This week is World Reflexology Week!

Reflexology in pregnancy can offer a range of potential benefits for expectant mothers, including:

• Relief from pregnancy discomfort
• Stress reduction
• Preparation for labour
• Improved sleep

During my time at the University of Greenwich, I discovered that by using foot reflex zones linked to the reproductive tract and pituitary gland (based on my research), I could identify different stages of the menstrual cycle in non-pregnant women with a 65-70% success rate.
I've since taught midwives worldwide how to perform this assessment through my courses.

Complementary Therapies and The M25 

I frequently drive along the M25 motorway around London, particularly the stretch from southeast London to Heathrow.  As I drive, I’m struck by the analogy between drivers on these busy roads and midwives venturing into the field of complementary therapies (CTs).

Having been practising, teaching, researching and publishing on CTs for over 40 years, I consider myself an experienced “driver” of this aspect of midwifery care. I was in the right place at the right time to pioneer the subject as a midwifery specialism in the early 1980s. I’m well qualified in several therapies and practise safely; I recognize difficulties and can deal with them, or recognise when to withdraw temporarily. I understand where I can cut corners and when I need to `drive by the book' and I’m fully informed about the rules and regulations relating to practice, both in CTs and in midwifery.

But what about those midwives who are only just starting out on their CTs journey? In observing other road users on the M25, I can see that midwives are similar to many drivers – the plodders, the safety conscious, the sceptics and the mavericks.  

There are the “lorry drivers” who proceed slowly in the inside lane, struggling up the inclines and rarely able to overtake others, but eventually reaching their journey's end. This is similar to midwives who press on competently with their existing practice, but who are fearful of moving out of the `slow' lane to drive new initiatives. There is nothing wrong in this: we need midwives to deliver fundamental services in the same way as lorry drivers deliver goods around the country. Midwives who are “plodders” wanting to introduce CTs into practice, may take a long time to make it a reality, but are safe, reliable, conscientious practitioners. They’ve thought through all the issues, sought answers to numerous questions and eventually achieved their aims of enhancing care for women with CTs.  

Next come the safety conscious midwives, like mature, experienced drivers whose reactions may be slower but who painstakingly observe all the rules of the road. Their practice of CTs is based on adequate and appropriate preparation and adherence to the laws, regulations and guidelines dictating safe practice. These are by far the most professional when it comes to using CTs in midwifery practice, with a focus on both theoretical and practical training and an acknowledgement of prescribed boundaries, especially within the NHS. 

Conversely, there are those maverick lorry drivers who rampage along the motorway, tailgating other vehicles and – increasingly – breaking the law by moving into the outside lane in their time-restricted rush to get where they’re going. Similarly, drivers of fast sports or status cars - the typical exhibitionist “boy racers” - believe they can charge along with little regard for others, blaring their horns or flashing their lights to make their presence felt so that everyone else is forced to make way for them. This is a case of appearances being deceptive, of course, because these drivers may be no better (and are sometimes considerably worse) than the more cautious ones. They antagonise fellow road users and are a danger to themselves and others. 

Midwives who advocate the `racing car approach' to implementing CTs, often with a misplaced ideal of being the first or the best, are far more likely to make mistakes and cause safety issues that could result in a managerial knee-jerk response of abandoning the CTs services. There is more to it than looking good on the surface whilst vociferously forging ahead with ideas and ideals at the expense of colleagues who work more slowly but with more attention to detail. Implementing CTs into midwifery care will be far more effectively achieved by respectful, professional and reasoned dealings with colleagues than by riding roughshod over sceptics or those who are already working in their own professional `fast lanes' in different ways.

Likewise, the `white van syndrome' is also inappropriate. We have all had experience of the drivers of transit vans, often tradesmen, attempting to force us into slower lanes so they can get ahead. Increasingly too, there are those who disregard the rules: I’ve seen impatient white van drivers barging their way across several lanes to exit the motorway at the last possible minute. Many are so familiar with their route that they become complacent with the task of driving, preferring instead to monopolize and control the road and its users. 

