and contact their maternity unit if things just don't feel right, is more important than ever.