Throughout human history, throughout the world, the majority of babies have been born at home. In the last few decades however, in many countries, hospital birth has been promoted as being “best”. So is hospital birth best? This is a question I discuss frequently in the UK, and it has been an increasing concern for me in Malawi. Since 2012…
It’s been an interesting and educational week for me working as a midwife in Malawi. I have been working in Chintheche district hospital, finding out about how maternity services are organised and delivered. The hospital is even busier than I had heard. They see around 160 admissions each month to the delivery ward, of whom about 20-30% are transferred to…
My first impressions of Malawi
Induction of labour is one of those things you start to hear a lot about when you are pregnant. The issues around it are complex and unfortunately the detail and nuances often get lost. As with most things in pregnancy and birth there are no simple answers. So how do you know? Is induction right for you? TRIGGER WARNING: stillbirth…
Almost as soon as you know you are pregnant your thoughts will turn to choosing baby’s place of birth. Often you are asked this as soon as you tell people you are pregnant – but do you know what the choices are? How do you know what would be best for you? The decision should take many factors into account.…