Just Keep Pushing

Hi lovely student midwives/aspiring student midwives! I hope the anxiety of starting your first placement isn't taking you away from enjoying this sunshine - if it is, this post is going to guide you in the right direction. So, your first midwifery placement - aaaaa - I can literally feel the anxiety as I think back to my first placement! It was on the postnatal ward and I literally knew nothing. How could I? We had had a few weeks of lectures on the anatomy of the human body, one clinical skills session on moving and handling ( yawn ) and then we were chucked onto the wards, feet first. I walked around in a daze, clinging onto my mentor for safety (in case of what exactly, I do not know). The great thing about your first placement is that the expectations of you are so low that if you turn up with the correct uniform and a smile, then you're already doing fab. Use this time to just get used to your surroundings, how the ward works, who the midwives/doctors/support workers are

Girls, this one is for your birth partner, whoever it may be. Get your phone out & WhatsApp the link to them, with 100s of laughing emojis so they don't get offended but hopefully take it all on board (if they do get offended, just block them). Bye husband! It's sometimes difficult to know what to say to a woman in labour, as they're going through such an intense and sometimes scary experience, but 98% of the time, I can tell them to keep breathing & keep going and they respond well. However, their partner who is currently looking like a terrified puppy repeats what I've said and gets an 'I AM f*cking breathing!!!' So, birth partners, this ones for you. Whether you're the husband/boyfriend/wife/girlfriend/mum/sister/friend (I could go on & on), I'm going to do you a favour & help you out. The chances are, you've both been to the hypnobirthing/antenatal classes together & you've both read up on what's going to happen &

Hey girls! This time I'm not making you want to cross your legs, but it's a detailed post. This is all about something that will happen to you, so I want you to be prepared. Lets discuss your mucus plug. I've answered many calls whilst working in community of women unknowingly describing to me how they've just lost their mucus plug. The conversation usually goes like this; 'I think I've had a show, there was something on the tissue that looks like discharge, but it's kind of yellow, kind of green & slightly pink. I've taken a picture of it, shall I send it to you?'.  No thank you! Believe it or not, that is a picture you can keep for yourselves 😉. In fact, you don't even need to ring your midwife when you lose your plug (as long as there is no red/brown blood), but a lot of women do because it's naturally something they have never seen before or thought could ever come out of them! Also, if you're not sure it is always better to cal

If you're reading this post, the chances are your mum/nan/friend has just warned you about 'ring of fire' feeling during birth. I often have 'Just pull it out!' screamed at me during this process & you know what? If I don't hear it I've started questioning if this baby is really coming! This is such a common thing for women to shout as their babies head is crowning. If you're feeling brave & want to see what this looks like, the empoweredbirthproject should be your go-to page. So, one of the most common questions I am asked is 'What does birth feel like?'. There are many difficult physical feelings during birth, but what is it that is so painful about this part? Crowning is when your babies head is ALMOST completely out. It's the point where your vagina & labia is stretched to its absolute maximum, and can feel like you are burning/stinging as your vaginal tissue stretches. Some call it the 'ring of fire'. (I&#

Oh girls. If I could tell you how many times I have assessed a labourer and had to break the news that despite contracting throughout the night, feeling completely exhausted & almost biting your partner's head off 10 times already, you're 1cm dilated. Ouch. Sometimes   with examinations, the truth can be disheartening for you. Really, its just something we call the latent phase of labour. So, if you are expecting your first baby, get prepared for this phase. It can take you a while to get to the magic 4cm dilated which is when you are 'established'. I've had many ladies look at me as though I am absolutely batsh*t crazy when I explain that their body 'technically' isn't in established labour & I'm actually sending you home (Yes, with the partner that you will consider murdering if they try to rub your back one more time). Being at home is actually the best place for you at this point, even though the thought of your car ride home feels like

My name is Hannah & I have been working as a Midwife for almost 2 years. The last two years have been in every way incredible, challenging, exhausting, emotional & eye opening. Over this time I have noticed that a lot of women - unless they have a very honest woman in their life who has already had a baby/read every single labour book out there- enter labour pretty bewildered & shocked about what it entails.  I haven't yet worked out why this is, it may be because sitting with a group of other couples in an antenatal class discussing the mechanisms of labour just isn't your thing, or your partner's (or you just went because it was expected of you & your midwife promised there would be biscuits) And you know what? That's normal and it's OK!  So, if this is you, anxiously waiting for that first twinge that has your birth partner racing home from work (blissfully unaware they have another 18 hours of moral support to give) then g rab an extra sugary t