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Journal Vol. 34, No. 2 — The Sound of Violence

ISSN 2516-5852 (Online)

To read or download this Journal as a PDF. Please click here.

Editorial
AIMS journal editor, Alex Smith, reminds us how our choice of words and phrases have an impact, and makes a timely plea for improvements in how we express ‘risk’ in labour and birth

Obstetric Violence – What is it?
The abusive encounters experienced by birthing people are discussed in this article by Gemma McKenzie about what is meant by obstetric violence

Human rights in UK maternity services: moving from observation to action
Midwifery lecturer, Leigh Ham, is examining midwives’ understanding of human rights in childbirth as part of her postgraduate research. Her article here lets us know why she’s concerned

Newborn resuscitation without violence
UK Resuscitation Council Newborn Life Support Instructor, Joanne Foster, talks about newborn life support, reflecting on her own practice - and her own birth!

Guilty
First time mum Helen describes her complex feelings after feeling diminished when giving birth, starting with a birthing centre that was ‘closed’ on the day

Birth Without Violence: a reflection
Midwifery student Antonita Kirubanathan was surprised when she came across Frédérick Leboyer’s 1974 still-revolutionary book Birth Without Violence, with his emphasis on the baby’s experience. Here she shares her response

Obstetric Violence: Where is the Law?
Dr Camilla Pickles and Olivia Verity speak inspiringly and with authority about how far the law goes in recognising obstetric violence, and call for collective condemnation

This Hurts: how the media portrays childbirth matters
Heather Spain explains her horror at the reduction of women’s experience in the popular TV series This is going to hurt and appeals to the BBC to do better

Emotional Freedom Techniques for Obstetric Violence
What help is available to people who have persistent problems following trauma giving birth? Julia and Pat, both experienced practitioners, outline the value of EFT and advocate for its inclusion as a mainstream therapy

The Ritual of Body Shaming
How big is body-shaming of women in our culture and how does this impact pregnancy and childbirth? Beth Whitehead demystifies BMI and tells us how we might take a more helpful and well-informed approach that isn’t based on an outdated and unevidenced measure

Interview with Mara Ricoy: Campaigning against obstetric violence
Mara used her knowledge of variations in maternity experiences between the UK and Spain to create an international movement to tackle obstetric violence: The Roses Revolution. Here she reflects on the campaign’s progress and the barriers that remain

Book Review - Labour of Love: The Ultimate Guide to Being a Birth Partner
In the first review of two books considering birth partners, Anne Glover reviews experienced doula Sallyanne Beresford’s interesting and informative book Labour of Love

AIMS Classic Book Review – The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin with Katie Rohs
The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin is subtitled A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Partners, Doulas, and All Other Labor Companions. Sue Boughton reviews and concludes that it is a book justifiably on its 5th edition

Respectful Vaginal Examinations Project - Co-Production in Action
Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust is running the Respectful Vaginal Examinations Project to improve practice and educate pregnant people about their rights. Deputy Consultant Midwife Kelly Sawyer explains the project and its aims

Book Review - Maternal Journal
This book review makes clear the very positive use of Laura Godfrey-Isaacs and Samantha McGowan’s interactive book during pregnancy and after birth

AIMS Campaigns Update - Continuity of Carer Implementation: always seeking to move forward
The AIMS Campaigns Team summarises why continuity of carer is so important and explains how team members have been working with others to support its implementation. AIMS looks forward to a time when this will be the standard model of care offered to

Continuing to Push for Midwifery Continuity of Carer: Research Update
Further concerns about the continuity of carer principle are expressed by AIMS Volunteer Georgia Clancy as she reports on researchers at King's College London who have been exploring the implementation of continuity since Better Births and trying to identify where further research is still needed

AIMS Campaigns: our key priorities for 2022/23
The AIMS Campaign Team give us an insight into their priorities for 2022-2023

An Introduction to AIMS Position Papers – Birth Activist Update
The Campaigns Team introduce their useful and highly supportive position papers covering a huge variety of important topics

Placing the Ockenden Report in context
In this piece, Cyril Chantler - deputy chair of NHS-England’s Maternity Transformation Programme’s Stakeholder Council - offers his immediate reflections on the Ockenden Report, usefully highlighting the broader context of ongoing maternity transform

What has the AIMS Campaigns Team been up to this quarter?
The AIMS Campaign Team let us know what they have been writing, reading, viewing and doing in their vital work

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