Talking Sense

@UN_Women Please stop widespread #obstetricviolence against women NOW. Give women rights when giving birth. #birthtrauma18 conference is on today in London, UK talking about psychological impact on women. @birthrightsorg @dr_bjm opendemocracy.net/5050/alessandr…

Put simply, how does the baby know the colour of your skin or how old you are? Such proxy markers of health need to be assessed in an intelligent way - not by “othering” women. ⁦@MidwivesRCM⁩ ⁦@RCObsGyn⁩ ⁦⁦@tommys⁩ ⁦@lia_bri⁩ bmj.com/content/374/bm…

@Rachel_Hendrick @Prof_AmyBrown @NICEComms It did make me think that these guidelines are about being authoritarian rather than health (especially long-term) and well-being of women and their babies. Just not acceptable.

@Prof_AmyBrown ‘s book ‘Breastfeeding Uncovered’ has a helpful section on the negative effects induction can have on breastfeeding. Has @NICEComms considered this when developing their guidance encouraging induction at 39 wks for mothers who aren’t white/slim/young? #NotSoNice

Dear @NICEComms My views will be represented by more than one stakeholder organisation, but I could not help but email you with my personal feelings about the draft IOL guidance. I have waited until now because I truly believed you would realise what an insulting, idiotic, 1/13

@lia_bri @DrEkechi @MidwivesRCM @BirteLam @consideredview @SandallJane @TeamCMidO @fivexmore @khazaezadeh @ProfBasky @AlisonBaum @Humanisingbirth @lessen_logan @midwife_cw @BaharehGoodarzi @liselotte_kwe @RCObsGyn Especially when there's no such a thing as different "races". It's a myth created by racist people.

'Stratifying risk by race alone is a blunt tool' @DrEkechi @MidwivesRCM @BirteLam @consideredview @SandallJane @TeamCMidO @fivexmore @khazaezadeh @ProfBasky @AlisonBaum @Humanisingbirth @lessen_logan @midwife_cw @BaharehGoodarzi @liselotte_kwe @RCObsGyn bmj.com/content/374/bm…

@NabeelaAkh @Midwifemarley @NICEComms Easier to blame women's bodies than taking responsibility for own actions or doing proper research. They're implying BAME women (billions in the world) shouldn't be pregnant till full-term, they're not as good at surviving/birthing than white. Racist! Look beyond skin. #notsonice

@Midwifemarley @NICEComms #NotSoNice these are Black & Brown womens' & babies lives you are playing with here. You need to correct this. Already Black & Brown ppl experience all sorts of worse outcomes & you come up w something like this that makes it worse? #NotSoNice #ShameOnYou

The implications of routine induction for non white women at 39 weeks has not been thought through. This will remove the option of birth centre or homebirth fort most, increase the chance of other interventions and decrease overall positive experience #NotSoNice @NICEComms

@EmmaisaChampion @Midwifemarley @NICEComms NICE will not be held accountable for killing these women and babies or causing them long-term harm. Whoever came up with this racist clause should be held responsible!

@louiseisred @Midwifemarley @NICEComms BAME/non-white women are considered as "others" by the UK maternity system. Being treated worse, not being allowed decisions/options. Inhumane and downright abusive. IoL at 39 weeks also shows the system is impatient with non-white women. Appalling.

@DoulaSmith @Ellamaclictor @Midwifemarley @NICEComms @UEA_Health Totally agree. It's blatantly racist.

@JulietRayment It's easier for them to put a line in to treat BAME women differently than looking themselves in the mirror. This just outed the NICE institution as racist and imposes racist beliefs using their power. Just appalling.

Why is this happening? Yet another woman centred service with great outcomes closed...probably in name of safety? I wrote about @121Midwives in my forthcoming book...ironically in a chapter about how we are only free in birth if we stay within certain lines...like Atwoods rat 😥

"I have been following the news about Dr. Paul Shuen, the OB/GYN at NYGH who abused his patients for years before being caught. The story gave me flashbacks to my own horrific first birthing experience and the abuse my baby and I suffered." obstetricjustice.org/community-stor…

@AIMS_online @121Midwives @dunkleybent @NHSEngland We are beyond dissapointed to have had radio silence from the @MidwivesRCM @dunkleybent 70+ midwives have just lost their jobs and no outside support...

AIMS is shocked saddened and concerned that @121Midwives is in administration. We call upon @dunkleybent and @NHSEngland to ensure women continue their care - we are hearing otherwise. We are also upset that this curtails womens choice for politico-financial reasons not medical.

@KaylaMarls @BirthOfTruths @GibbleJo I worry as this is already happening. It’s failing because the necessary staff and necessary support are just not in place. Many are relieved. It will then again become the fault of continuity rather than massive lack of organisational support @Humanisingbirth @KaylaMarls

@GibbleJo And will fall apart only for it to then be blamed on continuity... rather then the fact the model was nothing close to what the research and guidelines and policy says it should be!!! We need radical changes but it just doesn’t seem to be happening 😞

The Long Term Plan says: "pregnant women will be offered the opportunity to have the same midwife caring for them throughout their pregnancy, during birth and postnatally" Let's not get confused. Schemes where there is NO PLAN IN PLACE to deliver this are not policy-compliant.

"Around 70% of midwives witness poor, disrespectful, or indifferent interpersonal care of women", leading to Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS). Research by @jpmidwifery confirms that if we don't care for midwives they can't care for women aims.org.uk/journal/item/t… @AIMS_online

@ShereenNimmo @dunkleybent @NorthMidNHS Great,would like to learn more about how this is done to ensure equality of access. Your account doesn't seem to have DM option. Would you please DM me? Thank you.

@BirthOfTruths @dunkleybent @NorthMidNHS We have just completed our audit and have a wide range of ethnicities using our BC. Happy to share if you DM me.

Good infographic #MLU activity increased? @ShereenNimmo @NorthMidNHS women, babies and families in the right place/right time/ cared for by the right person? #safematernitycare look forward to hearing more

@SisterShawnRM @lornamidwife I think I rarely hear the word autonomy spoken by midwives (at work not on here) but midwives understand women need informed choices. I feel we offer choices like a menu sometimes as if all choices are equal. Is that autonomy? I don’t know, please tell me what you think