MKdoula

04/11/2021

Maternity services in the UK need change. Midwives are understaffed and working in awful conditions, and not able to do the job they desperately want to do, to support birthing mothers and families properly.

Those birthing, their babies and families are not being cared for in the way we need our NHS to care for them. There is trauma for staff and service users. Midwives are leaving their jobs in huge numbers.

Maternity services affect us ALL as a society, maternity services matter for now, and future generations. For real. If you are a midwife, healthcare worker, antenatal/postnatal professional, parent, service user or simply care about maternity services please do join us in national vigils around the country on Sunday 21st November, 2-4pm, to stand alongside midwives for change.

I am helping to coordinate the Bedford one so if you are local please join us, we have a Facebook group: March with Midwives Bedford Group

The national one group: March With Midwives UK
And the facebook PAGE is: https://www.facebook.com/marchwithmidwives/

P.S If you are a midwife or NHS healthcare worker who wants to support this but not in the town where you work, you are most welcome to join another nearby vigil, be that Bedford or another town/trust.

We are parents and lay birth workers standing in solidarity with midwives and healthcare professionals, calling for government action to address the crisis in maternity services.
Find out where your local protests are and support your local Midwives!

07/11/2019

Recently, I've listened to this inacurate advice calling an ambulance service. There was no time for correcting this misleading information but I knew the string wasn't needed.

Most ridiculous article today in Daily Mail and hashtag needed (courtesy Optimal Cord Clamping / )

Education needed for some allied healthcare professionals and telephone responders. The evidence based practice optimal cord clamping gold standard and shame on poor reporting by newspapers!

Image credit: Unknown

Updated: response by BloodtoBaby: https://www.bloodtobaby.com/post/bloodtobaby-s-response-to-the-mirror-article1

06/09/2019

Just wow!
https://m.facebook.com/nhneurotraining/photos/a.1181834048667712/1183743398476777/?type=3

This is the world’s first ever magnetic resonance image showing a mother and child’s bond.
The image is of neuroscientist Rebecca Saxe kissing her two month old son.

The child’s brain appears to be smoother and darker. This is because it has significantly less white matter. White matter is comprised of myelin, which is fatty tissue that acts as insulation for the wires that communicate messages inside your brain.

The activations in the image do not refer to the act of kissing but to the organisation of functional activity in infant brains when viewing meaningful images.

Kissing causes a chemical reaction in your brain, including a burst of the hormone oxytocin. Oxytocin is often referred to as the ‘love hormone’ because it stirs up feelings of affection and attachment.

Kissing activates the brain’s reward system; releasing dopamine which makes us feel good. It also releases vasopressin which bonds mothers with babies and romantic partners to each other. It also releases serotonin which helps to regulate our mood.

30/08/2019

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2405737536336834&id=1599324306978165

19/06/2019

Our monthly free CPR training is on Thursday 27 June!
Would you know what to do if your baby or child collapsed? Our resuscitation department are once again offering free training for the public. Training will take place in the resuscitation training room, opposite our A&E Department. Sessions starting at 9am-9.45am, 9.45am-10.30am, 10.30am-11.15am, 11.15am-12pm, 1pm-1.45pm, 1.45-2.30pm, 2.30pm-3.15pm.
There is no need to book, you can simply turn up to one of the sessions. Children are also welcome.

28/03/2019

Such a relieve to know about the new NICE recommendation for VBAC
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=986840748370908&id=847287568992894

Evidence-based recommendations on intrapartum (labour and birth) care for women with existing medical conditions or obstetric complications and their babies

26/03/2019

Are you thinking about giving birth at home? or already booked to give birth at home? Fancy a chat with our Home Birth team? Then why not come along to our Meet the Midwives event in Queens Park on 27 March?

22/03/2019

World Doula Week starts today. Help us to celebrate by spreading a word about doulas.

"You won't remember what they said,
you won't remember what they did,
but you will remember how they made you feel."

14/03/2019

An inspiration for today

Fetal cells persist in mothers, healing them well into old age.

09/03/2019

Humans come from women

No Equality without Reproductive Rights.
Know Your Rights.
Read Am I Allowed!
https://www.aims.org.uk/shop/item/am-i-allowed