Complacency is definitely an issue for midwives, especially those who have been using CTs for some time. They may think they are competent because they have refined their practical and manual skills, but this does not make their practice contemporary, nor is it necessarily safe or evidence based. As regular readers of my blogs will know, this is a group of midwives which concerns me greatly. Failing to keep up to date, arrogantly believing that they’re “experienced” and know what they’re doing, can only lead to safety incidents, some of which have come under national scrutiny in recent years. There is no place for those wanting to use CTs to demonstrate either complacency in their work or superiority over colleagues. There is always something to learn from others, most of all the need for good teamwork. Those who think they know it all will eventually make mistakes which may be fatal to themselves, their colleagues and even the people in their care.

There is also the novice motorway driver. In order to venture onto the motorways a full driving licence is required and drivers should preferably have some experience of driving on non-motorway roads. In the same way, midwives moving into the field of CTs must be qualified and experienced clinical midwives in order to add to their basic practice. It is daunting taking those first journeys into a new area, especially when others may appear competent and confident. Sympathetic drivers already on the motorway may slow down to enable newer ones to join the road, and this should also be the case when introducing CTs into midwifery care. Often those who are new to the road take time to learn and understand what they’re doing - and may sometimes remind more experienced `drivers' of some of the rules they have recently learned. 

The road itself often presents dangers and problems. The surface may be icy, blocked by debris or altered by new roadworks, and drivers need to negotiate their way around carefully. Possession of well-developed driving skills, knowing the rules and regulations and remaining alert to changes all contribute to achieving a safe journey. Midwives using CTs must be appropriately skilled, cognisant of relevant local, national and international rules and must take account of new developments in practice and policies in healthcare. 

There is one section of the M25 between the junctions of the M3 motorway and the M4/ Heathrow turn-off where mandatory variable speed limits are imposed at peak hours to regulate traffic flow. These can be likened to clinical guidelines on CTs in midwifery, which are used to protect the public (and practitioners) and avoid individuals becoming too independently autonomous at the expense of safety. It is occasionally necessary to slow down the pace of change in order to consolidate what has happened so far and prevent enthusiasts from racing forward inappropriately. Once the restrictions have passed it is perfectly acceptable to regain speed and press on.

So where do you fit in with all this? Are you continuing to be the plodding “lorry driver” or the newly licensed novice lacking in confidence? Do you want to be seen as a sports car or white van driver? Do you recognize the ups and downs of the road? Are you familiar with the rules and regulations? Will you reach your destination or fail at the first set of “roadworks”? Whatever category you fit into it is ultimately essential to appreciate that we all have a part to play in the greater journey we are taking together - with care, attention and integrity we will all achieve a safe and satisfying outcome and complementary therapies will hopefully become integral to midwifery care.

This blog post is adapted from a 2000 article I wrote for the Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice journal. Unfortunately, things do not seem to have progressed very far in some respects. Whilst CTs are far more prevalent in maternity care and midwifery practice, we still have midwives who want to be sports car drivers and rush ahead without planning, or lorry drivers who break the rules. There are still midwifery managers who do not acknowledge the need for proper training and expect staff to teach others immediately after learning CTs themselves, despite the recognition that all other aspects of midwifery require consolidation and experience before passing on the mantle to others. And we still have midwives who fail to update because they believe themselves to be experienced, yet conveniently forget the NMC requirement to remain updated in all aspects of their work. 

Today is Expectancy’s 20th Birthday! 🎉

For two decades, we’ve proudly remained the only company worldwide dedicated to providing professional academic courses that teach midwives and birth workers how to integrate complementary therapies into their care.

From designing our unique programmes to launching the signature Licensed Consultancy, it’s been an incredible journey preparing midwives to build their own businesses in maternity complementary therapies.

Thank you all for your unwavering support—here’s to another twenty years! 🌟

Pass The Baton - Where Is The Next Generation Of Leaders In The Specialism Of Midwifery Complementary Therapy?

Whilst in Tokyo recently, I was invited to contribute to an aromatherapy forum discussion on changes in the profession. One question focused on how - indeed, whether - the aromatherapy world is preparing the next generation of authorities for the profession as it moves towards the 2030s. Those who have made a name in aromatherapy, such as Robert Tisserand, Gabriel Mojay and Kurt Schnaubelt - and my host was kind enough to include me in this group - are reaching an age when we will all soon be retiring and leaving day-to-day involvement in the discipline. Yet there is no name that shouts out to us about who might be one of the next generation of aromatherapy leaders.

