During labour, it is normal NHS policy to offer vaginal examinations (VE) - but it is important to know that they are entirely optional. A VE involves a midwife or doctor inserting their fingers into the vagina to feel the cervix, and to estimate how dilated it is. The estimate is arbitrary and can vary significantly between examinations and between practitioners. VEs are often done with the labouring woman lying on her back, but it is possible to do a VE in any position, which may be preferable as lying down in labour, even for a short time, can be very uncomfortable. It is important to know that while VEs are offered to almost every woman, and they are often seen as an essential part of labour, there is actually a lot of evidence to support women considering not having them at all - this will be discussed below.
Cutting the cord immediately after the birth has been routine practice for 50-60 years but more recently research is showing that it is not good for the baby.
There may be physical problems after having a baby.They can be related to pregnancy or birth, or the things you do while caring for young children, such as lifting and bending.For some problems, you can do a lot to help yourself. For example, if you have a leaky bladder (incontinence) or a heavy feeling between your vagina and anus, you may need to strengthen the muscles around your bladder by doing pelvic floor exercises.Also, if you have back pain, you may need to learn how to look after your back and do some exercises to strengthen it.If a physical problem is bothering you, ask a GP or health visitor for help at any time. They can advise you and the GP can refer you to a specialist if necessary.
“I had an appointment with a consultant last week and was given a date for induction, although I wasn’t really asked whether I wanted it and it was all very fast. There’s no medical reason for inducing me, it’s just that I’ll be 41 weeks pregnant on that date. When I got home and thought about it and read more, I decided I wanted to cancel it. But how do I do that?”
What we refer to as Vitamin K is an important group of chemicals which help our blood to clot. There are several different types of Vitamin K and these different types all have different effects on the body. The only effect that is being considered when Vitamin K is offered to your baby is its role in reducing the chance of complications from excessive bleeding known as Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB). VKDB was previously known as Haemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn (HDN) and the two names refer to the same condition. VKDB is very rare but it can be very serious, which is why the parents of all babies in the UK are offered an injection of Vitamin K for their baby, just after birth, even though almost all of those babies will not benefit from it. If parents decline the injection they should be offered an oral dose given several times over a few weeks.
Birth stories can be really inspiring when you're preparing for your own induction. I remember searching for positive induction stories before my first birth and struggling to find them, so I've brought together some lovely confidence boosting, positive stories. Thank you so much to all these lovely families who have shared their stories with us, if you're interested in sharing your own story on the site you can so that on our Share Your Birth Story page
Our safer sleep advice gives simple steps for how you can sleep your baby to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) which is commonly known as cot death. It can give you the peace of mind to enjoy this special time.Our advice is based on strong scientific evidence and should be followed for all sleep periods, not just at night.If you have any questions about SIDS or safer sleep, please call our information line on 0808 802 6869 (lines open Monday-Friday 10am-5pm).
Birth to five | HSC Public Health Agency
Vaginal Examinations in Labour | AIMS
Delayed cord clamping (DCC) | Tommy's
Pain relief in labour: How do the options compare?
Your post-pregnancy body - NHS
How to Help your First Postpartum Poo Go Smoothly
Your vagina, pelvic floor and bleeding after giving birth | NCT
How to cancel a labour induction? - Dr Sara Wickham
Vitamin K and your Newborn Baby. This article replaces the AIMS book, “Vitamin K and the Newborn” and has been fully updated. | AIMS
Positive Induction Birth Stories – Positive Induction Birth
How to reduce the risk of SIDS for your baby - The Lullaby Trust