Playing Kate: Re-staging maternal transformation A guest blog by Jodie Hawkes Introduction Since 2005 I have been making performances with my partner Pete Phillips as part of a live art duo Search Party. One of our theatre performances, My Son and Heir (2015) was made shortly after the birth of our first son Edward, which […]
A selection of poems
A selection of poems The first two pieces of poetry were written about my caseloading experience as a student midwife. As part of my caseload I supported my brother’s girlfriend; the poems are about them and also about my own fears and expectations while caseloading. Reality bites. A student, mummy and partner, too Caseload is […]
Relationship-based continuity of carer: informed choice for mothers AND midwives
There can be no doubt that we should be implementing relationship-based continuity of carer for most women and their babies. The evidence has been mounting over years and is compelling: there are few developments that offer so much benefit, with fewer risks (See http://www.gtc.ox.ac.uk/images/stories/academic/skp_report.pdf). It is difficult to understand why this evidence is still seen […]
Starting an initiative; #MaternityLeader case study
Hello all, Happy New Year! A new year often represents a new start and so I thought I’d follow The Practising Midwife’s theme of ‘Bright Beginnings’ with a blog about how to run and launch a social media campaign to help anyone interested in starting a new initiative this New Year. I’m going to use […]
Access to digital information, social artifice and choice
Changing attitudes and actions around women’s health, childbirth and gender equality are being powerfully supported by technology engaging mass communication. Social media are helping to raise awareness and encourage discussion by breaking down barriers of distance and geography. But sometimes, too much information – especially if it is inaccurate or of poor quality – can pose a challenge for women and families and […]
The Place of Political Satire and Cartoons in Birth Activism
By Laura Godfrey-Issacs Henny Beaumont (2017) ‘I’ve thought of a great way to tackle midwife shortages’ Recent political events in the UK and globally are a gift for satirists, such as Henny Beaumont – artist, writer and disability activist – and subsequently we see a resurgence of political sketches and lampooning in the media. But, […]
The birth of our humanity
‘A child is born’ …and then? How will that life unfold? Will this baby be well and healthy at birth, with a mother who has been wrapped around in loving care, not only in her childhood and life, but also in pregnancy, labour, birth and the early weeks of life? Will this baby be […]
Representations Of Childbirth And How They Can Affect The Choice Agenda
Representations Of Childbirth And How They Can Affect The Choice Agenda We live in an electronic and highly visual age where images of birth, pregnancy and motherhood saturate our social and mainstream media – however, images made by artists, which might be less available, can provide an alternative set of representations, and are rarely referenced […]
Best foot forward – Midwifery society updates and events
Midwifery societies have grown from strength to strength in recent years. With more midwifery societies being established every year, we feel it is important to shine a light on the amazing work midwifery societies are doing every day. As Chair of UCLan midwifery society, I know how much extra time, effort, hard work and – […]
Coping with change
Autumn heralds change in many ways: the leaves change from green to shades of orange, gold and red; the sun sets more quickly and the mornings are darker; fires are flaming; conkers are collected; and freshers begin a new chapter in their lives at university. Managing change is a skill that needs to be honed […]