Caesarean section in pregnancies conceived by assisted reproductive technology The odds of delivering by caesarean section are greater for IVF/ART singleton pregnancies compared to spontaneous conceptions. As access to IVF/ART has increased worldwide, there is a need to determine why caesarean sections are more common following ART than in spontaneous conceptions, and how these rates

Waterbirth An English retrospective cohort study of factors associated with its use among women in England This study, found there was no association between waterbirth and specific adverse outcomes for either the mother or the baby. There was evidence that white women from higher socioeconomic backgrounds were more likely to be recorded as giving birth

Respect in maternity care. Every pregnant woman deserves to be respected, valued and treated equally. Respectful relationships are about embedding a culture of respect and equality across our maternity services, starting with education in universities.  We know that changes in attitudes and behaviours can be achieved when positive attitudes, compassionate behaviours and equality are embedded

Reducing stress in pregnancy Pregnant mothers’ stress during pregnancy can disadvantage their babies, but it’s not inevitable. This article discusses flood related stress though the lessons on how to relieve stress are relevant to all pregnancies, though. Here’s what we can do. There are two main types of stress. Objective stress is what happens to

  National standard to help reduce risk of perineal trauma at birth                                                                                    21 April 2021

What makes a good birth? A healthy mother and child is the first priority, but a good experience is also important. A new documentary, Birth Time, looks at Australian experiences of childbirth. Cassie McCullagh on Focus spoke to two of the filmmakers, Zoe Naylor and Jo Hunter. Listening the this conversation, the problems are highlighted, solutions

Does the maternity care system need to change? ‘Birth Time’ is a documentary film about birth trauma, an issue affecting many women – with over 300,000 births taking place in Australia each year one third of those new mothers reported that they emerged from their birth experience feeling traumatised. Listen to the Babytalk interview with

Postpartum haemorrhage - excessive blood loss after birth Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is a leading cause of maternal death and ill health. The incidence of PPH is reported to have increased in recent decades in high-resource countries, including Australia. Why is this so? A recently published research asked: Is the increase in postpartum haemorrhage after vaginal

Brazen Hussies The struggle continues today - same same but different   Brazen Hussies is a documentary that celebrates the history of Australian feminism and remains very relevant today as the struggle continues today. You can view Brazen Hussies (https://iview.abc.net.au/show/brazen-hussies) You view a trailer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTOccDdT0Gg)  

State of the World’s Mothers The birth of a child should be a time of wonder and celebration. But for millions of mothers and babies in developing countries, it is a dance with death. https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLlg02FQK1_uNFTEvewWoQ_ZG4nL2UFp2l&time_continue=9&v=L_jWAqalgxg&feature=emb_title   https://scalingupnutrition.org/news/save-the-children-release-the-16th-report-on-the-state-of-the-worlds-mothers/