Parents and Students

Last night I worked at a Mother Care 'baby&me' event; I was the 'guest' professional, on hand to offer information and advice to expectant parents.  I was feeling a bit nervous before hand, but I actually really enjoyed the event.  I chatted to lots of parents about home-birth; water-birth and choice of care.  Many parents had not had any options explored or suggested to them - and this is sadly because the brilliant NHS midwives just don't have the time!

I have been invited to come back next time (the staff were really excited I attended, and I gather that they struggle getting health professionals sometimes); I will of course attend and feel better prepared on what to take for next time.

This week I also met with my SoM for my annual supervision, and have some targets for the next year.  I really appreciate talking to other midwives - there is so much to learn and absorb (we never stop learning) and getting thoughts and ideas from another perspective is very enriching; hence my love for working with students!  I get lots of applications from students to work with me and I have my own rule of only taking 3rd year students out with me, as I physically could not accommodate more.  To make up for this I am starting to develop workshops for aspiring students and current students.  I have run two aspiring student workshops and received excellent feedback so am now keen to run more!

Angela x

First 2012 Baby....

Last week saw the arrival of my first baby of the year!  A bouncing baby boy arrived on Thursday morning after a very long labour.  Fantastically proud parents and a new mummy who was so amazing in labour and made it look easy for most of the time.

I did (of course) cry when he was born; we had transferred in from a planned home water birth as contractions were quite spaced out and mum was getting quite tired, despite all her best efforts to get energy on board and to rest where possible, it felt like the right decision to visit our local unit.  We had good care and baby arrived a few hours later.  Getting home again was more tricky; I am puzzled with my NHS colleagues obsession with testing blood sugars on a baby.  Really?  A well, term baby with quite a lot of fat to spare (did I mention he was a 'bouncing' boy), who had a good birth really should not need to have so many holes in his feet.  Poor thing resembled a pin cushion once they had finished with him and by all accounts this would have continued until a strong-minded midwife realised it was nonsense and they stopped.

Hurrah for stroppy midwives.