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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
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
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demystifies BMI and tells us how we might take a more helpful and well-informed approach that isn’t based on an outdated and unevidenced measure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
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
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
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
AIMS Journal, 2024, Vol 36, No 1 By Elle Gundry The first parliamentary debate on birth trauma took place in the House of Commons on Thursday 19th October 2023. [1] Thank…
AIMS Journal, 2024, Vol 36, No 1 By Anne Glover I work with women from all walks of life, but one thing that is important to them all, is having a positive and satisfying…
AIMS Journal, 2024, Vol 36, No 1 Editor’s note: In this quite shocking account of disrespect and neglect, Grace describes the arrival of her first baby. With Grace’s perm…
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…
"The Maternity and Midwifery Festivals are back face to face and we’re looking forward to meeting you in 2024. Nine events across the UK and Ireland – all of them free of…
Find submission on UK Parliament webite https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/129150/pdf Introduction AIMS (Association for Improvements in the Maternity Servi…
AIMS is proud to be supporting the RCM's Research Prioritisation project as a Project Partner and with one of our volunteers on the Steering Group www.rcm.org.uk/promotin…
Introduction to AIMS and why AIMS is making a submission Since 1960, AIMS has been the leading advocate for improvements in UK maternity care. We have national and intern…