This led me to thinking about the midwifery specialism of complementary therapies (CTs) and to whom I should hand over the baton when I retire (not that I intend to, yet!). Many midwives are interested in CTs but are not fully qualified in any therapy. It is important to acknowledge that the field of “complementary therapies” is not just about aromatherapy (the most commonly used therapy in pregnancy and maternity care) but requires training and a comprehensive academic knowledge of several other therapies. Whilst interest in a subject is a great starting point, developing an area of expertise requires dedication, a lengthy time commitment and a single-mindedness that is similarly applied to achieving a PhD. However, having a postgraduate qualification in a subject does not, in itself, make an expert in the overall subject matter. Within midwifery, becoming a specialism leader requires a combination of advanced clinical practice and academic involvement including teaching, research and publication. 

However, most midwives have not been in positions to enable them to gain wide clinical experience of using CTs in their practice. Yes, there are many several midwives who have introduced an aromatherapy or postdates pregnancy service and sustained their involvement in CTs, but most have other roles within the organisation and are unable to focus solely on CTs. Almost all of these midwives are not qualified teachers (as is required by the therapy regulatory bodies), nor have they engaged in the higher-level teaching of colleagues (and I don’t mean “cascade training” here).  There are a few senior academics in the UK and Australia who have engaged in research around midwifery CTs, but who do not necessarily have the direct clinical experience of working with CTs in pregnancy and birth. Additionally, whilst most of these have published their research, which provides a valuable contribution to the subject area, very few, if any, have added to the textbooks available on the subject. 

That “complementary therapies” is an established specialism within midwifery is still under debate, despite my having spent forty years developing it. Many still see CTs as an add-on to physiological birth care, but do not appreciate that there are many more facets to the specialism that should be incorporated into midwifery education, at least as a post-registration activity. I have long campaigned for pre-registration education to include a general introduction to the subject, but lack of educators with adequate knowledge and understanding of this vast subject area means that inclusion in the programme is patchy at best. Acquiring a working knowledge of CTs in midwifery is NOT just about learning some massage and throwing a few aromatherapy oils about. It requires an understanding of safety and safe practice, and an ability to apply the principles of the therapies to their use within midwifery practice and their self-administration by expectant and birthing parents.  

So which midwives are interested in developing the requisite skills, knowledge and attitudes to become the new leaders in midwifery CTs? Where are they – and importantly, how can we prepare them to continue CTs as a midwifery specialism and to develop it further? I have a few colleagues whom I would trust to take over my own work – but that is not the only issue here. We need new leaders who can sustain the subject of complementary therapies as a significant field within maternity care.

Our Woman In Tokyo

I've been coming to Tokyo since 2001, incredible to think that's almost a quarter of a century. Apart from the pandemic years, I've made the long journey at least I once, If not twice a year, and occasionally even three times .

Safe Care Cannot - And Should Not - Be Done On The Cheap

This slogan refers to the Royal College of Midwives' campaign calling for better salaries for midwives, implying that better funding for recruitment and retention leads to safer care for mothers and babies.

However, this same principle also applies to the introduction of new practices, including complementary therapies. Any new initiative requires a financial and educational commitment to ensure safety.  I find it inconceivable that midwives want to introduce complementary therapies to facilitate physiological birth - yet they want to do so as cheaply and quickly as possible with no investment in training or professional development.

I was recently contacted by a birth centre manager interested in training 20 midwives in aromatherapy, acupressure, moxibustion for breech and reflexology - and wanted me to do this in a single study day! This is not an uncommon request, which is triggered by a laudable interest in and enthusiasm for complementary therapies, and a lack of understanding of what each therapy involves or how difficult they can be to learn the knowledge and skills effectively. This particular request involved four different therapies and professional disciplines requiring a minimum of ten days' training to prepare midwives to use the therapies effectively and safely.

Midwifery budget holders want to be seen to be introducing new initiatives to reduce intervention yet fail to recognise the need for comprehensive training of both the midwives who will practise the therapies and the managers who will monitor standards of practice. They have little appreciation of how complementary therapies need to fit into NHS care and the various laws and regulations relating to their use. 

Further, there is concern amongst complementary therapy educators and regulators about other professionals "cherry picking" aspects of therapies to add to their own professional disciplines. We would be horrified to think a therapist would want to study a few days of midwifery and then go out to practise - or even worse, to teach it to others, yet midwives and their managers sanction this very same concept when it comes to complementary therapies.

