The Midwives' Cauldron

Katie James and Dr Rachel Reed

Join us as we hubble, bubble, toil, and trouble our way through aspects of midwifery, birth, lactation, and womanhood. We tackle and discuss a variety of topics within the sphere of womanhood, birth, and lactation and what this entails in today's society. We want to be able to share in the strengths of women gathering together and being more informed, for their birth, their feeding experience, and the transition into knowing ourselves better. This is the podcast to connect us as a greater circle of women united.

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An interview with Dr Florence Wilcock - NHS obstetrician - thorugh the lens

The Midwives' Cauldron

10/12/21 • 79 min

In this episode we have with us Dr Florence Wilcock , an obstetrician who has been working in NHS maternity services for more than 25 years. Florence has a special interest in improving women’s experience of maternity care & has been a consultant in London since 2007 where she is currently the lead obstetrician for Perinatal mental health as well as working with the Birth Options team, and homebirth team.
As a member of the London Maternity Clinical Network Florence was responsible for the innovative Maternity ‘Whose Shoes’ co production workshops piloted across London in 2014. As a result she co-founded #MatExp with Gill Phillips; a grassroots movement of women, families and staff caring for them & working together to improve maternity services, and is also a clinical representative on the Royal College of Obs & Gyn women’s network.
Florence hosts the podcast TheObsPod. Where she works towards demystifying obstetrics and help both maternity staff and families.
Today we talk about how midwives and obstetricians can work more collaboratively in the hospital system.
We discuss safety, the current discussions on physiological birth as radical thinking and the thoughts of some who propose inductions for everyone!
Florence talks us through her Lithotomy challenge & the simple power of nurturing touch. She clearly points out how this education tool can spark our knowledge of how disempowering this can be for a woman.
And we discuss how the small changes, or what is often known as the 'warm and fluffies' for both obstetrician and midwife, can make a significant difference for the woman physiologically as well as emotionally.
And Florence leaves us with her zesty "nuggets" for us all to work in a space that benefits and protects women, midwives and obstetricians.
Links:
Dr Florence Wilcock:
The Obs Pod podcast
Twitter @FWMaternity and @TheObsPod
Instagram @TheObsPod
"Whose shoes" #matexp with Gill Phillips

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Produced and edited by Katie James - Support the show via our Patreon page or at BuyMeACoffee
Music Joseph McDade

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Want more from Katie and Rachel?
Katie's website with links to courses and more
Rachel's website with links to courses, blogs, books and the collective
Disclaimer
The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.
The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness.
The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content...

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An interview with Jane Hardwicke Collings - women's rites of passage and how they shape our lives -peri-menopause and the role of Autumn Women

The Midwives' Cauldron

08/18/20 • 86 min

In this episode, we have the absolute delight of interviewing Jane Hardwicke Collings about women's rites of passage and how they shape our lives. We pay particular attention to the peri-menopause and the role of Autumn Women as leaders and change agents in the maternity system. This episode is jam-packed with intelligent, jaw-dropping and wonderful insights into womanhood.
Let us introduce Jane...
Jane Hardwicke Collings is a post menopausal grandmother. She was an intensive care and operating theatre nurse, and then a homebirth midwife for 30 years. Now her work focuses on teaching the Women’s Mysteries and writing about them. She gives workshops on mother and daughter preparation for menstruation, the spiritual practice of menstruation, and the sacred and shamanic dimensions of pregnancy, birth and menopause. Jane founded and runs The School of Shamanic Womancraft, an international Women’s Mystery School.
Links:
More about Jane

Jane Hardwicke Collings
School of Shamanic Womancraft
Jane's forthcoming online courses:
Autumn women, harvest queen
Snake medicine: shedding menstrual shame

Mentioned in the podcast

About Bloody Time by Karen Pickering & Jane Bennett:
Dr. Christiane Northrup
More about the slang use of 'Karen'

Support the show

Produced and edited by Katie James - Support the show via our Patreon page or at BuyMeACoffee
Music Joseph McDade

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Pushing and cervixes

The Midwives' Cauldron

02/10/21 • 53 min

In this episode, Rachel and Katie take a look at the evidence surrounding the pushing phase of labour. Rachel discusses the reasoning behind why we need to stop talking about labour in stages and we delve into the cervical lip and how best to deal with it. And of course along the way we have some fun. Join us in this episode of The Midwives Cauldron to learn while you laugh.
LINKS:
Research mentioned:

