MIDWIFERY-LED CARE ACROSS IRELAND
5 Talks
Across Ireland national policy has included opportunities for midwifery care that is midwifery-led. This includes homebirth and community settings, as well as within birth centre settings. The aim of this set is to support those wishing to create or work in midwifery-led settings and provide practical information about ways in which midwifery-led services have been developed.
An evaluation of the Labour Hopscotch Framework at the NMH
2020 | 19 mins | Midwifery-led care in Ireland
Dr Denise O’Brien, Head of Subject Midwifery, University College Dublin and Sinead Thompson, NCMM2 Domino/Homebirth Scheme, National Maternity Hospital, explain the background to developing the Labour Hopscotch framework including the National maternity strategy. The framework highlights the purpose of the project to increase optimal positioning and activity during labour. They present the research study evaluation of the introduction of the project which demonstrates the effectiveness and usefulness of the support provided by the midwives through this programme. Use of epidurals and choice toward home birth was increased as well as involvement of partners. Sinead concludes with recommendations for the project which includes increased introduction of the service across Ireland.
Dr Denise O’Brien, Head of Subject – Midwifery, University College Dublin
Sinead Thompson, NCMM2 Domino/Homebirth Scheme, National Maternity Hospital
The integrated community midwifery services: SLGH Kilkenny
2020 | 16 mins | Midwifery-led care in Ireland
In this podcast Clare Kennedy, Registered Advanced Midwife Practitioner (RAMP) at St Luke’s Hospital Kilkenny, introduces the development of integrated community services that commenced in 2018. She introduces the different steps required for creating advanced posts and the role of the steering group within the process. She describes the different policies and documents required to prepare for introducing the midwifery-led services and the care packages offered. Clare presents data from the service and initiatives that have been introduced. She concludes with the plans to develop in the future.
Clare Kennedy, Registered Advanced Midwife Practitioner (RAMP), St Luke’s Hospital Kilkenny
Homebirth in Ireland
2020 | 23 mins | Midwifery-led care in Ireland
In this podcast Ali Murphy, Community Midwife, tells her story of becoming a midwife after personal homebirth. She explains the role of the Community Midwife Association and the HSE homebirth service, describing the activities of a community midwife within the home. Ali discusses some of the evidence available for homebirth and why women choose. Sarah Burn tells her story of having a homebirth with the community midwives birth at home and Ali concludes sharing a story from a community midwife’s perspective.
Ali Murphy, Community Midwife
Sarah Burn, Mother
The midwife-led fetal growth assessment clinic to identify the high risk fetus within the low-risk pregnancy
2020 | 19 mins | Midwifery-led care in Ireland
Heather Watson, Midwifery Practice Educator at Belfast Health and Social Care Trust explains the background of the maternity strategy in Northern Ireland and the aim to keep women in Midwifery-led services as much as possible. She explains some of the challenges around detection and appropriate referral for women and the drivers behind the development of the service. She shares how the service is run and some of the outcomes, as well as feedback from women who used the service. Heather also compares to the RCOG Saving Babies lives care bundles and presents data from Trusts across different years, including those of Stillbirths. She concludes by explaining how they have addressed the issues locally
Heather Watson, Midwifery Practice Educator at Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
Northern Ireland alongside midwifery led unit outcomes
2020 | 17 mins | Midwifery-led care in Ireland
Katherine Robinson, alongside Home from Home MLU Ward Manager, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust talks about the current practice and outcomes related to birth at the unit. The specific focus is meconium stained liquor and the implications on practice. She presents data from an audit of births and impact on the infants with meconium liquor in the unit and following transfer to the main unit. Katherine argues that the evidence points to uncomplicated births to be in HFH units and discusses the impact of the presence of meconium.
Katherine Robinson, Alongside MLU Ward Manager, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
