About « A Midwife’s Muse

About

Married, for over 30 years, awaiting a long service medal. I am a Mum to 3 adult off-spring, girl, boy, girl. I have 6 grandchildren, 3 boys, 2 of whom are identical twins and 3 girls. I have been privileged enough to be at all their births.

I am a Community Midwife, a role I have worked toward with a dogged persistence, but that doesn’t stop me grumbling about it, frequently. I love it really.The qualification which allows me to practise as a midwife is RM (Registered Midwife). In the UK this is achieved by study at an accredited university, linked to named maternity units which fulfil the requirements of the NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council). I have also studied and gained qualifications in Teaching and Assessing, Family Planning and Routine Examination of the Newborn.

I have 2 cats, verging on feral, Flo and Billy. They are both male but when we acquired them the CPL told us they were girls, hence Flo.

For relaxation I garden, ferociously. If I am particularly wound up I dig a new flower bed, at times Hubby says that the garden looks like the trenches.

I also cross-stitch, hoard candles and pens, and spend too much on E-Bay.

I am happy to answer, or try to answer, any general pregnancy, childbirth, newborn care and breastfeeding questions but if these involve personal health issues the questioner should always contact their own healthcare provider. Diagnosis via the internet is a dangerous concept.

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Dear Midwifemuse

Your comment regarding our Company (haart) has been brought to my attention. We are always interested in feedback, and would like the opportunity to look at your comments in more detail. If you would like to email me the details of your complaint, I can investigate the matters for you and provide a formal response.
With kind regards
Melanie Ainger
Customer Relations Manager
spicerhaart (haart)

Comment by Melanie Ainger — August 14, 2007 #

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Stumbled across your web site. I live in Bucks and am an NHS Manager and quite frankly the standard of care by the local Trust is utterly appalling. I always thought I could not cope with being pregnant thank god I managed to persuade a London Trust to pay for a sterilisation privately on clinical grounds, due to my medical history. The standard of care you describe is just horrifying. I will never go near our local Trust for anything after reading your blog. It seems to me the Trust you are talking about is my local Trust.

Comment by Wendy — October 5, 2007 #

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Wendy – With Bucks being a long, wriggly county you are never too far from a county border so I am equidistant from several Trusts. I can see that you find the care appauling, I do as well, and I provide some of it! I do have to say though that I have worked within 3 of the local Trusts and the one that I currently work for has a better reputation and if I ever have to go into hospital it will be there that I go. I now find myself wishing that I could afford private health care, something that I have always detested the thought of and never really felt the need for but have I much faith in ANY NHS Trust? No. How sad is that?

Comment by midwifemuse — October 5, 2007 #

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I’ve been enjoying your blog since I found it. Just wanted to pick your brains, if you don’t mind. Is there any evidence that SPD is on the increase? And is there any evidence it’s linked to maternal weight in pregnancy?

Comment by Mother of the Bride — October 25, 2007 #

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Hello i am a student midwife,mother and wife from the west midlands uk. I just had to write to tell you how much i loved reading your blog i found it realy interesting. You have made me sure i have picked the right proffesion for study and i now truly cannott wait to be qualified! I just hope i am as happy in my job and as good at my job as you sound! Keep writing its fantastic! From a new fan.
Samantha Noctor

Comment by Samantha Noctor — August 20, 2008 #

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Samantha – Thank you for your comment, if you click on the ‘Me in an earlier blog’ link at the side then you will be able to read back to early 2004, interesting as my rants about the system haven’t changed!
Good luck with your training, you never know our paths may cross sometime.

Comment by midwifemuse — August 20, 2008 #

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Great blog. Totally agree with your post today about homebirthdebate.

I started my blog — a counter blog — almost two years ago … to provide an alternative and to support the women she was trashing. The one thing about her is that daily, all day long, she appears to just keep going and going … the posts are the same as the were two years ago. I pop on there every 6 months or so and was on last week inciting some other discussions.

Take care … and keep up the good work.

Oh, do you have any info on cord clamping and suctioning for meconium risk. Do you know of any medical reason to clamp the cord? How do midwives there handle it? Is it different in the hospital as it is here? Hospital is still suctioning routine under the guise of “meconium risk” while midwives rarely do. They also don’t tend to cut the cord so baby is in mother’s arms.

Take care,
janel

Comment by janel — September 1, 2008 #

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Hi,
I think your blog is terrific, and I would like to feature you on Wellsphere (http://www.wellsphere.com). Would you drop me an email?
Good health!
Geoff
–
Geoffrey W. Rutledge, MD, PhD
http://medblog.wellsphere.com

Comment by Geoffrey W. Rutledge, MD, PhD — September 18, 2008 #

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Hi there..I just wanted to let you know that I enjoy your blog and have linked it to my Midwifery blog (http://healingmidwifery.blogspot.com)

Thanks for sharing your stories.

-Courtney

Comment by Courtney — September 24, 2008 #

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Courtney – Thanks for that. I shall come and visit your writings when I’ve the time. Bit hectic here today!

Comment by midwifemuse — September 24, 2008 #

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Hi
I have really enjoyed your blog!! In particular I am interested in the amber necklaces you have used for the twins. Could you please tell me where you got them from, as I have a one year old who is teething badly (seems to run in the family worst luck!) and I would prefer not to keep giving him medicines.

I hope you can help. Thanks
Becky

Comment by Becky — January 1, 2009 #

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- Hi Becky, I bought the necklaces from E-Bay, think that this is the same seller.http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Amber-Teething-Necklace-33cm-Honey-FREE-P-P_W0QQitemZ260337397597QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Baby_Baby_Feeding_Dummies_Pacifiers_Teething_Aids?hash=item260337397597&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
  Thank you for reading.
  
  Comment by midwifemuse — January 4, 2009 #
  
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midwifemuse, i’ve found you again!! heidi here… can’t remember what my blog used to be on 20six, maybe heidijohanna or giftofthegab, anyway it’s good to see you! also i was wondering if you would be up for contributing to a wee article i’m writing for a pregnancy and birth magazine…? if so would you drop me a line at * and i’ll explain more? THANKS!
hx

Comment by heidi — January 20, 2009 #

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Great blog, midwife’s muse! I work with a nonprofit that is sponsoring a contest with a $1000 prize for the best educational video about options during pregnancy and childbirth. It would be fantastic if you wanted to help us spread the word by blogging about it. Contest rules are here: http://www.birthmattersva.org/videocontest.html or you can send people to the Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=73753459808#/group.php?sid=e146cf29ff029d1148a6a465af742146&gid=73753459808

Comment by Sarah — February 10, 2009 #

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