The Midwives' Cauldron

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?In this episode, Katie takes Rachel behind the scenes for an in-depth exploration of donor milk—an intriguing topic that might just challenge everything you thought you knew about this practice.                                                    I have to caveat that some of the information in this episode is possibly going to get your knickers in a twist though – do we have any episode that don't?!We'll be discussing:  The history of milk banking  Are we seeing different health outcomes when using donor milk compared to a mother's own milk?Are there differences between donor and mothers milk that we should know aboutWhat about informal, unpasteurised, milk sharing? Is this also happening in the hospital settings as well? And have you ever heard the term “milk sibling” before? I'll also dive into whether we need to rethink our approach to milk when caring for vulnerable infants. Plus, Rachel asks me about the future of milk banking—where is this practice headed?LINKS:Evidence-Based Methods That Promote Human Milk Feeding of Preterm Infants Early postpartum pumping behaviorsSupplementation of Mother's Own Milk with Preterm Donor MilkMaternal production of milkProactive Lactation Care Economic benefits and costs of human milk feedingsThe institutional cost of acquiring 100 mL of human milkWant to listen to the new podcast 'The Feeding Couch'? Find it here or on all good podcast hosting platforms! Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout. Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?In this episode Rachel and Katie dive into the fascinating topic of waterbirth (excuse the pun, but it was too good to leave out!). I ask Rachel my burning questions and she stirs up the cauldron exploring everything from the history of waterbirth to the practicalities and the science behind it. Listen in as we find out about:·      When did women start birthing in water?·      What does the research say about waterbirth improving outcomes?·      Why are some women told they can't get into the pool until they are 5 centimeters dilated?·      Do water-born babies take longer to start breathing?·      Guidelines recommend women get out of the pool to birth the placenta, but do they really need to?·      And lastly, does waterbirth alter the baby's microbiome?So,  place your order with the barista, pop your coat on, or press play as you get those headphones over your lugol's, and let's dive into the deep end of waterbirth. LINKS:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/7/e056517https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1871519216302190?via%3DihubWant to listen to the new podcast 'The Feeding Couch'? Find it here or on all good podcast hosting platforms! Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout. Support the Show. Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?Dr Nils Bergman calls himself a Public Health Physician, and currently promotes and researches skin-to- skin contact on a full time basis. He is a Research Associate at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. Dr. Bergman was born in Sweden and raised in Zimbabwe, where he also later worked as a mission doctor. He received his medical degree (MB ChB) at the University of Cape Town, a Diploma in Child Health at Uppsala University, and later a Masters in Public Health at the University of the Western Cape. During his years in Zimbabwe he completed a doctoral dissertation (MD, equivalent to PhD) on deadly scorpion stings. He has worked in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Sweden, and his last posting was Senior Medical Superintendent of Mowbray Maternity Hospital in Cape Town, overseeing 18000 births per year. He is married to Jill, and father to Rebecka, Simon and Emma, and has five grandchildren.In this episode, Dr. Bergman delves into the critical importance of maintaining skin-to-skin contact throughout the first day of a newborn's life. He explains how this practice not only connects and wires the baby's brain but also has profound effects on the mother.Dr. Bergman sheds light on the pivotal role of Oxytocin, often dubbed the 'love hormone,' which he eloquently describes as the hormone of resilience, vital for both mother and baby.We further explore the crucial significance of focusing not only on the first 1000 days of a child's life but also on the first 1000 minutes. Dr. Bergman passionately explains how these early moments are foundational for long-term health and emotional resilience.Additionally, we dive into the detailed work behind the latest version of the WHO Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) document. Dr. Bergman shares insights into the creation of this and introduces us to the concept of 'nurture-science.' He discusses how this emerWant to listen to the new podcast 'The Feeding Couch'? Find it here or on all good podcast hosting platforms! Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout. Support the Show. Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?In this episode Katie takes Rachel into a conversation about why the nipple shield topic gets Katie's knickers in a Twist.  We discuss: The history of their use from1500s to present day How the research might not be telling the right story? Why are they so controversial? We ask do nipple shields affect how much milk the baby can take out of the breast? When might be a good reason to use a nipple shield – way more reasons than you probably think! How do you get the right fit, and who are we fitting the shield for, the baby's mouth or the mum's nip? Do babies attach differently when they use one? And we discuss how to wean off from using a nipple shield.All this and tons more packed in to one episode for your eager lug'ols.   Support the Show. Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

 In this episode Rachel takes me on the path to enlightenment about the topic of the occipito posterior (OP) position in pregnancy, labour and birth! I ask Rachel why she's always been reluctant to cover this topic on the podcast! And  sit down to discuss: What exactly is an OP position? Why it is considered a problem in our current maternity systems Are there any problems caused by a baby in an OP position? Some really interesting facts about the normal labour pattern with an OP position And we tackle the subject of the interventions to rotate baby's and whether they work? All this and lots more as usual. And find all the links Rachel has provided below. LINKS:Blog post with links to the research and movie demoHow the uterus transforms in labour movieLesson on OP available in the Reclaiming Childbirth CollectiveWant to listen to the new podcast 'The Feeding Couch'? Find it here or on all good podcast hosting platforms! Support the Show. Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

 In this episode it's us together again in the cauldron and Katie chats with Rachel about all things early weight loss… and gain in babies. We look at: ·      Why do babies lose weight? ·      What is normal weight loss?·      Are there some babies who are more likely to lose more weight than others?·      What's with the panic once we hit the (not so magical) number of 10% weight loss? ·      And how can we best support mums and babies through this period of feeding difficulty, before we jump straight into the bottles of formula top-ups.·      What about IV fluids given to labouring women and the effect on a baby's weight straight after birth? We know there's been talk of a correlation right, but why do we not have any standardised guidelines for this yet?·      We try to straighten out the facts on one of those common anxiety causing parts of breastfeeding. All this and the usual banter when us two get together. LINKS: Breastfeeding & lactation: the fundamentals course BJM paper: Maternal intrapartrum fluids and neonatal weight loss in the breastfed infant. 2023Want to listen to the new podcast 'The Feeding Couch'? Find it here or on all good podcast hosting platforms! Support the Show. Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

In this episode Rachel talks to Katie about all the wondrous and darn right fascinating things about the amniotic sac. ·      Why is the baby surrounded by fluid, and what is it made of?·      Women are often told they have too much or too little fluid. Is this a problem?·      We also discuss why Rachel is (slightly!) obsessed with the function of the amniotic sac during labour·      We ask does breaking the amniotic sac (the waters) speed up labour at any point?·      What if your amniotic sac breaks before labour? We discuss the time the time-frames around augmenting labour when this has happened. ·      And we discuss what if the membranes don't break during labour?All this and lots more for your eager lug'ols.  LINKS: https://midwifethinking.com/2015/09/16/in-defence-of-the-amniotic-sac/https://midwifethinking.com/2013/08/14/amniotic-fluid-volume-too-much-too-little-or-who-knows/https://midwifethinking.com/2015/01/14/the-curse-of-meconium-stained-liquor/https://midwifethinking.com/2017/01/11/pre-labour-rupture-of-membranes-impatience-and-risk/Want to listen to the new podcast 'The Feeding Couch'? Find it here or on all good podcast hosting platforms! Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

