Search the journal articles


Choose a journal by date and volume:

Browse all journal articles

Journal Vol. 13, No. 4 — What is normal birth? Time to stop confusing what is common with what is normal

ISSN 0256-5004 (Print)

What is normal birth? - Time to stop confusing what is common with what is normal

"Normal" Birth - Read the research and weep
New research shows that only a quarter of women in the UK truely have a normal birth. AIMS Research Officer Jean Robinson reports on the study's findings.

Getting a normal birth - Whose failure to progress
Janette McCabe wanted a normal birth. But her story reveals the idea that hospital is the 'best' place to give birth is still irrationally strong among both midwives and consultants. Beverley Beech provides commentary to put the story in context.

Naomi Wolf's "Misconceptions" - Is it relevant to the UK?
Misconceptions - Naomi Wolf's expose on US childbirth practices - was received with unusual positivity by the UK press. Why did it take a rich and beautiful - if somewhat confused - media personality writing about birth practices in a foreign country to get the message across in the UK? Anne Mccabe reports

Supporting women after birth - Experience of postnatal illness support in Cumbria
In many areas of the country women with Postnatal Illness are left to struggle alone, and manage as best they can, but in the North West, the charity Postnatal Illness Support (Cumbria) provides a unique support service.

Domestic violence in pregnancy
Midwife Sally Price shines a light on a surprisingly common, but little talked about phenomenon

Research:
Jean Robinson reviews

Book Reviews

Also in this issue:
"Who's on duty"; Blind Prejudice; National Normal Birth Symposium; The Rising Caesarean Rate 2002; Maternal Deaths; Successful home birth despite 'low' iron count

Latest Content

Journal

« »

Sovereignty of the Body: Birth, Int…

AIMS Journal, 2026, Vol 38, No 2 By Tamara Blakemore The First Breath I’m a birth artist, and apparently I’m here to talk about the sovereignty of the body, which feels s…

Read more

Scottish Maternity Update: Review o…

AIMS Journal, 2026, Vol 38, No 2 By Camille Del Pozo and Anne Glover on behalf of the AIMS Campaigns Team Background AIMS wrote to Neil Gray, the Cabinet Secretary for He…

Read more

The sovereignty of the body in preg…

AIMS Journal, 2026, Vol 38, No 2 By Alex Smith Welcome to the June 2026 edition of the AIMS journal. This issue is about the sovereignty of the body in pregnancy and chil…

Read more

Events

« »

AIMS Workshop: Wellbeing

AIMS is delighted to be hosting a Wellbeing workshop delivered by Ruth Weston , veteran birth activist, AIMS volunteer and author of 'Born Stroppy Make Change Happen'. Th…

Read more

Threads of Protest

Join us for the launch of Threads of Protest A new exhibition at Science Gallery London exploring inequality in maternity care through creative practice, lived experience…

Read more

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…

Read more

Latest Campaigns

« »

Making sense of maternity service r…

By Jo Dagustun, Senior Campaigns Volunteer As readers grapple with the latest set of national recommendations and actions from Donna Ockenden's Nottingham report , Valeri…

Read more

AIMS comments on the 10 Point Plan…

In the light of two recently-published hefty reports on the past and present functionality of the maternity and neonatal services, first in Nottingham and then across Eng…

Read more

Open letter to Michelle Welsh MP, N…

17th June 2026 Dear Michelle The AIMS Campaigns Team, and AIMS more broadly, would like to warmly welcome you to your new role as National Maternity Advisor. We look forw…

Read more