01/02/2021
This is something I see regularly in my practice - protocol takes priority over the individual - I always say ‘birth is not an exact science’ because it’s not, any more than any other function of the human body.
My courses dedicate time to supporting mums & dads/partners to feel better informed and confident, so they can make decisions that are right for them without succumbing to external pressures from any source.
Birth without fear. ❤️
Nil nocere.
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Do no harm.
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It’s a guiding principle of medical care, and yet it seems to be getting lost in a culture that prioritises standardisation, technology and routine intervention.
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“Many of the documents detailing maternity care policy acknowledge the importance of promoting and protecting choice for women, yet the default position in many areas [is] to monitor and intervene on a population basis rather than in accordance with individual need and after a careful balancing of the risks as well as the benefits.
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Have we forgotten that the human race continued quite successfully for millennia before the advent of modern medicine, and that the goal of intervention is to treat problems and prevent harm rather than causing it?”
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I wrote those words a decade ago and, if anything, the situation is worse now. Induction rates are increasing, technologies and interventions that have been shown to be unhelpful and/or harmful are still in everyday use, and the rate of birth trauma – which often results from intervention and a lack of agency – is rising.
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It should not be the case that the recipients of maternity care need to arm themselves with knowledge before they enter a system which should be there to serve them.
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We should be able to relax and enjoy pregnancy, knowing that we have a kindly, knowledgeable midwife by our side, rather than spending it doing research because the system and the wider culture that we live in is undermining midwifery, women and families.
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If you'd like to know more, you can read the article at https://www.sarawickham.com/articles-2/nil-nocere-doing-no-harm-as-an-important-guiding-principle-within-maternity-care/ and you'll also find loads of information about birth decisions on my website and in my books.
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