In this episode I discuss with Professor Sir Stephen O'Rahilly all things pregnancy sickness and Hyperemesis. Just a few months ago the scientific evidence was published highlighting what causes pregnancy sickness and hyperemesis. This breakthrough discovery came from the work of Prof Sir O'Rahilly, his team and the team from Dr Marlena S. Fejzo in the US.This ground breaking work gives hope to thousands of women globally who suffer terribly throughout their pregnancy with extreme nausea and sickness. I discuss what it is that causing this to happen during pregnancy. Why our human bodies could be making this hormone and what it's use would possibly be for.  And what the future holds for a cure, how Prof O'Rahilly and his team are working collaboratively with the pregnancy sickness support, a UK charity, women who have and are currently suffering from hyperemesis,  and a team of obstetric specialists to find the answer to help stop this condition. Professor Sir Stephen O'Rahilly FRS, is Co-Director of the Institute of Metabolic Science (IMS) and Director of the MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit which is part of the broader University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories which he also directs.  On the wider Cambridge Biomedical Campus, he is Scientific Director of the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and Head of the University Department of Clinical Biochemistry.He was elected FRS in 2003, to the National Academy of Sciences, USA in 2011, has received five honorary doctorates and numerous scientific awards. In 2013 he was made Knight Bachelor & for services to medical research.His main research area is the aetiology and pathophysiology of human metabolic and endocrine disease and how such information might be used to improve the diagnosis, therapy and prevention of these diseases.LINKS: Pregnancy Sickness Support UK Dr Marlena S. Fejzo HER Foundation GD15 linked to maternal risk of nausea and vomiting duri Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout. Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

Lara Briden is a naturopathic doctor and bestselling author of the books Period Repair Manual and Hormone Repair Manual — practical guides to treating period problems with nutrition, supplements, and bioidentical hormones. With a strong science background, Lara sits on several advisory boards and is the lead author on a couple of peer-reviewed papers. She has more than 20 years' experience in women's health and currently has consulting rooms in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she treats women with PCOS, PMS, endometriosis, perimenopause, and many other hormone- and period-related health problems.On this episode we discuss with Lara all things periods and perimenopause. What is perimenopause? The nine symptoms you need to know!Is midlife really from 37? What is going on hormonally and how this affects our entire body systemDealing with heavy periodsSupplementing our hormones Taking the contraceptive pill  Dealing with stress, does perimenopause affect our ability to cope the same as before? Alcohol use and the real truth you need to know!  All things ‘sorting your sleep out' including dealing with night shifts! All this and so much  more! LINKS:Website Hormone repair manual book The Lara Briden Podcast - Everything women's health in under 15 minutesGraph of hormonal changes of perimenopauseGraph of menstrual cycle     Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout. Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

Where and how women choose to birth matters. Born at Home is a stunning documentary film exploring what it takes to have a positive and transformative birth experience. Empowered by the homebirth of her second child in 2020, Amanda Banks together with long term dear friend Eleanor Currie, set out to create a film exploring Homebirth in QLD.With a passion for telling stories about the human experience. Their film 'Born At Home' explores the emotional journey of homebirth.  ​The film interviews birthing experts, midwives, educators and shows many a homebirth first hand. We talked to Eleanor and Amanda about the messaging behind the filmHome birth statistics About the transformative effects home birth can have for some women,  And we delve deeper into the reasons  why more women are deciding to give birth at home. This is a beautiful episode with many insights. A great way to whet your appetite before you see the film. LINKS: Born at home the film IG @bornathomethefilmScreenings of the filmGet 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout. Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

Wendy Jones BSc, MSc, PhD, MRPharmS is known for her work on providing a service on the compatibility of drugs in breastmilk and has been a registered breastfeeding supporter for 36 years. She is passionate that breastfeeding should be valued by all and that medication should not be a barrier. In her employed life she was a primary care pharmacist. Wendy left paid work 12 years ago to concentrate on writing her books and developing her website to provide information for mothers and professionals. Wendy was awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours List of 2018 for services to mothers and babies. In this episode I chat to Wendy about all those common questions which start with “is it safe to breastfeed with that medication?!”·      Breastfeeding whilst needing medications for a chronic condition ·      Common misconceptions with anxiety and depression medications and breastfeeding·      Is it safe to keep breastfeeding when you catch the common cold or flu?·      Emergency contraception – do you need to stop breastfeeding and will it affect milk supply?·      Wendy tells us about the new medications for migraines·      Colic medicines – is there evidence for this and do they work? ·      Why planning in pregnancy is essential to support ongoing breastfeeding for those needing to use any medications long term, and yet unfortunately is still mostly not happening. ·      And Wendy tells me how she ended up giving out her personal phone number to the whole of the UK several years ago for any breastfeeding questions on medications and feeding! And was dealing with 10.000 calls a year!LINKS:Wendy Jones website, fact sheets, books and moreBFN Drugs in breast milk fact sheetsLactmedE LactenciaHale medsGet 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout. Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

 Bonnie Hughes is a midwife, with a background in musical theater and journalism. She is the creator of the podcast series Making a Midwife, and an animation film-maker hobbyist. Bonnie is passionate about the power of story, and how the stories we tell ourselves, the stories we live, the stories we are part of, and the characters we play in those stories shape the future. Bonnie explores, both through her midwifery work and her art how she can create a positive and uplifting impact for both midwives and the women and families in her care. This episode will fuel your day tenfold when you hear us talking  about the importance of taking up space and the power of anger.We discuss: ·      Working as a newly qualified midwife.  ·      Her incredible stop animation film titled ‘Big Trouble' ·      How society puts girls and women into a place where they have to earn their worth.·      How women are conditioned to be small in size and mind, and the constant worry about how much space we take up in the world. ·      We touch on how almost every woman in a maternity unit talks about their size, whether pregnant or not. ·      We discuss how anger destroys us when we silence ourselves and let it fester. ·      And we ask “How can we use anger for its best purpose?” LINKSBonnie Hughes filmsBig TroubleThe shared anatomy of Students and MidwivesRage becomes her: the power of women's anger by Soraya Chemaly Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout. Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

Mavis Kirkham is Midwifery Professor Emerita at Sheffield Hallam University and has held honorary professorial positions at the University of Technology Sydney and Auckland University of Technology. After over forty years as a clinical midwife and researcher, she is interested in reflecting and writing on birth and midwifery in its wider context. A major theme of her research has been the way in which the context of their care impacts upon childbearing women and how their working experiences impact upon midwives. She has long been concerned with how birth stories are negotiated and the impact of these stories on tellers and hearers. With Nadine Edwards she has edited a new book titled Freebirth Stories. In this episode we discuss with Mavis:About Mavis' interest in freebirth and why it seems more women are choosing this way to give birth Mavis tells us about the Freebirth stories from women and Doulas she and Nadine collected for their new bookWe discuss the importance of language in pregnancy, birth and postpartum spaces The important role that doulas play And we ask what Mavis sees as the future of midwifery  Mavis is one of those midwives who has witnessed so many parts of midwifery and her bounty of knowledge and kindness shines through in this episode. LINKS:Freebirth Stories Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout. Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

Dr Marina Weckend is a midwife and post-doctoral researcher based at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. Building on 13 years' experience in midwifery practice, education and research in Germany, UK and Australia, Marina is committed to improving maternity care services through better understandings of birth physiology. Her current program of research focuses on natural fluctuations and pauses during labour and birth, and seeks to normalise physiological plateaus as a strategy to reduce childbirth medicalisation. In this episode we discuss: What are physiological plateaus in labour? Are labour pauses normal? When do they occur during labour and birth? How long do they last? What's the defining feature of a physiological plateau? How do midwives think and work with them based on their experiences? LINKS:www.marinaweckend.comTwitter @marinaweckend LinkedIn Marina AwakeningPhysiological Plateaus Newsletter Oct 2023 Failure to progress or just normal? Physiological plateaus during normal labor and birth: A scoping review of contemporary concepts and definitionsFailure to progress or physiological plateaus? A constructivist grounded theory explaining midwives' views of healthy pauses during childbirth.  Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

In this episode Katie talks with Rachel about late preterm and early term infants. These are the babies who have flown under the radar for far too long and often are the babies who struggle the most to get going with breastfeeding. Come with us as we take a look at the current research, plans for feeding and what mothers are saying who have had babies born just that bit too early. ·      How many babies are born late preterm and why the numbers are growing.·      How late preterm infants are different neurologically and physically to full term babies  ·      What complications are more likely to be seen in the late preterm population ·      Current challenges within the maternity system when supporting mothers with late preterm infants·      Is there a basic plan which can be generalised for most or all late preterm infants?·      What about those babies born 37-38+6 weeks (early term), do they have higher needs too?·      And we look at the barriers to continuation of breastfeeding.https://abm.memberclicks.net/assets/DOCUMENTS/PROTOCOLS/10-breastfeeding-the-late-pre-term-infant-protocol-english.pdfhttps://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/2/312 https://internationalbreastfeedingjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13006-017-0114-0 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1740-8709.2012.00463.xhttps://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/bfm.2020.0379https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0884217515305190https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089%2Fbfm.2015.0122Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout. Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

