Ready Mum Labour and Birth Preparation

08/10/2025

The body always holds memory - memories play out in walking lives.
For many the connection and consequence of experience is not obvious.

02/10/2025

Finally some good news that does not relate to women over 40 been geriatrics in the western medical system

15/09/2025

Wow, interesting possibility in the newborn jaundice puzzle "The results indicate that Bifidobacterium species associated with breastfeeding can prevent neonatal hyperbilirubinemia by regulating the gut microbiota.." Full article here https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40168-025-02190-y

15/09/2025

Induction of labour is absolutely the right decision for some women, and absolutely not the right decision for others.

Some women are delighted that they had their labour induced, and some regret this decision for decades.

It is for those reasons that we encourage everyone to get lots of information about induction of labour or any other birth intervention before making a decision.

If you'd like to look at one of my books, then great.

In 'Inducing labour: making informed decisions,’ I talk through the issues in a balanced way and describe the process of induction.

‘In Your Own Time: how western medicine controls the start of labour and why this needs to stop’ goes a bit deeper. I look more into the history and politics and look at the issues for those told they are “at risk.”

Rachel Reed and Henci Goer have fab books on this topic as well.

Like many of my colleagues, my primary concern is that you get good information from a credible source (which does not usually mean the mass media, social media influencers or those without any qualifications or experience) and are able to make the decision that is right for you.

Loads more info at https://www.sarawickham.com/iol

15/09/2025

Birth Rights ❤️

23/02/2024

Inuit woman nursing her twins
Alaska
early 1900s

23/02/2024

Whenever you're offered a medical test, take a moment to consider what will happen with the information gained from it.

Is this something you're happy with?

Could a particular result limit your options in any way?

If a screening test shows that you are carrying group B strep bacteria, have gestational diabetes or have a higher-than-average BMI, for instance, you might be told that you can't birth where you wanted to.

What are the alternatives?

There are always alternatives, including declining the test, or seeking care elsewhere.

Always remember it's your decision. You can say 'yes' or 'no' or 'I need time to think about this.'

And although not everybody realises this, you don't have to have those screening tests in the first place if you don't want them.

If you'd like to know more, or to better understand some of the wider issues around making decisions in pregnancy and childbirth, take a look at my book, "What's Right For Me? Making decisions in pregnancy and childbirth."

It was written to help women, parents and families to better understand how modern maternity care works and how you can make the decisions that are right for you.

More information at www.sarawickham.com/me

23/02/2024

In modern Western culture, most women and families know about induction of labour before they even become pregnant.

They know that induction is suggested when it is felt that it would be safer for the baby to be born than to stay inside its mother.

Many people also know that one of the main reasons for recommending induction of labour is because pregnancy has lasted for a certain number of weeks and the baby is perceived to be ‘overdue.’

Other reasons for offering induction include that the woman is older than average, that her waters have broken early and/or that she has a health problem or condition.

These days, induction is often suggested where someone has a high BMI, or has been told they have gestational diabetes.

But aren't necessarily evidence-based practices, as I write about in my books.

And there's a big focus these days on telling women when they are deemed to be 'at higher risk,' but not so much on explaining the downsides and risks of interventions like induction.

There are pros and cons to everything!

Some people think induction is oversold.

Some are concerned about how a lot of the 'official' information is geared to promoting induction and doesn't give the bigger picture.

There are many other aspects to the induction decision. That's one of the reasons that I wrote my book, In Your Own Time.

If you'd like to know more, I have a popular blog post which helps explain that bigger picture.

My blog post is called 'Ten things I wish every woman knew about induction of labour.'

I've just updated it, and I hope you find it useful.

It's at https://www.sarawickham.com/articles-2/induction-of-labour/

14/02/2024

23/01/2024

05/12/2023

When you birth not just one little human naturally but TWO!!! What a superstar!!! 💪✨

Image by IAPBP member from Brisbane, QLD Australia.

30/11/2023

What do you think when you look at this piece?