Dahlen et al. (2013) Vaginal examinations during normal labor: routine examination or routine intervention: https://connect.springerpub.com/content/sgrijc/3/3/142?implicit-login=true

Midwife thinking blog posts:

The anterior cervical lip: how to ruin a perfectly good birth: https://midwifethinking.com/2016/06/15/the-anterior-cervical-lip-how-to-ruin-a-perfectly-good-birth/
Pushing: leave it to the experts: https://midwifethinking.com/tag/cervical-lip/

Disclaimer:
The information and provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.
The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness.
All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the content of the podcast are hereby expressly disclaimed. Your use of content contained in or linked to this podcast is entirely at your own risk. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

Support the show

Produced and edited by Katie James - Support the show via our Patreon page or at BuyMeACoffee
Music Joseph McDade

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Reclaiming childbirth as a rite of passage

The Midwives' Cauldron

03/15/21 • 39 min

In this episode Katie interviews Rachel Reed on her new book 'Reclaiming childbirth as a rite of passage'; from conception to birthing, including tea and toast at the end!
LINKS:
https://rachel-reed.website/reclaiming-childbirth-as-a-rite-of-passage/
Chapters

Part One: The Weft

Herstory: an overview of the herstory of childbirth from early humans to the emergence of modern maternity systems.
The legacy: how the legacy of herstory continues to influence the modern cultural landscape of childbirth.
Blood mysteries: an exploration of women’s bodily rites of passage and how they are interrelated with the childbirth experience.
Childbirth as a rite of passage: key elements of childbirth as a rite of passage and the role of care providers (setting the scene for Part Two).

Part Two: The Weave

Preparation: pregnancy and cultivating self-trust for birth
Separation: early labour and releasing the external world
Liminality: labour, betwixt and between, and transition
Emergence: birthing the baby and witnessing body wisdom
Integration: birthing the placenta and mother-baby enchantment
Medical birth rites: how to centre the woman when her childbirth rite of passage includes medical intervention.

Support the show

Produced and edited by Katie James - Support the show via our Patreon page or at BuyMeACoffee
Music Joseph McDade

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Perineal Bungles

The Midwives' Cauldron

09/21/20 • 67 min

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The herstory of modern birth practices

The Midwives' Cauldron

08/02/20 • 57 min

In this episode, we take a step back in time and a short but deep dive into history from a female perspective. We explore how ideas about women and their bodies have led to the birthing practices we see today. We visit the world of Goddesses, vulva art, and how women were once revered for their ability to create life. Then we move on through the times into a world where women were seen as dirty malfunctioning versions of men, whose primary role was to reproduce. We also talk about how science and the mechanisation of the world resulted in our bodies being viewed as machines. On this whistlestop tour of history... or should I say herstory, you will hear about the gossips (you definitely want to listen to this), the closing off of keyholes during birth, and of course some fun along the way. You also get a sneak peek into the vulva art that one of us loves to make!

Show LINKS:
Jane Hardwick Collins: https://janehardwickecollings.com/
Marilyn French : https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14160.Marilyn_French
Adrian Wilson: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18183261-ritual-and-conflict
Layne Redmond: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/910443.When_the_Drummers_Were_Women
Music by: Joesph McDade
Production: Katie James
Editing: Katie James and Jannis Piekarek

Support the show

Produced and edited by Katie James - Support the show via our Patreon page or at BuyMeACoffee
Music Joseph McDade

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Induction of labour from the baby's perspective

