The Maternity & Midwifery Hour

Series 17 - Episode 3: Postnatal care – Getting it right

Dr Lesley Turner, Head of Practice Education (Nursing & Midwifery) Senior Teaching Fellow in Midwifery Care, University of Southampton

Judith Cutter, Consultant Midwife for Public Health and Vulnerable Families, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

Postnatal care has often been likened to the Cinderella of the Maternity Services. However, the postnatal period, the time when the new mother is coping with and getting to know her new baby, or babies, dealing with tiredness and physical changes as her body should be returning to it's pre pregnancy condition, as well as the newborn baby requiring care and assessment, is a critical time for women, their babies and families. The midwife has a unique role in providing support and care during this transition, to confirm normality, develop the mothers and family’s confidence in caring for the baby and to act as a link to other services should these be required.

In this episode, Dr Lesley Turner will share her findings from the 3rd and 4th published studies in her PhD, which looked at large datasets of shift-level staffing in 3 NHS trusts over 4 years. Understaffing was identified and care consequences were also mapped and Lesley will present findings related to postnatal readmissions and reports of harmful events alongside the implications for staff planning and the direction of future research. We will also hear from Judith Cutter, Consultant Midwife for Public Health and Vulnerable Families, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.

Hosted by:

Sue Macdonald, Midwifery Expert; Host and Curator, Maternity and Midwifery Festivals/Midwifery Hour, Editor, Mayes Midwifery

Contributions from:

Dr Lesley Turner, Head of Practice Education (Nursing & Midwifery) Senior Teaching Fellow in Midwifery Care, University of Southampton

Judith Cutter, Consultant Midwife for Public Health and Vulnerable Families, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

Series 17 - Episode 2: Sharing the News that a Baby has Down’s Syndrome – Supporting Families

Down’s syndrome is a genetic condition caused by the presence of a full or partial third copy of chromosome 21 in the body’s cells. It is sometimes shortened to “Ds” and in some countries called Down syndrome. Approximately one in every 1,000 babies is born with Down’s syndrome. In Scotland, around 70 babies are born each year, with an estimated 4,500 people currently living with the condition.

Screening for Down’s syndrome is offered in pregnancy, and families may make different choices: some may opt not to screen, some may choose to screen and continue with the pregnancy, while others may decide differently. Whatever the decision, midwives play a vital role in ensuring families receive clear, up-to-date, and compassionate information.

This session, led by Varshali Swadi, Professional Engagement and Development Lead at Down’s Syndrome Scotland, will explore how midwives can best support families when sharing news that a baby has Down’s syndrome. The session will also include a video from a parent speaker, offering insight into lived experience.

You will:

Gain up-to-date knowledge about Down’s syndrome, associated health issues, and learning profiles.

Understand how to provide sensitive support through screening, diagnosis, and the neonatal period.

Hear lived experience from a parent of a child with Down’s syndrome.

Learn about sources of support available for families and professionals.

Hosted by:

Sue Macdonald, Midwifery Expert; Host and Curator, Maternity and Midwifery Festivals/Midwifery Hour, Editor, Mayes Midwifery

Contribution from:

Varshali Swadi, Professional Engagement and Development Lead, Down’s Syndrome Scotland

Bev Insch, Parent Volunteer, Down's Syndrome Scotland

Supported by MATFLIX: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://matflix.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠

Register to watch the next episode LIVE or attend a Maternity & Midwifery Festival: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mmf.eventbrite.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Watch the live stream: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/midwiferyforum/live

For those of us who are midwives and those on the pathway to becoming midwives, we know that this vocation is never dull, often a challenge and part of this is coping with changing knowledge and practice - ensuring that we keep up with those changes, absorb the new evidence and add to our existing skills and knowledge set.

In this, the first episode of the 17th series of Maternity and Midwifery Hour, we are joined by two midwives who will be highlighting two key areas with us.