Welcome to season 5!! This episode we have the marvelous Dr Sara Wickham back in the cauldron with us talking all about what's in her new book Plus Size Pregnancy. Sara talks to us about:·      How women and families want, need and deserve better answers to their many questions about higher BMI and birth, and that midwives and birth workers need to know what the evidence says. ·      Clarification of what is the BMI and as Sara says “it's a racist, sexist, classist” index created for complete different reason than for health! ·      We look at why a higher BMI comes with so many tests and limitations for birth and Sara talks us through the existing evidence.·      Are women with a high BMI more at risk of caesarean section, and if so what are the real reasons behind this?·      Why the phrase morbid obesity is utter nonsense and rooted in a much darker context.·      Sara delves into diet culture, it's myths and the marketing behind it. ·      Weight bias and fat shaming in healthcare.·      And why using BMI is problematic in maternity care.You'll hear all this and much more in this fabulous episode. LINKS:Plus Size Pregnancy bookDr Sara Wickham websiteSara on Instagram  @drsarawickhamSara on Facebook sarawickham.com Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout. Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

In this episode Rachel takes us into the world of ‘early labour'. She's been promising it for a long while, and here it is. Get your lug'ols around this one! In this episode we discuss:·      What's going on physiologically during this phase of childbirth·      Beta endorphins and how they work for us during labour·      The neocortex and what is so important about this part of our brain as we birth·      Why women in early labour who attend the maternity unit are often sent back home·      Early labour and the maternity system ·      How early labour interventions can be prevented·      We discuss birthing babies into your tights!·      And whether we can ever fully prepare women with prenatal education Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout. Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

Welcome to the biggest episode yet! Well not really, but we have met a milestone I couldn't have fathomed 3 years ago on 20th July 2020.  It has hit home what has happened over this time and how this 'little' podcast has grown into something really fantastic. And this is due to my dear friend Dr Rachel Reed, our amazing guests who have so kindly donated their time to come on, and to all of you who listen in each episode and make the effort to share it, talk about it, grab a bit of merch to promote it, those of you who have financially supported the show and also those of you who have written in with your stories which have often bought me to tears. I am humbled and really bloomin grateful. This is a bonus episode just for you. You will not hear anything about birth, midwifery, or breastfeeding! Be warned! This is a listener special where we asked you guys for your questions about us!So what will your lug'ols be filled with today? ·      Katie's story of a bag of crisps called Keith·      Rachel dancing to Oliver Twist ·      How surprisingly we both chose very similar people to invite to our dinner party!·      But don't talk to Rachel about bananas or pineapples·      We reminisce on going clubbing together from 11am on public holidays in Newcastle upon Tyne, in the UK. ·      We let you in on what we got up to at our midwifery university graduation·      And finally … how Katie got chased by a lion. Should make for good listening… not educational listening at all, but if you are up for being told a story or two then grab a cuppa and sit down with us in this special episode!Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

In this episode Katie talks to Zainab Yate. Zainab is a Biomedical Ethicist, with a specialist interest in infant feeding. Zainab is Vice Chair and named qualitative lead on a paediatric flagged Research Ethics Committee Panel for the Health Research Authority (HRA) in the UK.  She's also been a volunteer breastfeeding peer supporter with the NHS for a number of years, is the owner-author of the resource site for mothers and healthcare practitioners on Breastfeeding / Nursing Aversion and Agitation and author of "When Breastfeeding Sucks".We discuss what is breastfeeding aversion & agitation, and what is D-MER (dysphoric milk ejection reflex)? We look at the differences between the two. And ask what do clinicians need to look for specifically?Why does D-MER and breastfeeding aversion occur, how long it normally lasts and what can be done to support women who experience this? We talked about what "being touched out" means and how to deal with it. And we take a dive into when the euphoria does not happen immediately after birth. This is such an incredible episode full of lots of really thoughtful insights, I know you will get a lot out of it. Enjoy. LINKSZainab Yate  Differential diagnosis article Zainab Yate Breastfeeeding aversion article Alia Heise – D-MER D-MER resourcesRecent research on D-MER https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36705232/ Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

In this episode I take Rachel and you into the world of underhand marketing tactics going on right under our noses from the commercial milk formula (CMF) industry. In Feburary 2023 the Lancet and WHO released a new 3 part series discussing the marketing of CMF. Rachel really did wonder if this would be of any interest to our listeners and I promised her that within a few minutes her knickers would be in a twist ... and they were!  This is not a discussion about whether formula milk should be used this is a look at the often horrifying goings-on that are, in a large part, leading to women all over the globe feeling robbed  of their breastfeeding wishes, hopes and experiences.  In this episode you will hear about: Who first patented infant formula and why.How we are all being subversively targeted with underhand tactics. How the CMF industry raises profits by casting doubt on mothers milk and pathologising normal baby behaviours: how often babies breastfeed or typical crying which is OK. How much the CMF industry is worth The impact the CMF industry marketing has on the health costs for individual countires. Political lobbyingTax evasionAnd we lay it out - is there any difference between a tin of formula  which costs 9 or 28 and where to get safe information about formula. We discuss whether there is a need for toddler and growing up milks.And we take a look at the estimated cost of unpaid work from breastfeeding. Don't fret, we leave you with some actionable places to go from here!LINKSThe Lancet series and webinarShort explanation video about The Lancet and WHO series First steps nutrition Breastfeeding and formula supplementation – the traps and escapes - podcast episode Want more confidence in breastfeeding and lactation?  - Join my course!Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

Rhea is a former PE teacher turned childbirth educator, and counsellor and feels privileged to have attended more than a thousand births in hospitals and home settings as a birth attendant as well as connecting with many more women, their partners and support people during birth preparation workshops and personal birth counselling sessions. Rhea has spoken extensively around Australia and internationally and is the author of two books – ‘Birth with Confidence: savvy choices for normal birth'  and the most recent ‘Beyond the Birth Plan: getting real about pain and power'.Rheas thoughtful, gentle voice takes us on a look back over the world of birth from the past 40 years from England to Australia.  How Rheas home births led to her passion into childbirth education and birth attendant work. How home births were parties back in the days! Rhea talks with us about how sadly, in more than forty years of birth work, she's witnessed an unprecedented rise in unnecessary medical interventions and the development of a culture that, rather than supporting women to birth naturally – physiologically -, is actually undermining them.We discuss the f&@k1ng epidural, as Rhea terms it, and how she feels it has hijacked what labour and birth discomfort means. The ‘thank goodness births' and what this means for society.And we discuss the importance of what it is we ‘choose' to focus on when providing childbirth education. Attachment styles and how that impacts how we go into birth. How shame plays a role in how we may or may not ask for help.Rhea leaves us with an oxytocin fuelled story from her book and makes Katie cry! LINKSRhea Dempsey website, courses, books Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

On this episode of the Midwives Cauldron, it's just me and Rachel hanging out and stirring the pot discussing vaginal examinations (VE's)!We take a step back in history to look at how midwives originally used vaginal examination during labour and for what purposeWe look at current guidelines Rachel goes on her history trail for us to find the original research which guidelines are based onWe talk about said research, the risks of vaginal examinations Language midwives could use to discuss VEs in preparation for labourThe importance of talking about vaginal examinations during the antenatal phaseHow mainstream media influences us into thinking that vaginal examinations are an important part of our labourHow medical birth needs a different assessment from physiological birthI ask whether there should ever be a timeline set in length for a labour We question how students can learn the skill of vaginal examinations if we “shouldn't be doing as many as we are” And Rachel teaches me the word furtle! All this and more on this episode of The Midwives' Cauldron Support the show Produced and edited by Katie James - Support the show via our Patreon page or at BuyMeACoffee Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Then head over to leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website with links to courses and moreRachel's website with links to courses, blogs, books and the collectiveDisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content...

