The practising midwife
-
NHS Oldham has become the second Primary Care Trust (PCT) in the country to gain full Baby Friendly status and notably has seen breastfeeding rates at six-eight weeks more than double in the past two years. Sarah Vincent talks to Joanne Mayall from NHS Oldham, and looks at how the various challenges were overcome to make Oldham such a success story.
-
Becoming a mother for the first time signals a major life transition for many women. But even though age at first birth now spans a broader spectrum in the UK, women's ideas of what mothering will actually entail can remain narrowly focused. Yet everyday experiences of new mothering can feel very different from the ways in which it had been anticipated, envisaged and prepared for. ⋯ This qualitative, longitudinal research approach reveals a gap between the women's expectations and their unfolding mothering experiences. In turn, the unexpected hard work and exhaustion of caring for a new baby can leave women confused and ambivalent about their early mothering experiences. These findings have implications for how antenatal preparation and postnatal care are planned and delivered.
-
There is widespread acceptance that health can be shaped by factors occurring as far back as infancy, and even before birth. In September 2010 the document Midwifery 2020: Delivering Expectations was launched in Edinburgh. ⋯ The report notes that experiences from in utero development until eight years of age lay critical foundations for the entire life course. The report reiterates previous debate on the important contribution maternity services have in addressing health inequalities, and emphasises the importance of midwives striving to address the needs of the most vulnerable communities they serve.