Stephanie Michaelides, midwifery & neonatal education consultant will be discussing the first examination of the newborn after birth, which traditionally takes place in the birthing room. What do we as midwives need to concentrate on.. and how has this assessment changed over the years?

And Dr Anna Madeley, Senior midwifery Lecturer, explores how we, as midwives, can improve issues around consent for women by changing the way we position language in maternity care.

Hosted by:

Sue Macdonald, Midwifery Expert; Host and Curator, Maternity and Midwifery Festivals/Midwifery Hour, Editor, Mayes Midwifery

Contribution from:

Stephanie Michaelides, Midwifery & Neonatal Education Consultant

Dr Anna Madeley, Senior Midwifery Lecturer, University of Northampton

Supported by MATFLIX: ⁠⁠⁠https://matflix.co.uk⁠⁠⁠

Register to watch the next episode LIVE or attend a Maternity & Midwifery Festival: ⁠⁠⁠https://mmf.eventbrite.com⁠⁠⁠

Watch the live stream: ⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/midwiferyforum/live

Series 16 - Episode 12: What’s love got to do with midwifery?

The need for effective, compassionate and high quality care for women, babies and families is crucial. This week we are joined by Dr Diane Menage and Dr Jenny Patterson, to look at the next step in the story of the role of love and compassion in practice and with our colleagues. This builds on research and evidence in supporting midwives and student midwives to get in touch with how connection and love can impact on their practice, the workplace and the ability to recapture their passion and joy in midwifery practice.

Hosted by:

Sue Macdonald, Midwifery Expert; Host and Curator, Maternity and Midwifery Festivals/Midwifery Hour, Editor, Mayes Midwifery

Contribution from:

Dr Diane Menage, Lecturer, De Monfort University

Dr Jenny Patterson, Midwifery lecturer, Edinburgh Napier University

Supported by MATFLIX: ⁠⁠https://matflix.co.uk⁠⁠

Register to watch the next episode LIVE or attend a Maternity & Midwifery Festival: ⁠⁠https://mmf.eventbrite.com⁠⁠

Watch the live stream: ⁠⁠https://facebook.com/midwiferyforum/live

Series 16 - Episode 11: The Maternity Safety Agenda

Hear two maternity leaders on practical steps to improve the safety of maternity care and ensure women the best childbirth experience they can have.

At the start of a 6-month government inquiry into Maternity Safety, do you need to understand the issues and challenges?

How has the shape and practice of maternity services lost the confidence of government and many women?

What do maternity services and midwifery have to do differently in the future?

Insights into all these challenges will be explored ahead of the important Royal College of Midwives maternity Safety Summit on 16 July.

Hosted by:

Sue Macdonald, Midwifery Expert; Host and Curator, Maternity and Midwifery Festivals/Midwifery Hour, Editor, Mayes Midwifery

Contribution from:

Dr Kathryn Gutteridge, Independent Consultant Midwife, Honorary Associate Professor Midwifery and PsychotherapistPast President, Royal College of Midwives

Professor Mary Renfrew OBE, UK Professors in Midwifery and Maternal and Newborn HealthRead Bio

This week we are looking at research and some of the exciting midwifery focused research projects in progress.

This includes the NIHR-funded Research for Equitable Antenatal Care and Health (REACH) Pregnancy Circles Randomised Controlled Trial, which is seeking to improve access to antenatal care and enhance women’s experiences and value of care in areas of high deprivation and high ethnic diversity.

The PROMISE study is a project addressing the major disparities in outcomes for black and brown women, by increasing their involvement in health and maternity based research.

We are joined by Dr Georgia Clancy, Lead Researcher on the Promise Study, and Professor Christine McCourt, Lead on the REACH Study.