Professor Donna Geddes is the director of the Geddes Hartmann Human Lactation Research Group. Based in Perth, Australia, the group is made up of innovative and dedicated scientists and students that have a passion for developing measurements of lactation and breastfeeding and then applying them to make a difference to clinicians and breastfeeding families. The group makes a point of not only publishing their findings in scientific journals but spreading their information via free online articles and social media on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In.Donna has a medical imaging background with an emphasis in ultrasound imaging. She has integrated this modality into many of the group's studies providing a ‘window' to different physiological processes during lactation. If you have listened to our previous podcast where I have spoken about the in quotes discovery of the breast anatomy - this is Donna! She showed the world the true anatomy of the lactating breast and could visualize how milk ejection occurs through her ultrasound techniques.  Her findings have attracted much international attention and she is often requested to speak at both International and National Scientific Meetings. She is the Secretary for the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation.In this episode·      the tools and technology we currently use and what we could be seeing in the future  ·      using technology to identify if milk has come in or if there's inflammation in the breast·      how to accurately test milk volumes·      the controversial topic of test weighing·      identifying lactation issues correctly- sucking and milk transfer and/or milk supply problems·      nipple pain and nipple shields·     and we look at extremely high suck vacuum levels and effects on breastfeedingLINKSProf Donna GeddesGeddes Hartmann Human Lactation Research GroupSymposiumSupport the show Produced and edited by Katie James - Support the show via our Patreon page or at BuyMeACoffee Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Then head over to leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website with links to courses and moreRachel's website with links to courses, blogs, books and the collectiveDisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content...

In this episode of the cauldron we have Dr. Sharon Blackie; award-winning writer, psychologist and mythologist. Her highly acclaimed books, lectures and workshops are focused on the development of the mythic imagination, and on the relevance of myth, fairy tales and folk traditions to the personal, cultural and environmental problems we face today.As well as writing five books of fiction and nonfiction, including the bestselling If Women Rose Rooted, and her new book Hagitude, her writing has appeared in anthologies, collections and in several international media outlets – among them the Guardian, the Irish Times, the i and the Scotsman. Her books have been translated into several languages, and she has been interviewed by the BBC, US public radio and other broadcasters on her areas of expertise. Her awards include the Roger Deakin Award, and a Creative Scotland Writer's Award.Sharon is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and has taught and lectured at several academic institutions, Jungian organisations, retreat centres and cultural festivals around the world. Her TEDx talk on the mythic imagination  can be viewed here.During the episodeWe delve deep into the world of wise and influential women in native mythology and what this means for navigating peri-menopause and elderhood. We ask Sharon what we can learn from the myths embedded in our cultures. We take a look at the profession of midwifery as traditionally midwives were the older women, not mothers themselves or past the mothering stage.  We talk about how it is this group of women that can be leading the changes in the birth world. Not leaving it only to the younger midwives to fight. We discuss the overarching patriarchal messages which purport that menopause is an ‘illness' to be fixed, cured, or masked so we can continue to look like young maidens.And we hear about the power of elderhood, and what we can learn even if we are still in our mother years or just coming into perimenopause.LINKS:Dr Sharon BlackieHagitudeSupport the show Produced and edited by Katie James - Support the show via our Patreon page or at BuyMeACoffee Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Then head over to leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website with links to courses and moreRachel's website with links to courses, blogs, books and the collectiveDisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content...

In this episode we talk to Prof Helen Ball. Helen is Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre. Helen studies infant sleep and the parent-infant sleep relationship from a biosocial perspective. Broadly defined, her research examines sleep ecology, of infants, young children and their parents. This encompasses attitudes and practices regarding infant sleep, behavioural and physiological monitoring of infants and their parents during sleep, infant sleep development, and the discordance between cultural sleep preferences and biological sleep needs.Helen has conducted research in hospitals and the community, and contributes to national and international policy and practice guidelines on infant care. She pioneers the translation of academic research on infant sleep into evidence for use by parents and healthcare staff via Basis-- the Baby Sleep Information Source website. She serves as Associate Editor of the journal Sleep Health, and is on the Ediotial Board of the Journal of Human Lactation. She is Chair of the Lullaby Trust Scientific Committe, and an elected Board Member of the International Society for the Study and Prevention of Infant Deaths (ISPID).In 2013 Helen received an award for Outstanding Impact in Society from the Economic and Social Research Council, and in 2018 Durham University was awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize for her research and outreach on parent-infant sleep.In this episode we discuss:·       Where on earth did the myths come from which tell us we will do harm to our baby if we pick them up too much - Rachel tells what horrendous thing she was told with her first baby·       Helen takes us on an anthropological look at motherhood and infancy ·       We find out were the ‘well-baby' nurseries in hospitals came from ·       We discuss the old, current and quite frankly shocking SIDS safety messaging around the globe – Using a meat cleaver in bed with a baby to shock you out of bed sharing! Yes, you need to hear about this!·       And find out how Helen played an incredibly crucial role ensuring that the UK, and now many other countries, actually discuss safe bed sharing with parents instead of a blanket rule against it, in doing so saving many a breastfeeding relationship and many parents sanity! LINKS:Basis-- the Baby Sleep Information Source  www.basisonline.org.ukInfancy & Sleep Centre: www.dur.ac.uk/discProf Helen Ball  https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/h-l-ball/ Research Gate https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Helen-Ball Support the show Produced and edited by Katie James - Support the show via our Patreon page or at BuyMeACoffee Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Then head over to leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website with links to courses and moreRachel's website with links to courses, blogs, books and the collective

Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett is a health psychologist and International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, and the CEO of Praeclarus Press, a small press specializing in women's health. Dr. Kendall-Tackett is Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Psychological Trauma and was Founding Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Lactation. Dr. Kendall-Tackett specializes in women's-health research including breastfeeding, depression, trauma, and health psychology, and has won many awards for her work including the 2019 President's Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Trauma Psychology from the American Psychological Association. Dr. Kendall-Tackett has authored more than 490 articles or chapters and is author or editor of 41 books. Her most recent books include Breastfeeding Doesn't Need to Suck (2022) and Women's Mental Health Across the Lifespan (2017). Her 41st book, Depression in New Mothers, 4th Edition is in press.Dr Kendall Tackett discusses with us not only a vast range of topics specific to her work and new book but also some big and confronting topics in this episode.   A warning: Dr Kendall-Tackett discusses early in the podcast about her research and work with women who have experienced sexual assault. In this episode we delve in to:Postnatal anxiety and guilt The power of oxytocin, a mother's “Spidey senses” and the vulnerability during the early daysSleep, mental health and breastfeedingPostpartum depression Placenta encapsulation and it's potential effects on milk supply. Secondary trauma in midwives and doulas and birth partners Burn out in midwives - shift based vs continuity of carer model How Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) affects adult health How women who have experienced sexual abuse prefer to engage with breastfeeding and what the research is showing.  LINKS :Course Burnout among perinatal workers Book Breastfeeding doesn't need to suck: how to nurture your baby and your mental health  Dr Kendall-Tackett website   Dr Kendall-Tackett mentions her work with Kerstin Uvnäs Moberg  Secondary Traumatic Stress and Moral Injury in Maternity Care Providers: A Narrative and Exploratory ReviewSurvivor moms companionSupport the show Produced and edited by Katie James - Support the show via our Patreon page or at BuyMeACoffee Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Then head over to leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website with links to courses and moreRachel's website with links to courses, blogs, books and the collective

