Sara Wickham is a midwife, speaker, bestselling author, and researcher who works independently. She runs online courses for midwives and birth folk, including the popular annual update on birth-related research and thinking, “Gathering in the Knowledge.” Sara is the author/editor of 15 books and 2021 sees the publication of her latest title, Anti-D Explained. She blogs and offers a free monthly newsletter for midwives and birth folk at www.sarawickham.com and she (and sometimes her naughty black cat) are active on Instagram at @drsarawickham.
Photo by Gabriel Tovar
Some 25 years ago, two pregnant women asked me the same question within weeks of each other. This is perhaps not that remarkable a statement from a midwife. We do, after all, answer questions and offer information for a living. Read more…. Anti-D: Reflecting on a Journey
Photo by Jimmy Conover
This article, excerpted from the book Birthing Your Placenta, discusses the question of optimal cord clamping. Rather than quickly clamping, this well-documented article shares data that show the need to wait; even a short wait is better than none at all. Read more…. The Benefits of Waiting
Photo by Ashton Mullins
Women who are giving birth need to be aware of all the effects that induction may have on them and their babies. This article addresses the question: Can I have a natural placental birth after induction?
Read more…. Can I Have a Natural Placental Birth after Induction?
Why are most babies given a substance that only a few really need. This article discusses the need to learn all we can before jumping on a bandwagon.
Read more…. Vitamin K and the Newborn: The Stories Behind the Evidence
Photo by Annie Spratt
Birthdays, as all midwives know, are times of celebration. They give us cause to pause, to look backward and forward, taking stock, revisiting the past and dreaming of the future. They form a temporal point by which we can catalogue our lives and achievements or, sometimes, a reminder that we have not yet made time to do the things that really make our hearts soar.
Read more…. Happy 20th Anniversary, Midwifery Today: Fat, Friendly Midwifery Today!
Photo by Yaoqi
Is there safety in uncertainty? Another way of looking at the response to potential complications.
Read more…. Diagnosis of Complications: Is There Safety in Uncertainty
Photo by Angèle Kamp
It is always tempting, when speaking or writing about complex philosophical ideas, to look for simple, everyday metaphors to try to make sense of and explain those ideas to other people. Often, what you gain in being able to express your thoughts, you lose in attempting to simplify thoughts that should not be simplified, or in trying to put boundaries around ideas that should remain fluid and unbound.
This action list of small things all midwives can do to change societal attitudes to birth and promote midwifery and the midwifery model was derived from some research I carried out a few years ago. Read more…. 26 Ways To Change Birth Globally
There is no shortage of evidence to support the fact that homebirth is safe, satisfying and empowering for women and their families. It is also a much-neglected option for childbearing women in Western society today. Read more…. Homebirth: What Are the Issues?
