High risk obstetrics and high risk women: a wee rant about language
“High risk” is a term that gets tossed around a lot in maternity services. Have you ever stopped to think about what is being hidden under the surface when it is used?
Reflections
My thoughts and ideas
Why I’m not on a guideline writing group
From time to time, I get feedback from people who are surprised / disappointed / angry / annoyed that I’m not a member of a guideline writing group taking on fetal monitoring guidelines. It is true – I’m not. It seems like a reasonable thing to expect me to do, right? I’m across the evidence and I often write about what is wrong with existing guidelines. Why would I not […]
Let’s just pop you on a trace. A reflection on language.
Is it OK to manipulate the information we share with birthing women about fetal monitoring so they do what we want?
Overdiagnosis and CTG monitoring
Unlike Dr Who, we can’t drop into our future timeline to see what the consequences of our current decisions are. If we could, would we make different choices?
Barbie’s friend Midge: What does she tell us about feminism?
I’ve only just recently been to see the Barbie movie. It was fun, pink, sparkly, with a beautifully realised portrayal of Barbie Land, and excellent music. My daughter and I watched it in a middle of the day, middle of the week sitting and had the luxury of having the entire cinema to ourselves with the exception of one other woman. Very handy when you might end up singing along! […]
Doctor Who and changing the future
Don’t change the future! I quite like watching Doctor Who. One of the common threads in the show involves the Doctor warning their companions not to meddle with the present (our past) in a way that might alter the future (our present). Of course, what inevitably happens is the Doctor and companions end up being compelled take action to ensure that everyone arrives at the end of the episode happy […]
Plans, preferences, maps: Getting the birth you want
I have a love-hate relationship with birth plans (by any name). Progressive standardisation of care means a woman entering maternity care systems risk being swept along with the current, her body being used to meet the organisation’s goals and priorities, not her own. Women who dare to hope for something different might be told they have “unrealistic expectations of the control they will have over the experience”, as the New […]
What is wrong with shared decision making?
I’m not saying the goal of shared decision making is inherently wrong – it’s simply too little and too late.
Found it! The fascinating history of the discovery and rediscovery of the clitoris
The #clitoris has been “discovered” many times during the #history of #anatomy. Will it disappear again?
What does a ChatBot have to say about CTG monitoring?
Has a #ChatBot taken over my blog? Would you notice if it did?
Birth Small Talk 