James Bourton is a registered midwife who works in an NHS continuity of care midwifery model within in Wales, UK. James describes himself as a home birth midwife, experienced in physiological birth, working autonomously as a practitioner with the support of a small midwifery team. James is passionate about providing women and families with individualised care that works for them in a way that they can achieve positive outcomes during pregnancy, birth and beyond. James advocates for women to know and understand that they do have rights in birth, that they always have choices, and that they can say no! James feels that a continuity of care model is the way forward in midwifery (or the way backwards, as this is how it always was) as the outcomes speak for themselves. In this episode we shine a light on midwifery in a COC service in Wales. We discuss with James about working as a midwife who gets to follow women and their families through the entire continuum; pregnancy to postpartum. We ask james about working as a male midwife, the importance of making strong relationships, the joys of being the ‘local' midwife in the community, on-calls and shift work, the importance of students getting to experience this way of working, and we talk about the real magic of working in traditional midwifery.  James leaves us with a beautiful story from a midwives perspective.This is the episode to start off the new year with a boost of oxytocin. Support the show Produced and edited by Katie James - Support the show via our Patreon page or at BuyMeACoffee Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Then head over to leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website with links to courses and moreRachel's website with links to courses, blogs, books and the collective

In this episode Rachel & Katie discuss all things listening to babies during labour. Rachel walks us through:The Herstory of listening to the baby's heart rate during labour. The interesting and scary history of the inventer of the pinard trumpet. Rachel's “heart beat” impression! Rachel's ‘under water' pinard story! We discuss pinards and doppler listening devices. #bringbackthepinnard  What is the evidence for fetal heart rate monitoring in labour. The current guidelines on intermittent auscultation. And the one piece of evidence a lot of guidelines are based off. The normal and expected changes in a full term healthy baby's heart rate during labour.Rachel gives tips on how to navigate working in the hospital environment with consented or declined auscultations. Katie looks for sponsorship from Kendall mint cake, you have to listen to know what we're on about with this one! And last but by no means least, CTG monitoring and what the research says about outcomes for women and infants.LINKS: Rachel's blog post  Support the show Produced and edited by Katie James - Support the show via our Patreon page or at BuyMeACoffee Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Then head over to leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website with links to courses and moreRachel's website with links to courses, blogs, books and the collective

Welcome to this episode of The Cauldron! We have the wonderful Lyndsey Hookway in the bubbling pot with us today. Lyndsey is an experienced paediatric nurse, children's public health nurse, IBCLC, researcher, responsive sleep/parenting advocate, and the author of 6 books. She has worked with children and families for more than 20 years within in-patient paediatrics, paediatric ambulatory care, NICU, and the community. Lyndsey is a PhD researcher at Swansea University, exploring the needs and challenges of medically complex breastfed infants and children. In 2019 she founded the Breastfeeding the Brave project to raise awareness of the unique lactation needs of sick children in the paediatric setting. Lyndsey is the co-founder and clinical director of the Holistic Sleep Coaching program and Thought Rebellion. She is a respected international speaker and also provides regular training, advocacy and consultancy to both NHS and private organisations. We get to talk all things infant sleep in this episode! how breastfeeding is often the scapegoat in the infant sleep scenario how challenging it can be to give sleep information and support when we are not provided with good education on itcommon myths of infant sleep advicethe sudo-science available onlinewhat the current science is sayinghow we can effectively, gently and with safe evidence implement sleep support into our own practice  LINKS: Support the show - link belowRate and review - link belowKatie and Rachel's websites - link belowInstagram: @lyndsey_hookwayFacebook: @LyndseyHookwayTwitter: @FeedSleepBondwww.lyndseyhookway.com www.thoughtrebellion.com www.holisticsleepcoaching.comwww.breastfeedingthebrave.com Mentioned in the show:A method to soothe and promote sleep in crying infants utilizing the transport response – Research paper (open access)  Leah Kuypers. Zones of regulationhttps://www.zonesofregulation.com/zones-creator-leah-kuypers.htmlBrazelton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._Berry_Brazelton Stephen Porges https://www.stephenporges.com/ Support the show Produced and edited by Katie James Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Then head over to leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website with links to courses and moreRachel's website with links to courses, blogs, books and the collective

This episode is all about assessment of labour as we interview Dr Clare Davison.  Clare is a midwife, academic and feminist. Clare is passionate about promoting and supporting physiological birth and working with women so that they can be empowered in their birth choices. Clare combines these passions by working as an independent midwife, providing holistic continuity of care to women; and as an academic teaching and hoping to inspire the next generation of midwives.We delve into those questions you wanna know: What is the cervix saying in labour? How can we properly assess labour progress? How do midwives using their other senses? We ask how can midwives and health professionals trust birth and support women if they are not being given the skills to support physiological birth progress and use their intuition? And we even ask:How many contractions ‘should' there be for an “effective” labour? How quickly 'should' the cervix dilate? How often ‘should' a vaginal examination occur? And when can we assess that labour has actually started?Find out lots in this episode of the cauldron, so, tie up your shoelaces, plug in your headphones and come with us on a ride into the world of assessing labour progress…. Dr Clare Davison:Instagram @midwife.dr.clareTwitter @sagefemmeclare Support the show Produced and edited by Katie James Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Then head over to leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website with links to courses and moreRachel's website with links to courses, blogs, books and the collective

It's season 4 and to kick us off you have me and Rachel chewing the fat on all things breastfeeding and lactation. In this episode, we delve in to look at what is going on with in-hospital formula milk supplementation for breastfed infants. We ask why the supplementation rates are so high, and discuss it's impact on breastfeeding, and lactation physiology. We talk about teat/bottle confusion, the best ways to give extra feeds and the acceptable medical reasons for this. We discuss why avoidance of top up feeds can be so hard in the early postnatal days for both the midwifery staff and new mothers, and we talk about the "top-up-trap", or as Rachel has termed it ”the top-up crap-trap”, and why it is so common for new parents to fall into once back at home. Rachel gives us an amazing impression of baby sleeping, please don't miss this it really is a treat for the ears, and following us along the way are the cicadas and noisy guinea fowl all joining us in the background from 'down at farm Rachel'!  The waiting is over folks, we're back and we're ready to fill ya luggols with all those golden nuggets you've been missing!RESOURCES & LINKS:WHO/UNICEF ABM GuidelineBiro 2011 Ali 2018Parry et al 2013Tender 2009Bookhart 2021Chantry 2013Support the show Produced and edited by Katie James Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Then head over to leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website with links to courses and moreRachel's website with links to courses, blogs...

Thank you to all of you who joined us in season 3, it has been epically wonderful! We are off for a little summer/winter break, but stay tuned as we will be back with some awesome new and exciting offerings for your lugg'ols and eyeballs! Listen in to the trailer to hear more. Until then you can find lots more  below.LINKS:Rachel Reed -courses, books, blog, etcBuy us a coffee to keep the caffeine flowing Support the show

In this episode we talk to Anita Moorhead about all things antenatal hand expression. Anita is a Clinical Nurse/Midwife Consultant (for Lactation), at the Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, a coordinator for the DAME (Diabetes and Antenatal Milk Expressing) trial and PhD candidate at the Judith Lumley Centre, La Trobe University, Australia. Anita has collaborated on breastfeeding papers and reports, hospital, and state clinical guidelines and is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences. We start our conversation with Anita about the Diabetes and Antenatal Milk Expressing trial and what was its purpose and why this was a needed study. Then we delve deeper to ask all those common and not-so-common questions around the topic of antenatal hand expression. So in this episode you'll hear us talking about- What were the feeding outcomes after women initiated antenatal hand expression in the DAME trial? Does antenatal hand expression help with future breast milk feeding?  Could antenatal hand expression cause an increase in the number of babies admitted into the special care nursery after birth? Does antenatal hand expression cause earlier birth? What were the average expressed milk volumes achieved by the women during the DAME study? And we take an important deep dive into the psychological aspects of this practice in relation to the newly published paper looking at the views and experiences of the women in the DAME trial . We spoke about what midwives and birth workers should consider in relation to how women felt about this practice and the milk volumes they were expressing. LINKS:Dr Rachel Reed - Courses- Books Anita MoorheadAdvising women with diabetes in pregnancy to express breastmilk in late pregnancy (Diabetes and Antenatal Milk Expressing [DAME]): a multicentre, unblinded, randomised controlled trial‘Is there any point in me doing this?' Views and experiences of women in the Diabetes and Antenatal Milk Expressing (DAME) trialSupport the show

