Birth Information

AIMS does not give medical advice. These pages provide evidence-based information to help people make decisions about their maternity care. AIMS Helpline volunteers will be happy to provide further information and support. Please email helpline@aims.org.uk or ring 0300 365 0663.

Making decisions about your maternity care

This article explains your right to make decisions about the care you want during your pregnancy, birth and afterwards. It also suggests approaches th…   Read more…

Podejmowanie decyzji dotyczących opieki

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGJBKWLVGtw Niniejsza ulotka informacyjna ma pomóc Ci w podjęciu decyzji dotyczących opieki, jaką będziesz otrzymywać…   Read more…

Who’s Who in Pregnancy and Birth?

You are likely to meet many different people when you are pregnant, giving birth and afterwards. Some specialise in maternity and others work in other…   Read more…

Kto jest kim w okresie ciąży i porodu?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6wpNE1R1R4 Zapewne spotkasz wiele różnych osób w czasie ciąży, porodu, a także później. Niektóre z nich specjalizują…   Read more…

Mental Health Support

AIMS provides information regarding pregnancy and birth related topics and supports people to navigate the maternity services (including making compla…   Read more…

Legal Support

AIMS provides information regarding pregnancy and birth related topics and supports people to navigate the maternity services (including making compla…   Read more…

Induction and the chance of a caesarean: what’s the evidence?

Introduction One concern many people have about having their labour induced is that it might increase their chance of having a caesarean. The main rea…   Read more…

Freebirth, Unassisted Birth and Unassisted Pregnancy

What are freebirth and unassisted childbirth? There is no specific definition of freebirth, but broadly speaking, a person freebirths when they intent…   Read more…

How accurate is my 'due date'?

What is a 'due date'? Most pregnancies last between 37 and 42 weeks, and this period is referred to as "term pregnancy". According to the NICE Guideli…   Read more…

Vaginal Examinations

What are Vaginal Exams? During labour, it is normal NHS policy to offer vaginal examinations, sometimes called a VE. It is important to know that they…   Read more…

Induction of Labour

This page is intended to explain in outline the situations where induction of labour might be offered, what it might involve and what options you have…   Read more…

Booking a Homebirth

There is information about your right to a homebirth in our book AIMS Guide to Your Rights in Pregnancy & Birth (principal author Emma Ashworth.) You…   Read more…

Birth trauma resources

The Europe-wide Research Network DEVOTION CA118211 is a made up of researchers and clinicians dedicated to minimising birth trauma and optimising birt…   Read more…

Obstetric Violence

What rights and protections are pregnant women and people entitled to during pregnancy and birth? The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights that:…   Read more…

Medications in Pregnancy

Medications (drugs) should only be prescribed in pregnancy after careful consideration of the risks and benefits to mother or birthing person and baby…   Read more…

Medications and Breastfeeding

In the past it was common to be told that breastfeeding could not continue whilst taking medication. More recently, evidence-based information has bec…   Read more…

Ways of managing your labour

Many things can affect how you will experience the sensations of labour and there are various options to help you cope and manage your labour. Some of…   Read more…

Choosing your Place of Birth

Introduction The decision on where to give birth is a personal one and there is no right or wrong choice. As with any decision, you may find it helpfu…   Read more…

Understanding quantitative research evidence

What is quantitative research? There are two main types of research study: quantitative and qualitative (though some studies use a mixture of these me…   Read more…

Monitoring your baby's heartbeat in labour

Why is a baby’s heartbeat monitored? Monitoring a baby’s heartbeat during labour aims to help to assess the baby’s well-being and to see how well she…   Read more…

Caesarean Birth

About Caesarean Birth Caesarean surgery is lifesaving for some mothers and babies, and avoids problems for others. But in many cases it is not clear t…   Read more…

Pregnancy-related Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP)

What is pelvic girdle pain? Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PGP) can be a severe, painful condition, estimated to affect at least one in five wo…   Read more…

Vaccination During Pregnancy

Vaccination has long been a controversial and divisive issue and has become even more so during the Coronavirus pandemic. There are strongly-held view…   Read more…

Vitamin K and your Newborn Baby

This article replaces the AIMS book, “Vitamin K and the Newborn” What is Vitamin K? What we refer to as Vitamin K is an important group of chemicals w…   Read more…

Latest Content

Journal

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Imagining breech birth without bord…

AIMS Journal, 2026, Vol 38, No 3 By Rixa Freeze, PhD For a long time, breech birth lived in my mind as a question I could not quite put down. It was never just a clinical…

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Supporting informed choice for wome…

AIMS Journal, 2026, Vol 38, No 3 By Amy Meadowcroft, RM, MClinRes Introduction This article uses the terms “women” and “mothers” in relation to biological sex and reprodu…

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Mary Cronk MBE – Upholding the skil…

AIMS Journal, 2026, Vol 38, No 3 By Joy Horner For those who may not be familiar with the life and work of the late, great Mrs ("My friends call me Mary”) Cronk, she was…

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Events

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AIMS Workshop: Focusing on Rights i…

Join us for one of our series of interactive online AIMS workshops, " Focusing on Rights in Pregnancy and Birth ". Emma Ashworth (principal author of "The AIMS Guide to Y…

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AIMS Workshop: Focusing on Inductio…

Join us for one of our series of interactive online AIMS workshops, " Focusing on Induction of Labour ". Nadia Higson (principal author of "The AIMS Guide to Induction of…

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AIMS Workshop: Understanding Twin T…

Stephanie Ernst, founder of the TAPS Support Foundation, will be explaining the issues that can arise in different types of twin pregnancies, and what twins parents need…

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Latest Campaigns

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Open Letter to Helen Morgan MP on "…

AIMS welcomes the motion F8 proposed by Helen Morgan MP to the Liberal Democrat Party Autumn Conference 2026 on the topic of tackling the maternity crisis. We have writte…

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The final Amos Report one month on:…

In this piece, a month following the publication of the ‘Amos Report’, the AIMS Campaigns Team sets out some high-level perspectives on the report. The team is now busy a…

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Letter welcoming Rt Hon Yvette Coop…

AIMS has written to welcome the Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP on her appointment as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Our letter offers our thoughts on key conside…

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