Sara Wickham – författare

The book begins by exploring the historical and current research evidence in this area in detail, outlining the 'facts' and the questions which remain unanswered. The results of research carried out to expand midwifery knowledge in this area are also presented and discussed. A reflective approach is taken throughout, which raises critical questions of philosophy and practice relating to this and other areas of knowledge. * Are women's bodies really fallible, or could some women's need for anti-D be caused by medical intervention in childbirth? * Do women being offered anti-D know that this is a blood product which may carry attendant risks? * What information do women need in order to decide whether of not they will have anti-D?

This is Volume 5 in the Midwifery: Best Practice series. Each of the volumes in this Series is built around the familiar core of four main topic areas relevant to midwifery: pregnancy, labour / birth, postnatal and stories / reflection - and also includes a number of 'focus on.' sections. These are different in each volume and reflect a wide range of key and topical issues within midwifery. Each volume builds upon the others to provide a comprehensive library of articles that shows the development of thought in key midwifery areas. Volume 5 offers a range of wholly new topic areas within the 'focus on.' sections covering: 'the birthing environment', 'women, midwives and risk', 'holistic health' and 'working/international stories'.

This title is directed primarily towards health care professionals outside of the United States. Concentrating specifically on research into midwifery and related disciplines, this book appraises eight previously published research articles that present both qualitative and quantitative research studies. Each of the various elements is analysed - from the methodology through to the interpretation of the results. Each article is annotated with notes and questions, thereby enabling the reader to actively participate in the appraisal.

Pregnant women and maternity services are facing an induction epidemic. As medical guidelines include more "at risk" categories, women and our already overwhelmed and under resourced maternity systems are increasingly pressured to induce birth before labour begins spontaneously. Women are deemed to be too large and too old, while babies are estimated to be too big and too overdue. But is 'better-out-than-in' really a safer option than waiting to birth in your own time? Staggeringly, over a third of all pregnant women have their labour medically induced, and this is accompanied by a tsunami of avoidable medical interventions. Worldwide, this trend is growing at an alarming rate. This is despite both a lack of evidence demonstrating its benefits and a wealth of evidence indicating the significant short- and long-term negative impacts of induction on the health and wellbeing of mothers and their babies. In this timely book, Dr Sara Wickham demystifies the evidence and highlights the significant discrepancies between guidelines and what we really know about the benefits of supporting women to birth spontaneously. With her renowned ability to make complex issues understandable, her holistic approach and more than twenty-five years' experience as a midwife and researcher, Dr Wickham draws on a wide range of evidence, including the voices of women and practitioners, to answer vital questions such as: How accurate are due dates? Is it really that risky to wait? Does induction make a difference? And, perhaps most importantly, how can we address the induction epidemic? In Your Own Time is both a masterclass in what the evidence really says about induction of labour and a fascinating insight into how birth has come to be controlled by Western medicine. "This is such a vitally important book. With her brilliant brain and extensive experience, Dr Sara Wickham has pulled together and clearly interpreted the complex evidence about induction of labour. This book provides clarity about why increasing numbers of women are having their labours induced, and the problems with current guideline recommendations. It also offers suggestions about what we can all do to reclaim the parameters of normal and support women to birth in their own time. Anyone who cares about women and their experiences of birth needs this book." Dr Rachel Reed, midwife and researcher.