You have the right to refuse to see a health visitor
Jo Broughton describes how she gave birth without problems to her 10lb 8oz baby in Glasgow. She saw no reason to see a health visitor but was then reported to Social Services
Experiences of third stage
Jill compares the differences between a managed third stage and a normal one.
Waterbirth - changing attitudes
Avril Nicoll, Kirstin Hoggins and Phyllis Winters reflect on the process of change undergone by the midwives at Montrose community maternity unit where waterbirth is now more than a choice.
Report your own adverse effects
Jean Robinson reports on the extension of the yellow card scheme www.yellowcard.gov.uk for reporting adverse affects of drugs, to allow patients as well as doctors to report these problems.
Just a role play?
Alice Charlwood volunteered to play the mother in a workshop on whether women are allowed to exercise informed choice, and learned first hand how difficult it can be.
Assertiveness - fine in theory, difficult in practice
Earlier this year one of our Committee members, Shane Ridley, circulated some thoughts on being assertive and compiled a guide to help people think through the issues. It encouraged a flurry of debate, from which the following thoughts emerged:
Ten years after a stillbirth - how good care can make all the difference
Shane Ridley describes her experience of the stillbirth of Katie Eva and how during those times the kindness and compassion of midwives and doctors made such a difference. She and her husband had all the support from professionals that she could have wished for, even though it was at a time of great sadness.
Blood money for what? The continuing saga
In the AIMS Journal (Vol 16, No 4), Professor Naomi Pfeffer, a sociologist and historian who researches and writes about human tissue collection and stem cell research and therapy, explained why unregulated private blood banks threaten to exploit pregnant women. George Macridis, Managing Director of Future Health Technologies responds.
AIMS Journal, 2025, Vol 37, No 4 By Christopher Yau, Nuffield Department for Women’s & Reproductive Health, University of Oxford on behalf of the MUM-PREDICT and OPTIMAL…
AIMS Journal, 2025, Vol 37, No 4 What has the AIMS Campaigns Team been up to this quarter? By The AIMS Campaigns Team Published written outputs: 19th August: Peer review…
AIMS Journal, 2025, Vol 37, No 4 Researchers Siang Ing Lee and Ngawai Moss report on the qualitative study they conducted to inform a core outcome set for studies of preg…
It combines the talents and knowledge of members of the public, artists, professional crocheters and charitable organisations to create crochet artwork designed to challe…
Join us for one of our series of interactive online AIMS workshops " The Foundation Stones for Supporting the Physiological Process in Pregnancy and Birth ". Please follo…
Midwives Voices Matter: Time To Be Heard . Speakers Martha Miles, PhD student, University of Leeds on ‘Why Midwives and Student Midwives aren’t being heard in the current…
AIMS (Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services), ARM (the Association of Radical Midwives) and Birthrights are jointly calling for action in the light of th…
AIMS submitted comments on the draft NICE Guideline update on Intrapartum care for Water birth: second stage of labour (August 2025). You can read the the draft here You…
NHS workforce planning needs to be fit for the maternity service The current system of NHS workforce planning in England is not delivering a safe, personalised and equita…