The Midwives' Cauldron

08/16/20 • 64 min

Join us as we delve deeper into induction of labour through the early postnatal lens. We discuss the impact of induction on the baby, and on the mother's lactation, looking at ways to ensure all mothers and infants get off to the best start, despite the labour and birth they may have had. Somehow this episode ends up wandering into the world of Wizard of Oz. We also learn new and, personally I think, much better words for amniotic fluid and the placenta. And we find out about the delights of Rachel's cat. Listen in for great insights and laughs along the way.
LINKS:
Book:
Why Induction Matters https://rachel-reed.website/why-induction-matters/?fbclid=IwAR0DwkC22hj112IslErUeBn1Ymm-DjvPlPD1MyQ_fO6MlRCWOBao3cBdkWE
Research:
Lussier 2015
Morton 2009
Slusher 2008
Meier 2016
Midwife Thinking Blog:
Induction: a step by step guide https://midwifethinking.com/2015/03/18/induction-a-step-by-step-guide/?fbclid=IwAR0RrYgWY5Ew3kptsDRyBnU3GWqzYC9BJDYfXDUVdVVAGeITYAwkMZwuH0s
Post-Dates Induction of Labour: balancing risks https://midwifethinking.com/2016/07/13/induction-of-labour-balancing-risks/?fbclid=IwAR00mo74WyMVM3pabgtT9SAjbbXcwDV0zXBcvPhLLvRvN5Q7FYLJ6pM9HLA
Patent: apparatus for facilitating the birth of a child by centrifugal force: https://patents.google.com/patent/US3216423A/en

Support the show

Produced and edited by Katie James - Support the show via our Patreon page or at BuyMeACoffee
Music Joseph McDade

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An interview with Sophie Messager - the importance of good postnatal care and recovery

The Midwives' Cauldron

01/03/21 • 75 min

Sophie Messager joins us in the Cauldron to talk about her new book Why Postnatal Recovery Matters
We talk all things becoming a mother, including how a lovely pigs trotter soup or lotus birth is the perfect way to avoid too many visitors. We explore the raw, real and forgotten side of the 4th trimester and the misconception that mothering is 'just doing nothing' and the mother guilt and expectations put upon women. Sophie discusses the best ways to support women as they navigate the early days of mothering. And lastly, we discuss the beautiful 'closing the bones' ceremony', which aims to bring the new mother back to herself energetically, spiritually and physically.

This episode is for new parents and anyone who cares for new parents in the postnatal period.

LINKS

Book: https://sophiemessager.com/why-postnatal-recovery-matters-book/
Courses and more: https://sophiemessager.com/mums-and-mums-to-be/
Instagram: @sophie_messager

Support the show

Produced and edited by Katie James - Support the show via our Patreon page or at BuyMeACoffee
Music Joseph McDade

1 Listener

The herstory of breastfeeding - a fascinating, hilarious and sometimes gruesome, tour of breastfeeding over the past few hundred years

The Midwives' Cauldron

10/12/20 • 60 min

On this episode of The Midwives' Cauldron we take a whistle-stop tour of breastfeeding over the years, stopping by to hear about some of the fascinating and peculiar 'herstories'.

We learn how the corsets of the fashion conscious women of the day could lead to inverted nipples and in some cases far worse outcomes! The 6 specifications to become a wet nurse... and whether Rachel fits the mould! And some of the hilarious, yet gruesome remedies for low milk supply and sore nipples.

Stay tuned for a leap into the fascinating world of how we once fed our babies!
BOOK:
Breasts, bottles, and babies: a history of infant feeding by Valerie A Fildes

Editing and producing: Katie James & Jannis Piekarek
Music: Joesph Dade

Support the show

Produced and edited by Katie James - Support the show via our Patreon page or at BuyMeACoffee
Music Joseph McDade

Your questions answered #1 – Tongue tie, induction of labour, advanced maternal age and becoming an IBCLC

The Midwives' Cauldron

10/28/20 • 51 min

In this episode, we answer your questions! You asked us a variety of questions, including "are tongues ties on the rise?" and "what actually bursts in labour, and is it really water?" We also discuss advanced maternal age and induction of labour; and how to get enough clinical hours to become an IBCLC. There were so many questions this is only part one...

Links:

FROSTTIE trial https://www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/frosttie/clinicians

Mills N, Pransky SM, Geddes DT, Mirjalili SA. What is a tongue tie? Defining the anatomy of the in‐situ lingual frenulum. Clinical Anatomy. 2019 Sep;32(6):749-61. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ca.23343

Bode L. Human milk oligosaccharides: every baby needs a sugar mama. Glycobiology. 2012 Sep 1;22(9):1147-62. https://academic.oup.com/glycob/article/22/9/1147/1988076

Bruce German https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/breast-milk-reveals-clues-health

Dr. Rachel Reed https://rachel-reed.website/links/

Books:

Dr. Rachel Reed. Why Induction Matters. https://rachel-reed.website/books/

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