In this episode we interview Ellie Young. Ellie is an Australian edge-dwelling registered midwife, qualitative researcher and writer. She has worked with women and families for over 15 years within the permaculture and traditional nutrition space whilst supporting women choosing to give birth outside the system. After midwifery training, Ellie went back to attending homebirth within her community, whilst undertaking a research study on women's experience of the transition phase of physiological labour during freebirth. This inquiry led her down the rabbit warren of all things nervous system, somatics and the Polyvagal Theory, whilst exploring women's unique perceptions of peak intensity within physiological labour processes. She's now a self-confessed geek for the rewilding of childbirth through understanding the social nervous system at play during birth and positioning it within a biopsychosocial model. Her work in the world is now firmly centred on supporting women and midwives on their paths to reconnection with self, the body, intuition, female physiology, birth and this precious earth. We discuss all this and more in this episode of cauldron.LINKS: Ellie Young: @newmoonmidwifeBlog Post: No Woman's LandDr Rachel Reed websiteSupport the show

In this episode we have Dr Hazel Keedle and we are talking all things VBAC, vaginal birth after caesarean!Hazel is a lecturer of midwifery at Western Sydney University, Australia. Hazel has worked in midwifery group practices, an aboriginal medical service, a variety of hospital settings and as a privately practising midwife in both city and regional locations.  Hazel's passion for VBAC followed her own experience of having a VBAC with her daughter in 2008 and since then has published research on women's experience of having a VBAC at home and on her PhD work exploring women's experiences of planning a VBAC across Australia. Hazel is currently the lead researcher on Australia's largest survey on women's experiences of maternity care, the Birth Experience Study. Hazel is passionate about improving support for women during pregnancy, birth, and the early transition to mothering.  We asked Hazel all the questions you've been asking us for months to discuss! So here it is folks the topic you've been waiting for. Hazel definitely left us with some golden nuggets, you want to have your pen and paper ready. LINKS:Dr Hazel Keedle Dr Rachel Reed Support the show

In this episode we have Professor Helen O'Connell and we are talking all things clitoris!Professor O'Connell was elected Vice -President of USANZ in 2021. She was the first female Urologist in Australia and New Zealand, completing training in Melbourne in 1993 followed by a Fellowship in Female and Functional Urology in Houston, USA in 1994-5. Her doctoral studies in female pelvic anatomy have achieved international renown leading to significant conceptual changes in both medical and lay literature. Her higher degrees were conferred at the University of Melbourne where she became Professor in 2013 and Head of Department of Urology and Surgery in 2016. In 2014 Professor O'Connell became a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, completing its diploma in 2011 whilst a director for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand. In 2019 she led a successful Australian Government bid to establish the Australasian Pelvic Floor Procedure Registry to improve the outcomes associated with mesh SUI and POP implantation and explantation procedures. It is a collaborative effort with Monash University Registries, the Australian Commission for Quality and Safety in Health Care, the Therapeutic Goods Administration and leading pelvic floor surgeons and consumers. She has been Principal investigator on a large number of clinical trials for drugs and devices for overactive bladder, stress incontinence in men and women and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Her current clinical interests are native tissue pelvic floor repairs, minimally invasive approaches to pelvic floor mesh removal and benign prostate surgery. In 2021 Professor O'Connell was named an Officer (AO) in the Order of Australia: For distinguished service to medical education, and to medicine, in the field of urology, as an academic and clinician, and to professional groups.We asked Professor O'Connell to come and talk to us specifically about the clitoris in all it's glory. We learn about how medical training used to use pornographic images of the breast to teach anatomy. We discuss the nerves of the clitoris, what the anatomy textbooks don't tell us... Yet! Rachel ends up telling us about her broken clitoris! We ask about labiaplasty & FGM (female genital mutilation) and its potential impact on vulval stretching during birth. And how cultural sensitivity is essential to reframing our viewpoints. And we also ask Professor O'Connell how her work has influenced artists, sex therapists and academics in how we now approach things such as orgasm and our deeper female sexuality. And as Professor O'Connell quotes in the podcast "you are not literate until you are clitarate". LINKS:Prof Helen O'Connell Dr. Rachel Reed website, courses and booksMentioned in the show:SMH article - Get cliterate: how a Melbourne doctor is redefining female sexuality Giant infaltable clitoris facing Eiffel TowerSophia Wallace art Book - Female Genital MutilationSupport the show

In this episode we have the fabulous Kemi Johnson on to chat with us. Kemi is a mother, birthkeeper in the birthroom, birth educator and birth activist. Formerly an independent midwife, registered in the UK she is now freely following her calling to facilitate healthy ecstatic births for mothers, and their babies. We chat with Kemi about home birth, free-birth, and why the reported outcomes can often be misunderstood. We look at induction, and childbirth outcomes, time frames in birth, as well as breech birth. We find out why Kemi left midwifery and started speaking out. Her thoughts on becoming a "safe" midwife and working as an independent birth keeper. We talk tough about the difficulty midwives & doulas are currently facing in our maternity systems, and how we can best serve families as birth keepers and protectors whilst maintaining our own health. This will be a brilliant but tough listen at times, however a conversation we need to be having and acknowledging. LINKS:Kemi Johnson website, courses, more https://www.kemibirthjoyjohnson.com/Find Kemi on Instagram @kemibirthjoyjohnsonRachel Reed website: blog, books, courses https://www.rachelreed.website/Support the show

In this episode, we answer your questions! We take a dive into, inverted nipples and what you can do during pregnancy and with breastfeeding. Answer whether vaginal examinations are necessary during pregnancy, why milk teeth are called milk teeth, look into informed non-consent in the hospital setting, and discuss declining interventions during labour & birth. We delve into the ethics and copyright of how to share information. Whether you can or should breastfeed whilst pregnant, how placental function is checked on an ultrasound scan, and more on placenta previa. As well as also squeezing in why some women experience lower libido and vaginal dryness whilst breastfeeding and the KICO - knees in, calves out birthing position.Phew! That was a lot and we hope you enjoy it. LINKS:Childbirth Physiology Course: https://www.rachelreed.website/storeDr Rachel Reed Website, blog, books and more https://www.rachelreed.website/Sara Wickham article re. sharing information: https://www.sarawickham.com/riffing-ranting-and-raving/how-to-share-blog-posts-so-that-everyone-benefits/Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldron)

In this episode in the cauldron, we have Pippa Grace, the author of Mother in the mother. Pippa is a socially engaged artist, writer, and sculptor. Her work brings together over 26 years of training and working in the worlds of holistic health, bodywork, dance, creative writing, film, and sculpture.  Pippa facilitates the sharing of stories and the creation of ‘visual narratives' at beautifully held workshops. Pippa is particularly interested in helping to give voice to the quiet, everyday stories that may otherwise be overlooked or forgotten. Where voices have been silenced, her practice helps them find a creative way to speak out. A passionate feminist for as long as she can remember, Pippa specialises in working with women, exploring issues including motherhood, grand-motherhood, menarche, the female body, and trauma. All of her work is grounded by an ongoing fascination with, and research into, the healing qualities of literature, myth, fairytale, storytelling, dream, and archetype.In this episode, we explore the themes of maternal lineage and women's experiences when they themselves became a mother. We touch on what are some of the challenges or joys women often encounter in their own relationships when they themselves become a mother, how becoming a mother in itself, can be healing for some women, and we look at how Pippa explored the role of being both a mother and a daughter in the same body.I know you will enjoy this fascinating discussion which really looks deeper into themes of transitioning into motherhood and what it means for our relationships, both past, present, and the future. Thank you to all of you that support the show over on our Patreon page, and if this is something you think you like the sound of doing then all the links are below.  We are so thrilled to have you with us, stirring up the bubbles in the cauldron! Please share this podcast with your friends, family and social circle to keep getting these messages out there.LINKS:Pippa Gracewww.one-story.co.ukhttps://one-story.co.uk/product/mother-in-the-mother-book/https://www.facebook.com/motherinthemother/https://www.instagram.com/pippaonestory/https://twitter.com/PippaOnestoryhttps://www.womancraftpublishing.com/books/mother-in-the-mother/Dr Rachel Reed: Courses, books, webinars, blog and more.https://www.rachelreed.website/ Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldron)

