Inside these pages you will find themes linked to practice of normal birth associated with the stories and other topics that you have found relevant under the Campaign ethos. Click on the drop down menu on the left for more information.
Download your copy of the Getting off the bed positions swatch.
Gravity is the greatest aid in giving birth, but for historical reasons (now obsolete) in this society we now make women give birth on their backs. This resource can be used to help women understand and practice alternative positions antenatally, feel free to be mobile and try different positions during labour and birth.
These 21 images illustrate different positions that are known to be helpful during labour and birth.
A hard copy of this will soon be available for order. If you are interested in receiving a copy please email lucy.lewis@rcm.org.uk
RCM Survey of Midwives' Current thinking about home birth
The survey was initiated as a strand of work within the RCM Campaign for Normal Birth (CNB) activities, in the context of continued debate about the safety and availability of home birth services.
Objectives of the survey include:
It is known that certain techniques and practices can impact positively or adversely on women's experience of labour (RCM 2008) and that interventions should not be offered while labour is progressing normally. However, in an environment of constant change within maternity care and service delivery, the RCM recognised there was a lack of contemporary information on the activities that midwives undertook. In order to develop new material or address practice issues that could have optimum impact, RCM actioned this audit to explore midwives activities in antenatal, intranatal and postnatal care.
A 'snapshot of contemporary practice to gain a national picture of the positions being used in labour and birth, and highlight areas for improvement and promote normal birth best practice and to gather data to provide individual services with specific feedback on their performance in encouraging women to labour and birth 'off the bed'.
Ten Top Tips
We have started with 10 top tips from midwives that will help you to start the journey towards normal birth practice. We are always looking for new top tips and would gratefully receive any that you may have. What works for you, your colleagues and women.
We have also produced a booklet in which we collated 'Ten Top Tips' in an easy format for you to enjoy.
You can obtain a copy from RCM Bookshop 17 Britton Street, London EC1M 5TP Tel: 020 7880 6200
Email:
bookshop@redactive.co.uk Web: www.rcm.org.uk/bookshop
Ten Top Tips are now available in:
Arabic
Chinese
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Portuguese
Spanish
Tamil
Dutch - short version
Ten Top Tips Poster
Examination of the Newborn Register
The RCM recently launched 'Examination of the Newborn Register' which is the first stage of the Examination of the Newborn Resource Packege.
You can obtain a copy of the register from RCM Bookshop 17 Britton Street, London EC1M 5TP Tel: 020 7880 6200
Email: rcmbookshop@redactive.co.uk Web: www.rcm.org.uk/bookshop
