Midwifery Solutions

MIDWIFERY SOLUTIONS

Let's make birth better
 
with Caroline Flint RM RN ADM

 Newsletter number 3October 2022
 
Who can I give a velvet vagina to? 
I have just received Dr Sara Wickham's Newsletter and Etsy Shop. I am desperate to buy a velvet vagina, they look so lovely, they are so clever in that they open out to 10 cms dilatation. Who would like one for Christmas, perhaps my children? No they are bored to death with childbirth, it has been the wallpaper to their lives. My Grandchildren? They think I am weird enough already and they are expecting cash so maybe not. I'm very tempted to buy one for James Titcombe but I don't have his address.James Titcombe? You ask. Who he?James Titcombe is a man who has made a career out of being a bereaved father. He has borne a grudge against midwives ever since, maybe justifiably. He was treated badly and his grief has continued for 14 years. His avowed purpose in life is to get rid of normal birth and to stop anyone talking about normal birth. To this end he harrasses well known midwives who talk about normal birth, he denigrates their work and hides all this under a slogan of "safety for women" - in which he is now a Consultant working for the NHS. The only problem is that he doesn't appear to have a clue about safety for women, he doesn't appear to have read any of the copious research that there is on childbirth and obviously he is unable to know what childbirth is like for women.    He may be the loveliest man you could meet but campaigns against and intimidates several well known midwives. I'm wondering what his next  campaign will be once he has eliminated normal birth perhaps he will go on to attack normal defaecation? Or normal breathing? It seems crazy to me.          

 
The Good News 
 
Congratulations to Anna Byrom on the new Australian Practising Midwife Journal. I have just had the great pleasure of reading it.
Australia is my most favourite country (after England), I love it and have had the great pleasure of visiting it many times. But, what has been my biggest sadness about Australia is how they treat their First Nations people. This Journal addresses that beautifully. So respectful and so illuminating. Congratulations once again to the very dynamic Byroms for a very helpful tool for midwives.    
The best article I have read in ages was in "The Practising Midwife" of March 2022 and was a midwifery innovation entitled "Labour Hopscotch". The authors were from Dublin in Ireland and they showed a very attractive pictorial depiction of what women can do during labour. Every hour of labour is divided into 20 minute segments and it is suggested that women can get into different positions every 20 minutes. I would suggest an illustration of stair climbing for 20 minutes and of snoozing for 20 minutes as well as being on all fours to add to the kneeling, squatting, sitting on the loo, sitting on a birth ball, snuggling up to partner and leaning forward already illustrated. A very innovative and exciting way of getting through labour - well done everyone. 

I'm hoping that you will write to me with comments and suggestions   Email: caroline.midwife@gmail.com
Tel: 07973 657 642      
Web: CarolineFlintMidwife.com to register to receive this Newsletter regularly

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This is a workbook to help you to set up an Albany Type Scheme If you let me have your postal address I will send you one or you can download it off my web page. I'm sorry if you have already given me your postal address and have received nothing - that will be rectified soon as I am feeling so much better.    