In this episode come with us on a journey into the land of kangaroos... only kidding we are talking about kangaroo mother care and skin-to-skin contact. You may think this is a topic you may know everything about but before you switch off I recommend listening in. Look, even Rachel learned stuff she didn't know, and she was the one in our planning meeting who said "what a whole hour on skin to skin?"! So, yes folks, here is a whole podcast on Katie's favourite topic. We find out what the bearded lady at the old-fashioned freak show has got to do with babies in the NICU. What is empty ward syndrome? The fascinating insight into the difference between a gardening chair and a sunlounger! The importance of maintaining the mother & baby's system in a state of regulation. How to advocate for prolonged skin-to-skin care, plus much more all on the "simple" topic of skin to skin! LINKS:Dr Rachel Reed website and coursesRenee Flacking researchUwe Ewald researchKangaroo Mother Care researchSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldron)

On this incredible episode, we get the pleasure of picking the brain of Dr Sarah Buckley, where we go on a journey into the hormones from conception to pregnancy, birthing to feeding, bonding & attachment.Sarah Buckley is a New-Zealand-trained GP/family physician with qualifications in GP-obstetrics and family planning. She is also a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland, where her research is focused on oxytocin and the autonomic nervous system in labour and birth, and the impacts of interventions.Dr Buckley's work critiques current practices in pregnancy, birth, and parenting from the widest possible perspectives, including scientific, anthropological, cross-cultural, psychological, and personal. She encourages us to be fully informed in our decision-making; to listen to our hearts and our intuition; and to claim our rightful role as the real experts in our bodies and our children.She is well known from her incredible and bestselling book Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering: A Doctor's Guide to Natural Childbirth and Gentle Early Parenting Choices.And her ongoing interest in the hormones of labour and birth, culminated in her groundbreaking report Hormonal Physiology of Childbearing This report, available for free online, has been described as “…one of the most revolutionary and influential publications on maternity and newborn care ever issued.”Sarah tells us much more about oxytocin - that marvellous feel good hormone, that really does control so much of our bodily functions. Sarah answers questions about whether oxytocin and synthetic oxytocin (syntocinon/pitocin) act the same in labour and birth. We talk contractions and how they work, pain relief in labour and the important role oxytocin plays, the effects of Epidurals on oxytocin and how they affect the mother's brain in labour. And even get time to discuss postnatal personality changes due to the hormones… And so, so much more! LINKS:Sarah's websiteBooks Dr Rachel Reed website Online CoursePatreon donationsSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldron)

In this episode, we interview Lily Nichols RDN. Lily is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, researcher, and author with a passion for evidence-based prenatal nutrition. Her work is known for being research-focused, thorough, and critical of outdated dietary guidelines. She is co-founder of the Women's Health Nutrition Academy and the author of two books, Real Food for Pregnancy and Real Food for Gestational Diabetes. Lily's bestselling books have helped tens of thousands of mamas (and babies!), are used in university-level maternal nutrition and midwifery courses, and have even influenced prenatal nutrition policy internationally. She writes at https://lilynicholsrdn.com/ Lily's second book, Real Food for Pregnancy, is an evidence-based look at the gap between conventional prenatal nutrition guidelines and what's optimal for mother and baby. With over 930 citations, this is the most comprehensive text on prenatal nutrition to date. Lily is also creator of the popular blog, LilyNicholsRDN.com, which explores a variety of topics related to real food, mindful eating, and pregnancy nutrition. We talk about what is 'real' food, not just the difference between processed food and whole unprocessed food, its not just that! Of course, we touch on diet & supplements for pregnancy, diet for those women diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and we even manage to fit in the best nutrition for recovery post-birth and breastfeeding. This is a wonderful episode full of golden nuggets! I know you'll thoroughly enjoy it and if you can please share this on your socials & tag us in your stories, plus we are so grateful to all of you who take that extra 5 mins to write us a review on Apple podcast to really help get this podcast out to a wider audience, and hey that can only be a good thing right?!  So sit back, get a hot water bottle and warm socks like me right now, or if your down under like Rachel grab a fan and open a window to enjoy this incredible episode.   LINKS:Lily Nichols RDN https://lilynicholsrdn.com/Real food for pregnancy and Real  food for gestational diabetes books https://lilynicholsrdn.com/books/ Lily's instagram @lilynicholsrdnLily's Courses - Women's Health Nutrition Acadamy https://whnacademy.com/ Rachel Reed: https://www.rachelreed.website/Patreon donation page: https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldronInstagram: @themidwivescauldronSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldron)

In this episode, Rachel and I discuss all things placentas! We look more deeply at the time it takes to transfer blood from the placenta into the baby after birth and what the reason for this is. Rachel makes a stand for the “forgotten placenta” as well as bringing in some blokes named Erasmus from 1796 and Pierre from 1875 to make our jaws drop when she reveals what they were saying about letting the blood from the placenta flow to the baby all that time ago! And of course, we look further at expectant and active management of the placenta and how this looks in our current day hospital systems, Lotus birth, and the history of ceremonially cutting of the cord. We also dive fully into “confessions of a vampire”, as Rachel puts it!: Cord blood banking and all it entails, according to the current research. LINKS:MWT blog posts: An actively managed placenta may be the best option for most womenThe Placenta: essential resuscitation equipmentCord blood collection: confessions of a vampire-midwife Research: Birthing the placenta: women's decisions and experiencesResearch: Third stage management practices  Rachel Reed: https://www.rachelreed.website/Patreon donation page: https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldron Instagram: @themidwivescauldronSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldron)

In this episode Professor Hannah Dahlen talks us through her incredible beginnings growing up as the daughter of a midwife and her early initiation into the birth world in Yemen. How her passion for feminism and supporting women was seeded into her through her young girl experiences seeing and recognising how differently women and girls are treated and seen.  Hannah shares with us her own connection to the real-life 'Call the midwife' book through her mother's experience working in the east end of London. And she kindly shares with us her incredible and heartfelt story from midwife to professor, and what keeps her fire burning to continually strive to improve the outcomes for women and infants globally. Hannah's interview with us is one of story and delight, utter strength and empowerment despite the odds. A must-listen for everyone, as this will definitely leave you feeling positive for the future and grateful for women like Hannah who work in this field. Hannah Dahlen is the Professor of Midwifery, Discipline Leader of Midwifery, and Associate Dean (Research and Higher Degree Research) in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University. She has been a midwife for 30 years and still practices. Hannah has over 200 papers and book chapters and has strong national and international research partnerships. She has received 20 grants since 2000, including being CI on three NHMRC grants and an ARC Linkage grant. She has spoken at over 100 national and international conferences in the past 5 years and given invited keynote addresses at most of these.In 2019 Hannah was awarded a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia (General Division) in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for her significant services to midwifery, nursing, and medical education and research. In November 2012 Hannah was named in the Sydney Morning Herald's list of 100 “people who change our city for the better” and named as one of the leading “science and knowledge thinkers” for 2012.LINKS:Prof Hannah Dahlen on IG: @hannahdahlenOverview of research https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hannah-Dahlen-2The Cauldrons' donation page - https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldronDr Rachel Reed website: https://www.rachelreed.website/Instagram @midwifethinkingSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldron)   Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldron)