SAFETY in midwifery requires comprehensive theoretical as well as practical education so that midwives can apply the principles of each therapy to its practice in maternity care. It requires an understanding of how to minimise risk and how to practise cost effectively and equitably as well as safely and effectively and in line with available evidence.

Other experienced midwifery educators will attest to the general decline in students' desire to understand their practice (becoming a knowledgeable doer) and an increase in just becoming a "doer" without that underpinning knowledge. In today's fast paced world students want to "achieve" their certificates as quickly and cheaply as possible, especially as pre-registration students are generally "customers". 

However, when it comes to complementary therapies as a post-registration option, it is even more essential to be knowledgeable enough, not only to be able to justify their actions but also to counter the sceptics. Perhaps even more crucially, since midwifery complementary therapies have come under national scrutiny by the CQC and Ockenden review teams in some units, adequate education of an appropriately academic calibre is paramount to SAFE practice. 

In twenty years of Expectancy, I have always stuck to my absolute belief that safety, professional accountability and evidence-based practice are fundamental to the use of complementary therapies by midwives. This has often been at the expense of my business, but I steadfastly refuse to compromise my own principles to offer courses that do not adequately prepare midwives to practise complementary therapies SAFELY. I am always happy to offer a single introductory awareness study day to interested midwives and students - but the profession must understand that this, in no way, prepares midwives to practise the therapies. So - to quote the RCM - Safe care cannot - and should not - be done on the cheap, either in terms of cost or education.

Guest Blog : Annual Networking Day

I recently had the privilege of attending the Expectancy Annual Networking Day in London, for the “endorsed by Expectancy” midwives working in private practice .

The event was set up to network, share experiences and to explore successes and hurdles encountered with the daily running of their midwifery businesses. Some midwives are already in business and some are bravely starting up their own — I am sure this opportunity served as a valuable insight into setting off on the rewarding yet sometimes intimidating path of going it alone. Denise was there to offer sound business advice and encouragement, she must be very proud of her midwives — and rightly so! 

It was lovely to hear people talk about their reasons for having gone it alone, how they came to that decision, and how things are going for them now. It’s been a difficult time in the UK of late, but I really admired their determination to press on, adapt to changes and grow their businesses.

It was clear from the pulse in the room that the discussions were hugely beneficial for the fledgling midwifery entrepreneurs in attendance. The opportunity to explore business issues together and share information and advice was inspiring for all involved. Not to forget the camaraderie which was so vibrant and motivating. 

We all left feeling positive, full of inspiration and determined to keep flourishing. I salute these lovely and enthusiastic midwives — you are wonderful ambassadors of the Expectancy community! 

Why I Love Reflex Zone Therapy 

Having trained in aromatherapy and massage, I decided, for some unknown reason, to train in reflexology in 1989. Like many others, I naively thought reflexology was just foot massage – but I was in for a big shock. The course I started was not actually reflexology in the standard sense, but a very specific form of clinical reflex zone therapy, a German style devised by a former midwife. In the UK, the British School of Reflex Zone Therapy was headed up by a very formidable South African lady, also a former midwife, who knew her stuff and ruled us with a rod of iron – but how blessed we were to be taught by her.

Training at the end of 1989, my son was only nine months old at the time and I was still breastfeeding him. During the first weekend of the course, I realised I was producing much more milk than before I started the training. When I asked the tutor why this had happened, she explained that we had been practising the day before on the parts of the feet that reflect the endocrine system and that the student I was working with had slightly over-stimulated the reflex zones on my feet relating to the pituitary gland. These was my ah-ah moment and my lifelong fascination with reflex zone therapy was born.

Many midwives have heard me tell this story before, but this was only the beginning. I went on to develop and refine my skills and experience in reflex zone therapy and over the next fourteen years I treated almost 6000 pregnant women with a variety of symptoms and antenatal and postnatal issues. For a while, having experienced shocking pregnancy sickness myself, I specialised in treating women with nausea and vomiting and developed new theories about the causes of the issue and new reflex techniques to treat the problem. Sometimes, using something I call the “advanced technique” – a rather forceful toe-twisting manoeuvre - I could treat a woman in just ten minutes, reducing the severity of her symptoms almost immediately.  I learned ways to treat other symptoms such as backache, sciatica and pelvic girdle pain or carpal tunnel syndrome, with short dynamic, focused treatments, a necessity when my clinic at that time was NHS-based and a teaching clinic for my students at the University of Greenwich.

