HypnoBirthing Merseyside

17/12/2025

05/12/2025

Sometimes, people ask why they need to read books about pregnancy and birth which look at the research in depth, when there are so many other things they could be doing.

Can't you just follow what your midwife or doctor says, they ask?

Or go to a childbirth education class and have it summarised?

Well yes, you can totally do those things, if that's what works for you.

We're all different.

No shade on anyone's decisions here.

But some people want to understand the evidence for themselves.

They want it explained by someone with deeper knowledge, and maybe to get the references, so they can read the original studies.

We also know that what's in the guidelines that maternity care systems use isn't always lined up with what the evidence says.

And these are big decisions, whose implications and effects can last a lifetime.

That's where I come in.

Because there is sometimes a discrepancy between the actual evidence and what you get told by people in health care, and because the effects of your pregnancy and birth experience can last a lifetime, it is always a good idea to get informed before you decide what's right for you.

I'm at https://www.sarawickham.com

My resources are designed to help you become informed and to understand the evidence, so you can decide what works for your situation.

Pop on over and find out more.

04/12/2025

02/12/2025

Some women are offered induction of labour because their due date falls around the festive period.

Induction of labour may be offered (and sometimes requested) around high days and holidays, but it has pros and cons and implications, which makes it a big decision that is worth thinking about carefully.

Please get lots of information before you decide what’s right for you and your baby.

When I was writing both my ‘Inducing Labour’ book and 'In Your Own Time,' I received so many messages from women who wished they had done more research before they made their decision.

Different decisions are right for different people and neither I nor any of the lovely people who will share this post are against induction.

We are FOR everybody making the decision that’s right for them.

If you’d like more information, I have a whole page of resources and two books on this topic.

If you need info quickly, they’re both available as ebooks on a number of platforms.

You can find details of both at https://www.sarawickham.com/iol

24/10/2025

It sometimes feels like there's a new childbirth-related news headline every week.

And no matter whether it's on the web, in the papers or on TV, it’s highly likely that it will be scary and focused on risk.

It may instill fear and undermine women’s confidence in their own bodies and babies.

Here are a few things that you should bear in mind when reading these headlines and the associated stories.

1. Both the originator of the research and the people who turn it into a story want to get the headline and the story to spread as far and wide as possible. Their job isn't to help you make an informed decision about what is right for you.

2. The goal of getting maximum publicity for a research finding or story is sometimes achieved by taking a sensationalist stance. Sometimes, key facts are glossed over, shared in a misleading way or left out completely.

3. Risk and fear sell news very quickly. There are many, many studies showing that birth is safe and that women's bodies are marvellously good at growing, birthing and feeding babies. But these don't make exciting headlines, and they don't make nearly as many people read, click and share, so they are often ignored.

4. There is almost never any discussion of the bigger picture or the wider context, either of the study or situation itself or of other work that has been done on the same topic. We need more information than can be found in the headlines.

5. In reality, research and report findings are never certain. All studies have limitations. Sadly, the complexity and the uncertainty gets compromised in favour of those risk-filled headlines which make you want to click, read and share.

Stay calm. Remember that the job of the media is to sell headlines, not to help people making pregnancy and birth decisions.

Breathe.

Get informed.

And then make the decision that's right for you.

If you'd like to see more of my work on this topic, you can find me at https://www.sarawickham.com/wrfm

23/10/2025

30/09/2025

Share to Midwives and join the conversation.

You interaction is exactly what these sessions are designed for.
Include CPD self-cert: You'll get a LTB Certificate for you hours.
Cake and Refreshments included!!
https://letstalkbirth.com/ltb-lounge-sessions/

24/09/2025

It’s safe for pregnant women to take paracetamol at any stage of pregnancy. Here’s what the research says about the risk of autism.

08/09/2025

There are sometimes really good reasons for recommending induction of labour.

But sometimes it's offered routinely, without thought for the individual, because of care provider fear, or for convenience.

One size doesn't fit all.

That's a quote from one of my blog posts, and it's based on my book about inducing labour.

The blog post is called 'How to cancel an induction.'

Because if you're happy to have an induction date, that's great.

But too many women are being given dates for induction that they don't want.

You can read the blog post at https://www.sarawickham.com/riffing-ranting-and-raving/how-to-cancel-a-labour-induction/

And there's loads more info on my web site and in my book if you or anyone you know want to get informed before deciding whether or not induction is right for you.

www.sarawickham.com/iol