In this episode we have got Dr Sara Wickham back! Sara's newest book titled In Your Own Time: How western medicine controls the start of labour and why this needs to stop, is a masterclass in what the evidence really says about induction of labour and a fascinating insight into how birth has come to be controlled by Western medicine. Staggeringly, over a third of all pregnant women have their labour medically induced, and this is accompanied by a tsunami of avoidable medical interventions. Worldwide, this trend is growing at an alarming rate. This is despite both a lack of evidence demonstrating its benefits and a wealth of evidence indicating the significant short- and long-term negative impacts of induction on the health and wellbeing of mothers and their babies.Sara discusses with us how her timely book, in light of the newly released NICE Inducing labour guidelines, demystifies the evidence and highlights the significant discrepancies between guidelines and what we really know about the benefits of supporting women to birth spontaneously.Sara is a midwife, speaker, bestselling author and researcher who works independently. Sara's career has been varied and includes more than twenty years of experience as a midwife, lecturer and researcher. She is the author/editor of seventeen books and is the Director of the Birth Information Project. She divides her working time between speaking, writing, facilitating online courses, creating resources and undertaking a wide variety of consultancy projects and advisory activities.LINKS:Dr Sara Wickham website: www.sarawickham.comThe book's webpage www.sarawickham.com/time Instagram  @drsarawickham Facebook  fb/saramidwifeThe Cauldrons' donation page - https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldronDr Rachel Reed website: https://www.rachelreed.website/Instagram @midwifethinkingSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldron)

In this episode we go on an hour-long whistle-stop tour all about low  milk supply. We touch on topics such as: How many women experience low milk supplyBreast refusalRe-building milk supplyDonor milkNipple teat confusionBreast reduction surgeryThe top up trapMedications that could affect milk supplyWitching hours and COLIC Phew! It's jam packed.  We even have some great 80s or is it 90s movie references and some Ah-mazing accents from two of our comedy idols - Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer. You can't miss this, and nor can your friends so go on, shout out the window now and tell 'em to put the kettle on as you're popping round with the podcast they need to hear!LINKS: Rachel Reed: https://www.rachelreed.website/Patreon donation page: https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldronInstagram: @themidwivescauldronResources for low milk supply:https://www.thewomens.org.au/health-information/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-problems/low-milk-supplyhttps://professoramybrown.co.uk/https://professoramybrown.co.uk/researchhttps://kellymom.com/ages/newborn/bf-basics/importance-responsive-feeding/https://kellymom.com/hot-topics/low-supply/ https://dianawest.com/books/ 

In this episode we have with us Dr Florence Wilcock , an obstetrician who has been working in NHS maternity services for more than 25 years. Florence has a special interest in improving women's experience of maternity care & has been a consultant in London since 2007 where she is currently the lead obstetrician for Perinatal mental health as well as working with the Birth Options team, and homebirth team. As a member of the London Maternity Clinical Network Florence was responsible for the innovative Maternity ‘Whose Shoes' co production workshops piloted across London in 2014. As a result she co-founded #MatExp with Gill Phillips; a grassroots movement of women, families and staff caring for them & working together to improve maternity services, and is also a clinical representative on the Royal College of Obs & Gyn women's network. Florence hosts the podcast TheObsPod. Where she works towards demystifying obstetrics and help both maternity staff and families. Today we talk about how midwives and obstetricians can work more collaboratively in the hospital system. We discuss safety, the current discussions on physiological birth as radical thinking and the thoughts of some who propose inductions for everyone! Florence talks us through her Lithotomy challenge & the simple power of nurturing touch. She clearly points out how this education tool can spark our knowledge of how disempowering this can be for a woman. And we discuss how the small changes, or what is often known as the 'warm and fluffies' for both obstetrician and midwife, can make a significant difference for the woman physiologically as well as emotionally. And Florence leaves us with her zesty "nuggets" for us all to work in a space that benefits and protects women, midwives and obstetricians. Links:Dr Florence Wilcock:The Obs Pod podcast Twitter @FWMaternity and @TheObsPod Instagram @TheObsPod "Whose shoes" #matexp with Gill Phillips Dr Rachel Reed:https://rachel-reed.website/@midwifethinking 

We'll be back soon. Thanks for being with us for Season 2; all the in-depth conversations, truth-bombs, singing, laughter and so many golden nuggets!  It's great to have you with us in this big bubbling cauldron of goodness. Watch out for the beginning of Season 3 on our Instagram page where we have some great stuff coming up for you all. Please check out our links below. LINKS: Dr Rachel Reed - https://rachel-reed.website/Our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldron Our Instagram page - https://www.instagram.com/themidwivescauldron/

In this episode, we talk with Bashi Kumar-Hazard.  Bashi is an Australian-based lawyer who works to promote the human rights of women and infants in the provision of maternity healthcare.  She has represented families and healthcare providers defending their human rights in coronial inquests, court proceedings, and civil disputes. Her background experience is in the field of competition and consumer law. She is currently completing a PhD in anti-competitive practices in maternity healthcare at the University of Sydney Law School. Bashi has been a director of Human Rights in Childbirth since 2014. In that role, she has collaborated with consumer groups in a number of countries, the World Health Organisation, and the International Confederation of Midwives to advocate for and defend women's rights in pregnancy and childbirth.We discuss what is the law and what rights do women have over their bodily autonomy, the 2020 CEDAW case confirming that obstetric violence is a form of gender-based violence built on discriminatory stereotypes and perceptions about women, the special Rapporteur's report on abuse and disrespect in childbirth, and gender-based violence. We also discuss accountability for maternity care and how it can affect systemic change.LINKS: Human Rights In Childbirth (HRiC) - Bashi Kumar Hazard http://humanrightsinchildbirth.org/Submission from HRiC on informed consent to NICE - HRiC's submission - Special Rapporteur's report - .The report is also available in French and Spanish -  Committee on the elimination of discrimination against women -https://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/cedaw/pages/cedawindex.aspxReport on a human-rights based approach to mistreatment and obstetric violence during childbirth - https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Women/SRWomen/Pages/Mistreatment.aspxDr Rachel Reed - https://rachel-reed.website/Our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldron Our Instagram page - https://www.instagram.com/themidwivescauldron/

In this 2nd episode on gestational diabetes, we discuss the baby; what is hypoglycaemia, how does it affect babies, what are the signs, and how is it treated? We look at some of the evidence and latest guidelines for treatment of hypoglycaemia in the infant, as well as antenatal hand expression, what helps support a baby's glucose level after birth and the link between women with gestational diabetes and delayed onset of lactation (milk 'coming in' late) and its potential impact on future breastfeeding. And of course, how to get breastfeeding off to a good start. A jam-packed episode to complete our whirlwind tour of GD.  LINKS:Our Patreon account https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldron Dr Rachel Reed - Gestational Diabetes blog https://midwifethinking.com/2018/03/20/gestational-diabetes-beyond-the-label/ Hypo EXIT - Lower versus Traditional Treatment Threshold for Neonatal Hypoglycemia. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1905593 ABM #1 Guidelines for Glucose Monitoring and Treatment of Hypoglycemia in Term and Late Preterm Neonates, Revised 2021  https://www.bfmed.org/assets/DOCUMENTS/PROTOCOLS/Protocol%20%231.pdf Dextrose gel for neonatal hypoglycaemia (the Sugar Babies Study): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)61645-1/fulltext  Advising women with diabetes in pregnancy to express breastmilk in late pregnancy (Diabetes and Antenatal Milk Expressing [DAME]): a multicentre, unblinded, randomised controlled trial https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)31373-9/fulltext Lily Nichols- Real food for pregnancy https://lilynicholsrdn.com/books/ 

In this episode, we discuss all things gestational diabetes. This is a two-part episode as there was just so much we had to talk about. We start with gestational diabetes in pregnancy and next time we will be looking at it from the mother and baby perspective. Listen in as Rachel gives us the most wonderful analogy about insulin and glucose wrapped up in the form of Pac-Man, and Rachel dissects some of the research to give us a greater understanding of testing for diabetes in pregnancy and what this all really means but when a mother is diagnosed with gestational diabetes.This is a cracker of an episode and we'll be back with the 2nd part very soon! Get your lugholes ready coz here we go!LINKS:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldronDr Rachel Reed website https://rachel-reed.website/Michel Odent real quote (!) “A diagnosis looking for a disease. ”