The focus of my work was less on relaxation therapy and more on resolving specific problems, although most women reported feeling much more relaxed even when the hands-on treatment was only fifteen or twenty minutes. Whether this was directly due to the manual treatment or the fact that women had an opportunity to talk to me and to have their symptoms validated, is debatable and was probably a combination of both. Everyone working with complementary therapies understand the power of holistic therapies and the importance of reducing stress hormones to enable an increase in feel-good hormones including endorphins and oxytocin, both so fundamental to progress in pregnancy and birth.

I was in an invaluable position, being a university lecturer, to undertake research on reflex zone therapy and other complementary therapies and to spend time writing for publication. Although my book, Reflexology for Pregnancy and Birth was published in 2010, the gist of it is still valid today, apart from the research component which is, of course, now quite old. As the years went by, I actually made some changes to parts of the map used in reflex zone therapy (which is different from those used in other forms of reflexology) and did some research into using the reflex points on the feet to predict stages of the menstrual cycle. I am over 70% successful in being able to detect whether a woman is in the first pre-ovulatory or later post-ovulatory stage of the cycle, to identify which is the active ovary of the month and to predict when the next menstrual period will commence, certainly to within a day or two.

This led on to becoming absolutely fascinated by what the feet can tell us. I have a friend in South Africa, Chris Stormer, who is a worldwide authority on reading the feet, who first introduced me to this element of the therapy (although her style is very different from mine). Chris takes a more spiritual approach to foot reading, almost an esoteric approach, whereas I am firmly focused on the anatomical and physiological aspects of detection from the feet. Many reflexologists are taught that they should not “diagnose” but this is largely to avoid those who are not conventional healthcare practitioners from making assumptions about what they see or feel on the feet. In my opinion, it is difficult to avoid making some form of diagnosis about wellbeing of the client, otherwise we would not be able to individualise the treatment to her specific needs. I have detected various medical issues via the feet and was once asked by an obstetrician if I would try to find a diagnosis because the medical staff had been unable to do so. I can often tell you which teeth need filling, whether you have had an appendicectomy or hysterectomy, or whether to advise someone to get their breasts checked for lumps.

This is what makes reflex zone therapy so amazing. It is not just a relaxation therapy, but a very powerful clinical tool, both to aid diagnosis and treatment. In midwifery, I have used RZT techniques to treat gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal and reproductive system issues. In pregnancy, RZT can be used to treat almost all physiological symptoms and to prevent some complications from becoming more severe. Later, it is invaluable for aiding the onset and progress of labour, easing contraction pain and dealing with retained placenta. Postnatally, it helps recovery from birth, eases complications from epidural or Caesarean labours and encourages lactation.

Later, when I set up Expectancy, now in its 20^th year, I started to teach reflex zone therapy to other midwives. Initially, I offered a short course of three days but soon realised not only was this not enough to gain practice and understanding of such a dynamic and complex therapy, it was also too much for midwives to receive repeated treatments from fellow students on three consecutive days. I changes the course to two 2-day blocks which was less stressful for the students’ physiology, but still didn’t give enough time to learn the theory and engage in the practice to feel entirely confident in using RZT in clinical practice. The course was finally expanded to a six-day course, one weekend per month, which gives time to practise in between study blocks and provides midwives with some fascinating insights into the power of reflex zone therapy.

Although I am experienced in practising and teaching several different therapies in midwifery practice, reflex zone therapy remains my favourite. I have practised, studied, researched and taught it now for 35 years and still love it – although the impact on my somewhat ageing hands is beginning to tell (repetitive strain). Although I could probably not now practise regularly on real clients, if I had to give up teaching it I would be very disappointed. I am still learning about German reflex zone therapy and other forms of reflexology and hope to be able to do so for many years to come.  

Annual Networking Day

Saturday 13th July saw the annual networking day for our Licensed Consultants – midwives who’ve completed their studies and are already in business as well as those just finalising their plans to start up a private maternity complementary therapies practice. We got together for a relaxed day of chatting about our businesses and meeting new midwives. We started with networking bingo where everyone had to talk to each other to find out interesting facts such as “I love rice pudding” or “I’ve changed jobs in the last year” , We went on to explore our successes and challenges from the past year as well as planning our goals for the coming year. We also enjoyed a lovely lunch from the local falafel shop.

