notatthedinnertable:

Another article detailing just how important it is that more midwives are recruited in the UK!

Please please please sign the RCM Petition to recruit more midwives.

It only has five more days to gain 100,000 signatures, and is currently stuck on just short of 69,000.

Signal boost!

Every day I go on shift at the hospital I see midwives struggling to provide care that is acceptable, never mind exceptional.

It’s not because they don’t try, or because they can’t be bothered.

It’s because they have 10 women to look after when they should have 5.
It’s because a midwife called in sick, and the hospital don’t have enough staff to replace her for the day.
It’s because newly qualified midwives who can provide the extra workforce are being turned away due to lack of jobs/funding.
It’s because the government aren’t doing all they can.

We’re not asking for more midwives than we need. We just want to end the shortage.

I’m sad to say that I’ve seen this repeatedly in hospitals around my area. The NICU in my hospital is incredibly specialist, and takes transfers from other hospitals due to its outstanding high-risk neonatal team. Often this means the more sick twin gets sent to us, whilst the other remains in the first hospital. Sometimes we have to transfer a twin or triplet out to a less high risk unit to free up a cot for a baby who needs it just a little bit more. More funding is required for more cots and staff, but I don’t believe we’ll be getting it any time soon.

I’ve seen so many wonderful posts on here that I have wanted to reblog, but I’m aware that not everyone wants to scroll down their dashboard and see images of childbirth.

So, I’ve created a new blog that is dedicated to my craft, midwifery!

Not at the dinner table! will allow me to post and reblog all these lovely midwifery and pregnancy related things, without grossing out anyone who’d rather not know about it.

So if you’re interested, go have a gander! I’m filling my queue as you read…