A few thoughts from me about how I have made peace with working inside the system. I've danced in and out of NHS midwifery and it has been very challenging at times. For me, understanding and coming to terms with why the system works the way it does has enabled me to stay in it this time for longer, along with working for a pretty progressive NHS Trust. I will always be a bit more radical than most midwives in the way I think about birth but sometimes we have to be realistic; finances and responsibilities mean some people need to stay working this way, and also the 700,000 births a year need midwives who care and can work in a holistic way, optimising empowered physiological birth from the inside out. 

Evony talks to Joy Horner - former registered midwife, now birthkeeper, doulas and pregnancy and postnatal specialist. As the lack of insurance removes choice for independent midwives to practice, along with the ever medicalised model of birth, some midwives are choosing to come off the register and practice in a different way. Joy talks aboout her journey into midwifery, her experience around loss and the decision to step off the register this year.

Joy's website:  https://birthjoy.co.uk/

Jane Hardwicke Collins - School of Shamanic Womancraft 

The podcast has been on a hiatus as I've been dealing with family life and working in the NHS, but now I'm back! I have to follow my heart and here's where the podcast will be heading as I get ready to line up some great birthy interviews- stories and skills to share, knowledge to keep birth skills alive and a dose of warm birth love to keep you going when times are tough. You are not alone. 

How do you become an expert midwife in breech or twin birth? 

I talk to Lynn Genevieve, retired independent midwife who honed her skills alongside Mary Cronk and Jane Evans to be confident in attending breech and twin births at home. Wonderful learning about how you can grow in confidence as a midwife - and is very transferable to all walks of midwifery.

Discover more about the art of midwifery online HERE And find me on instagram @art.of.midwifery 

Including workshops and webinars to grow your confidence and skills!

Do you love birth? Talking about it? Reading every birth book you can lay your hands on?  Watching Badassmotherbirther on Instagram and every other birth vid on  YouTube?

YES! You CAN be the midwife that advocates for women and birthing people.

YES! You CAN learn and USE midwifery skills to optimise physiological birth in the system.

It won’t be easy. But it IS possible. 

Join me and my midwifery guests on a journey of discovery into the art of midwifery!

Can you have an empowered vaginal birth of twins? Or will it always be 'out of your hands'? Listen to one mum's journey to making her own choices in where and how she birthed her babies. 

Discover more about the Art of Midwifery at http://artofmidwifery.org/and follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/art.of.midwifery/ to learn more about how to incorporate the art of midwifery into your life as a birthworker.

Helen Kelynack is a solution focused hypnotherapist specialising in women’s well being.  Former nurse and twin mum passionate about self love and acceptance. 

https://www.facebook.com/senarassisterhypnotherapy/ 

https://www.instagram.com/senarassisterhypnotherapy/

https://www.senarassisterhypnotherapy.co.uk/

In my first episode I talk about what the 'art of midwifery' means to me. This includes skills and knowledge to ensure safe care as the bottom line, but that the 'art' is an important part of our practice, ensuring informed choice, holding space and respecting choices.

I mentioned this piece of research:

The Art of Midwifery Practice - a discourse analysis by J. Maclellan. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280923844_The_art_of_midwifery_practice_A_discourse_analysis

Find me at http://artofmidwifery.org/ where I'll be blogging and sharing links to grow in your own practice.