My Favourite Aromatherapy Oils

My absolute favourite essential oil is lime – to me it smells like the old-fashioned Opal Fruit sweets (not Starburst!), you can even taste it in your mouth because the smell and taste senses are closely linked. Lime is a gentle oil and can be effective for sickness in pregnancy but also goes well with many other oils to balance some of the heavy aromas of oils such as black pepper or ylang ylang. Should be avoided by anyone allergic to citrus fruit such as oranges.

Ylang ylang is another firm favourite, which is surprising as it is quite a heavy floral aroma and something I don’t usually like. The oil comes from the flowers of an Indonesian tree. Ylang ylang is incredibly relaxing and can be sedative so useful for relaxation and aiding sleep. It is also claimed to be aphrodisiac, presumably because it is so relaxing.  It blends well with lighter oils such as lime, grapefruit and even cypress. In practice, my only precaution is to avoid it when working with women with postnatal depression – it is so deeply relaxing that it seems to push negative emotions deeper inside, whereas these women may benefit from more uplifting oils.

Spearmint is also a firm favourite. It has a lighter aroma than peppermint but is equally as effective for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and during labour. Spearmint is a very uplifting oil and enhances the mood. It is a good oil to use for pain relief in labour and can be helpful for headaches (with the proviso that they are not a symptom of pre-eclampsia) and for respiratory congestion, coughs and colds.

My least favourite oil is geranium – indeed, after many years of using it when teaching,  I am now allergic to it, developing headaches and nausea and increasingly experiencing throat irritation when inhaling it. This is an important issue to take on board when using essential oils and I always discourage midwives learning aromatherapy from using oils which they dislike. This is due to certain smell receptors in the nose being aggravated by one or more chemicals in the oil – and repeated use will exacerbate this effect until eventually an allergy can occur. Having said that, many women like geranium and it is a useful oil for relaxation and aiding labour progress.

The Conveyor Belt Of Childbirth

OK, so now we have a new US research paper concluding that epidural in labour reduces maternal morbidity by 35% (Kearns at all, BMJ 2024). Of course, it's a team of anaesthetic and obstetric doctors which has completed the study, which gives it the political power to affect policy and to lead organisations such as NICE potentially to recommend epidural in labour as the optimal method of pain relief. If this happens, epidural will become even more of a routine than at present, with even more risk of needing other interventions in labour, likely leading to Caesarean section.

Intervention in birth is at an all-time high, to the extent that it affects service users, service planners and service costs. Women are either petrified that they will be coerced into unwanted and unwarranted induction or Caesarean, or conversely, they have lost all confidence in the ability of their bodies to give birth naturally. Midwives are fast losing their knowledge, skills and understanding of birth as a physiological process, and have certainly lost their confidence to enable women to labour spontaneously. Service managers and budget holders have completely lost sight of the fact that physiological birth is cheaper, more fulfilling for parents and staff and far less likely to lead to ultra-expensive litigation.

Having trained as a midwife in the middle 70s,. I've seen the battle for "normal" childbirth go round and round. In the 1980s we had the Maternity Care in Action reports, in the 90s it was Changing Childbirth and more recently we've had Better Births. Despite these initiatives, we are further away than ever from physiological childbirth and midwifery seems almost to be a dying profession. The incredibly vocal anti-natural childbirth lobby has inveigled itself into the debate too and is using the sad loss of many babies to add weight to the argument that medical management of birth is essential, a move guaranteed to increase unnecessary intervention.

Midwifery is no longer the autonomous ,champion of birth that it was 50 - or even 20 - years ago. Midwives in the NHS are bowed down by petty rules and regulations, too much paperwork and not enough time to care for parents. Childbirth is a conveyor belt of monumental proportions, In which all parties - parents, midwives, doctors, managers - are supposed to know their places in the system and behave accordingly to avoid breakdowns that might interfere with the complex mechanism of the maternity services. The more checks and balances we put in, the better that mechanism will run - supposedly - but at what cost?

Woe betide any maverick who challenges the system. They are subjected to coercion and emotional blackmail if they are service users, or to extreme bullying and unnecessary managerial processes if they are staff. This means that everyone either puts up and shuts up or leaves the system. Parents choose to employ independent midwives or Douglas or even to freebirth, while midwives and doctors leave their professions completely or risk alienating themselves by daring to work in private practice. 

