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Editorial AIMS Journal co-editor, Salli Ward, looks at the dialogue between mothers and medicine in birthing history, and takes us through the Journal contributions that reflect the changing practices and dynamics.
My oldest birth stories Anne may have started her journey to being a doula from listening to her grandmother’s fascinating birth stories from the early 20th century.
A brief history of district midwifery Tania Staras delivers startlingly candid quotations from interviews she has carried out for research purposes to illustrate the development of the role of the midwife.
Birth shorts A collection of reminiscences and stories handed down, proving how common it is for people to receive these birthing stories from parents.
Birth Stories Before Three more recollections of birth or the tales that carried them, including the sorrows of lost babies.
Village birth and life With remarkable recall, Pamela evokes images of rural Cheshire in times gone by, the hardships and the delights.
Stories told to AIMS in the 1960s AIMS founder, Sonia Willington, wrote to the press about the loneliness of the new mother in hospital, and the lack of compassion in staff and regimes, in the early 1960s. How much has changed since then and how far do we still need to go?
Miracle baby A story of medicine (or God) doing great things - mostly - to bring back baby Liam after he suffered a catastrophic brain haemorrhage at 2 weeks old.
Reflections of an ex-midwife Dot looks back on her long and distinguished career and reflects on some key moments.
AIMS Journal, 2025, Vol 37, No 3 By Alex Smith An increasing number of new mothers begin breastfeeding following a long drawn-out process of induction of labour. Currentl…
AIMS Journal, 2025, Vol 37, No 3 Welcome to the September 2025 issue of the AIMS journal. The theme for this quarter is breastfeeding. An important issue that emerged as…
AIMS Journal, 2025, Vol 37, No 3 Interview by Catharine Hart Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed by AIMS, Kate. I love that this book doesn't try to sound authoritat…
AIMS AGM 2025 All members welcome to join us in London or online - further details to follow in AIMS Members Mailing. Please email admin@aims.org.uk if you plan to attend…
Join us for an interactive online AIMS workshop: " The Foundation Stones for Supporting the Physiological Process in Pregnancy and Birth ". In this workshop discussion we…
AIMS is delighted to be hosting a series of Tools for Change campaigning workshops to be led by Ruth Weston. Ruth's journey of Birth Activism and Maternity Service Campai…
The Government’s 10-year health plan for England ‘ Fit for the Future ’, launched in July 2025, is the outcome of the large-scale ‘Change NHS’ consultation that began in…
AIMS has written to Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to welcome his announcement of a National Maternity Review, offer our support for the…
Introduction There has long been uncertainty over whether there is any benefit to early induction of labour when a baby is suspected to be ‘big’, known as ‘Large for Gest…