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Feedback: June/July 2009

Midwives magazine: June/July 2009

Hospital versus home births

Dear editor

The pendulum is swinging back from hospital to home births following a Dutch study demonstrating equal safety in 500,000 low-risk births. The resource implications and occasional safety issues of wider uptake in houses up and down the land suggest that the alternative ‘home-from-home’ birthing centre facility has much to commend it. A relaxed setting with birthing pools, bespoke music and lighting, along with a familiar community midwife bode well for excellent all-round results. The birthing centre can also be the location for antenatal and postnatal clinics leading to more efficient use of midwife time. Co-location with the ambulance service and primary care as promoted in Saxmundham, Suffolk augments both safety and community. The midwives in this corner of Suffolk manage an impressive 12% home-birth rate, which is four times the national average.

The NHS should be empowering these professionals to deliver more choice and also babies closer to home – particularly as it is cheaper and now confirmed just as safe as the secondary care alternative.

From
Dr John Havard, senior partner at Saxmundham Health
john.havard@gp-d83053.nhs.uk

Teach yourself breastfeeding

Dear editor

I am writing to draw your attention to a book I have purchased that is written by a fellow midwife, Pauline Lim.

The book is entitled Successful breastfeeding and is a teach-yourself series book. I purchased the book as I had problems feeding my own children in the past – with my third child, I was determined to make breastfeeding work for me. I chose this book, as it is very affordable at £7.99. I also knew Pauline many years ago when I studied at Wolverhampton University where she is a midwifery lecturer and I know that she has always been passionate (and somewhat an expert) on breastfeeding.

The reason I am recommending this book to you and your readers is that as a mother I have found this book to be a breath of fresh air. It is modern with a funky layout and illustrations. The advice is extremely practical, easy to follow and the information exceptionally easy to digest.

I feel as a midwife, I have benefited from purchasing this book too and that your readers would be interested, particularly student, newly-qualified and community midwives, and maternity support workers – anyone providing breastfeeding support to women really. I also feel we should support our colleagues, especially in something as important as breastfeeding.

From
Louise Gardener, midwife on maternity leave and happy to report still breastfeeding! louisegardener@googlemail.com

Disillusioned and disgruntled too

Dear editor

I am writing in response to the letter entitled ‘Disillusioned and disgruntled’ in the February/March issue of Midwives.

Having worked as a community midwife for over 30 years, I have until recently loved my work. Now, days are so full that just like ‘Disillusioned and disgruntled’, I am drained physically and mentally. Working a full day with no breaks and then being on-call from 5pm until 8.30am with the prospect of working the next day is causing midwives to go off sick or leave the service. I now believe it is time to look at how we provide the on-call service during the night. In the Trust I work for, the on-call system was supposed to have been reviewed at least two years ago; however, just like the staffing review, nothing has changed. In some areas during the night, the midwife has called in sick and there is no one to cover the area. The result is that any on-call midwife is expected to cover an even larger area. I rarely finish work at the proper time; I would imagine this situation is the same throughout the country – lots of unpaid overtime by dedicated staff. When time owed is asked for, there seems to be an interrogation about why it should be given. I would support the aforementioned midwife (‘Disillusioned and disgruntled’) in asking what is being done to improve this situation, before it deteriorates further.

From
Name and address supplied

Happy Birthday Clara!

Dear editor

I realise that I am a ridiculously proud mother, but I thought I’d send you a picture drawn by my daughter Clara, who will be nine on 5 May (see below). She was born at home, in the pool and my close friend Mary Ross-Davie (we trained as midwives together) was my midwife. I think this picture is a real celebration of what birth can be – a family event and a wonderful welcome into the world. Clara can remember her youngest brother being born and this is what she has based her picture on. I think it’s a great way to celebrate International Day of the Midwife and I pinned a copy up at work on Clara’s birthday.

From
Anna Daley, community midwife
anna.daley01@virgin.net

Clara's birthday nine years ago

I think this picture is a real celebration of what birth can be

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Midwives magazine, Evidence Based Midwifery and rcm.org.uk are published by Redactive Publishing Ltd on behalf of The Royal College of Midwives.