I am not alone in despairing for the maternity services, for expectant and birthing parents and for the midwifery profession. I recently saw a post from another Facebook page, In which someone with a well-paid but unfulfilling job was considering training as a midwife and was asking midwives whether it was a good idea. Without exception, all the respondents said "don't do it" - a very sad indictment indeed for the profession. Yet if the current midwifery profession doesn't encourage new blood, the only thing that will change is the loss of midwifery as we know it and the further pathological approach to birth.

Best Foot Forward: Teaching Reflexology In Hong Kong 

I was so excited to be back in Hong Kong last week for the first time since before the pandemic. Travelling Business Class on BA, I was able to benefit from the new “pods” which provide an individual little area with a flat screen for films and, more importantly, a flat bed, so much more comfortable than the previous arrangement which required stepping over the next passenger’s feet to get out to the washroom during the night. I arrived on the Saturday afternoon, well refreshed, and was met by my lovely colleague Elce, head of the school of midwifery at the Prince of Wales Hospital. All week, I was so well looked after and treated as an honoured guest, being presented with a School of Midwifery teddy bear at the end of my stay – he had to be rather ignominiously shoved into an already full suitcase as I was leaving straight for the airport to come home.

In 2019, I had taught aromatherapy but this time I was asked to teach two 2-day introduction to reflexology courses for almost 60 midwives. This proved logistically challenging as the close supervision required to ensure students can accurately locate and palpate reflex points on the feet means that I usually only have about 12 in a group in the UK (and the course is six days, not just two). We also had some ongoing discussion before I left the UK about a suitable bed / couch on which I could demonstrate and how to position the midwives so they could comfortably work on their partners’ feet. For the first course, we had everyone working on mats on the floor although this was not particularly comfortable, so we arranged the second course with everyone working on chairs, which was much better. The midwives were fascinated by reflex zone therapy and learned a mini relaxation and some first aid points for treating women with backache, carpal tunnel syndrome, constipation, heartburn and, of course, pain relief in labour.

Midwifery practice in Hong Kong is very similar to UK midwifery, unlike in mainland China which is even more medicalised than the UK. Currently, the Beijing government is challenging midwifery numbers, claiming that there are too many midwives in Hong Kong. This is despite midwifery managers and educators stating that there is a shortage of midwives. The government has counted all those on the midwifery register but not accounted for those who have returned to nursing (midwifery is a post-registration qualification) or those who are not working at all at present. My colleague had a busy week of meetings to discuss this issue as it is likely to impact on student midwife numbers.

Back home, I had one day to recover and then it’s back to work with a vengeance as we come to the end of the current academic year and assignment marking and prepare for the new intake of midwives starting in September. Before that, I have my second trip of the year to teach aromatherapy in Tokyo and then I am back in Hong Kong in October to speak at the Normal Birth conference. Happy days!

Safe Use Of Natural Remedies In Pregnancy: Guidelines For Maternity Professionals

The use of natural remedies is at an all-time high, especially in pregnancy. Women are advised not to take drugs unnecessarily, yet many do not appreciate the potential risks of inappropriate self-administration of herbal and other remedies. Natural remedies (NRs) have, of course, been used for centuries and were traditionally a significant part of midwifery care until around the 17^th century when the emerging medical and pharmaceutical professions took control of healthcare. We know that, today, around 80% of expectant parents resort to complementary therapies and particularly to self-medication with NRs, perhaps as a means of recapturing some of that control of pregnancy and birth that has been lost in the mists of time. Herbal medicines, including many traditional and folk remedies, act in exactly the same way as drugs (and can interfere with them). They are not regulated in the same way as drugs and are relatively easy to access in health stores.   

Midwives, doulas and doctors may be asked for information or advise on herbal remedies such as raspberry leaf tea for birth preparation, clary sage and other aromatherapy oils for use in labour or to avoid an induction or, occasionally on homeopathic medicines such as arnica for perineal bruising. However, this is not a subject that is taught within pre-registration training for midwives and obstetricians, despite the increasing use by the public. Whilst herbal medicine is a self-regulated profession in its own right with graduate level training of at least three years, the issue for birth professionals is not those women who consult medical herbal practitioners but those who wish to use remedies and oils at home, sometimes without adequate knowledge to use them safely.

