My blog has moved !!!!

Thanks so much for following this blog. I'm sorry its been a while since the last post. The reason is I've been writing an ad hoc blog through the Brighton and Hove Maternity Services Liaison Committee (MSLC) for a while - and have totally neglected this one in the process. I've decided to close this one down, but start blogging every Monday morning through the MSLC site.

Please subscribe to www.brightonandhovemslc.com instead for weekly postings about national as well as local issues around pregnancy and childbirth.

The link to this morning's blog is http://brightonandhovemslc.com/2012/01/30/eleven-reasons-why-we-love-call-the-midwife/

The subscription box is on the right hand side.

Thanks and love to all

Hannah x

Oneworldbirth.com

We may have it good in the UK - we have midwives, we (mostly) have choice and we have relative safety for mothers and babies. But many women and newborns are regularly failed by our maternity services and here's yet more press coverage on the subject:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/british-maternity-wards-in-crisis-2261403.html

What can we do to create change ?

I'm involved with a new campaigning website to look at birth around the world, mobilise our collective concern and demand improvements for women world wide.

http://www.oneworldbirth.com

Sign up - its worth doing for the trailer alone - and there's so much more to come.

Stay at home parents obviously don't count

I've just completed the census as required apparently by law. Where is the option to be a 'stay at home parent' ? Why are we so undervalued by society that we are practically invisible ?

Recovering from flu...

Finally on the mend after a week primarily in bed, feeling very flippin sick, watching Mad Men series 3, dragging myself up to look after the kids, the worst sore throat ever....

Some things of note:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2011/mar/20/dr-abhay-bang-revolutionary-paediatrician
- this is about training local women in India to care for premature babies at home - surely this is the key to making childbirth safer - train the traditional birth attendants so they have life saving midwifery skills and can attend women in their villages. Is this being done ? i'm going to find out....

I've just signed up to twitter and found this
https://thankyourmidwife.wufoo.com/forms/thank-your-midwife/

my good friend and colleague Toni Harman charges on with her mission to change the world
http://doulafilm.com/blog/

I'm with her

Lots to say, no time to say it....

On post half term bonkers busy catch up but an interesting development to share:

In a speech today, Andrew Lansley (Secretary of State for Health) has used maternity services as an example of how the reformed NHS will reward services providers (i.e. hospitals) for providing care that keeps people healthy. The 'Payment by Results' tariff system is being ditched so hospitals will no longer profit from performing lots of unnecessary Caesarean Sections. The NCT have been pushing (!) for this for some time - its a result. And shows how sustained lobbying can really bring about change.

We need to keep pushing (sorry - can't help it) for one mother one midwife. So much to do, so little time !!!

Midwife shortages

In the news today about community midwife shortages:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12482688

Can't stop, getting ready to go away for half term ! Aaaggghhhhh !!!

xx

Breast cancer in the news

At the end of last week, the media reported that one in eight women in the UK will contract breast cancer. Journalists debated the causes of this rise - talking about 'unhealthy lifestyle choices' such as poor diet and binge drinking. The usual 'having babies later in life' was also discussed - but no-one wanted to go there about low rates of breast feeding in this country. Poor breast feeding - also blamed for so much (sagging boobs, depriving dads of feeds, being really difficult ) but never given credit where credit's due - i.e. : breastfeeding reduces your chances of getting breast cancer !
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810161858.htm
Why does the mainstream media shy away from indirectly promoting breast feeding ?