Hosted by:

Sue Macdonald, Midwifery Expert; Host and Curator, Maternity and Midwifery Festivals/Midwifery Hour, Editor, Mayes Midwifery

Contribution from:

Dr Georgia Clancy, Research Fellow, the PROMISE Study, University of Nottingham

Prof Christine McCourt, Professor of Maternal and Child Health, City St George’s, University of London; REACH Study Lead

Supported by MATFLIX: ⁠https://matflix.co.uk⁠

Register to watch the next episode LIVE or attend a Maternity & Midwifery Festival: ⁠https://mmf.eventbrite.com⁠

Watch the live stream: ⁠https://facebook.com/midwiferyforum/live

Series 16 - Episode 9: The Midwife's role in Facilitating Early Connections

As we enter Baby Communication Week, with the theme of 'Born to Connect' highlighted by the Brazelton Centre, this evening we will focus on the complex processes of communication between the baby and those around them.

We are joined by Inge Nickell, Director of the Brazelton Centre UK and Stephanie Kinder, Specialist Midwife at North Bristol NHS Trust and Brazelton Champion who will be discussing how midwives can feel confident and knowledgeable in supporting the parents and care givers in understanding how the baby communicates through their behaviour, in order to support the growing parent-infant relationship.

Hosted by:

Sue Macdonald, Midwifery Expert; Host and Curator, Maternity and Midwifery Festivals/Midwifery Hour, Editor, Mayes Midwifery

Contribution from:

Inge Krogh Nickell, Director of the Brazelton Centre UK

Stephanie Kinder, Specialist Midwife at North Bristol NHS Trust and Brazelton Champion

Maternal Nutrition - Breaking Barriers and Building Confidence for Midwives with Anna Byrom (All4Maternity) and Marie Louise (The Modern Midwife).

Stillbirth is a deeply challenging outcome of pregnancy, and families often look to their midwives for answers and support. In this session, we’ll explore where genomic testing is becoming a valuable tool in understanding the causes of stillbirth—and where its limitations lie. Through an illustrative case study and discussion of real-world pathways, we’ll highlight how midwives can play a key role in communicating genomic information, supporting informed decisions, and guiding families with empathy and clarity.

Hosted by:

Sue Macdonald, Midwifery Expert; Host and Curator, Maternity and Midwifery Festivals/Midwifery Hour, Editor, Mayes Midwifery

Contribution from:

Tina Prendeville , Lead Midwife, North Thames Genomic Medicine Service Alliance and Senior Research Midwife, Imperial College London

Denise Barnes , Lead Midwife for Genomics, North East & Yorkshire Genomic Medicine Service Alliance

Emma Tomlinson, Specialist Rainbow Clinic Midwife, Tommy’s

Supported by MATFLIX: ⁠https://matflix.co.uk⁠

Register to watch the next episode LIVE or attend a Maternity & Midwifery Festival: ⁠https://mmf.eventbrite.com⁠

Watch the live stream: ⁠https://facebook.com/midwiferyforum/live

Series 16 - Episode 7: How babies sleep – from birth towards the first year

A critical part of the midwife’s role is caring for the newborn baby and helping the mother and parents understand more about their baby’s behaviour and care.

An important part of the baby’s life is sleep and their sleep pattern, alongside balancing parents’ own needs.

In this session we are joined by midwife and neonatal nurse, Stephanie Michaelides, who will discuss the first 48 hours of neonatal life and Professor Helen L Ball, anthropologist and infant sleep researcher, who will bring together the research, anthropological understanding and practice advice that will help practitioners, and most importantly parents, to understand their babies better and navigate the first year of their baby’s life.

Hosted by:

Sue Macdonald, Midwifery Expert; Host and Curator, Maternity and Midwifery Festivals/Midwifery Hour, Editor, Mayes Midwifery

Contribution from:

Professor Helen Ball, Professor of Anthropology, University of Durham and Director, Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre

Stephanie Michaelides, Midwife, Neonatal Nurse, and Education Consultant

Supported by MATFLIX: ⁠https://matflix.co.uk⁠

Register to watch the next episode LIVE or attend a Maternity & Midwifery Festival: ⁠https://mmf.eventbrite.com⁠

Watch the live stream: ⁠https://facebook.com/midwiferyforum/live