Labour Midwifery Skills

Alison Edwards is a Senior Midwifery Lecturer and Programme Director for the Shortened Midwifery programme at the University of Birmingham, UK. Alison has been a nurse and midwife for over 32 years, progressing through a BSc and Masters’ degree during that time. Current projects involve the development of virtual teaching tools including the use of avatars simulating labour scenarios, and escape room technology.

Anatomy. Apgar scores. Birth environment – promoting normality. Caesarean Section (LSCS). Catheterisation. Cord bloods. CTG interpretation. Diabetic women in labour. Degrees of Tears. Deteriorating conditions. Emergencies. Emergency birth. Epidurals. Episiotomy. Examination of the placenta. Fetal blood sampling. Home birth preparation. Initial baby check. Instrumental birth. Mechanism of normal labour (LOA). Monitoring maternal and fetal well-being in labour. Obesity and labour. Pain relief. Perineal repair. Positions for labour and birth. Resuscitation equipment. Signs of transition. Stages and phases of labour. Third stage management. Vaginal assessments. Vaginal birth after caesarean (trial of scar). Waterbirth. Stillbirth and neonatal death.