Many people, including conventionally trained healthcare professionals, believe that because these remedies are “natural” they are also safe – but this is not the case. Anything that has the power to do good also has the potential to do harm if not used appropriately. No remedy is suitable for every expectant, labouring or newly-birthed woman – and many are not suitable at all.

So how can maternity professionals advise expectant parents? Here are some guidelines to help you:

• All NRs should be treated with the same respect as that given to pharmaceutical drugs.

• No remedy should be used routinely for prolonged periods of time and NEVER as a replacement for proven medical treatment, especially in the event of an emergency.
• Women should be advised to avoid ALL NRs before and during pregnancy, labour and breastfeeding unless under the supervision of an appropriately qualified, insured professional.
• Women should be asked at their first antenatal appointment to reveal if they are using any NRs and their answers recorded in the maternity notes.
• Women should be advised to seek professional advice on NRs and not to rely on information obtained from the Internet, social and other media or friends and family.
• Women should be informed that not all NRs are approved, regulated or evidence based. NRs obtained from the Internet may be falsely labelled, contaminated with chemical impurities or contain banned or toxic ingredients.
• Women should be informed about the possible risks of taking pharmacologically active herbal remedies or using aromatherapy essential oils, including adverse effects such as allergies and interactions with other NRs, prescribed medications or foods.
• Advise women against combining several different NRs / complementary therapies: take only one remedy at a time, particularly at term when women may seek to expedite labour.

• Aromatherapy essential oils should not be applied to the skin neat; they should not be taken orally, rectally or used in or around the vaginal opening; keep away from eyes. Avoid using oils in the birthing pool.

• Pregnant maternity professionals and birthing companions should avoid exposure to (inhalation of)  essential oils intended to promote uterine contractions during labour eg clary sage, jasmine.
• NRs should be avoided / discontinued in the event of any medical, obstetric or fetal pathology, either pre-existing, gestationally-induced or occurring incidentally during pregnancy, labour or postnatally.
• Maternity professionals should consider the possibility that deviations from normal progress in pregnancy or labour may be linked to undisclosed use of NRs.
• Women admitted to the antenatal ward have, by definition, pathological complications requiring medical attention; they must be asked directly if they are self-administering NRs.
• Women should be advised to discontinue all pharmacologically active NRs (herbal and traditional medicines) at least two weeks prior to elective surgery or dental extraction to reduce the risk of excessive bleeding.

Why is it that “money” is a dirty word in the NHS?

Recently, I was teaching aromatherapy and acupressure to midwives at a large London hospital. In the course evaluation, I was accused of being too commercial because I was providing information on my textbooks (offered for sale as a learning resource) and on other courses they could take with Expectancy (in response to direct questions from a few midwives). This was not only distressing but blatantly unfair as I am always conscious of not being overly “sales-y”. This was a group that had been funded by the NHS trust to attend the course – and who were also able to attend it in their work time – so there was no obligation to appreciate the financial element of having the course.

Why is it that “money” is a dirty word in the NHS? Did the midwives think the course was provided free of charge? Did they not recognise that the training not only cost the fees that were paid to Expectancy by the trust but also that the clinical hours “lost” to training had to be replaced with other midwives? Further, did they think I was providing it from a misplaced sense of altruism? Midwives do not seem to understand that everything costs money – and that they are paid for the services they provide in the form of a salary. Just because no money physically changes hands at the point of providing the service does not mean our “customers” (expectant parents) are not paying for it. Healthcare costs the UK over £180 billion a year and is funded largely through taxes - so working people pay for the NHS, including care for those who do not pay tax. However, ask any midwife how much it costs for a spontaneous vaginal birth, a Caesarean, a urine specimen pot or an epidural and no one can tell you – a factor that contributes to huge wastage since employees do not have to take personal responsibility for equipment, medicines and other tools used in client care, unlike in the private sector.

Midwives who choose to go into private practice, whether as independent midwives providing full birth services or in a self-employed capacity offering services such as pregnancy complementary therapies, antenatal classes or tongue-tie division, are often castigated by colleagues because they dare to charge their clients. Yet there are services provided in the private sector that are not available on the NHS – and which some expectant and birthing parents choose to access and to pay for.  Similarly, increasing numbers of midwives are choosing to work outside the NHS – perhaps because they want a better work-life balance or are committed to offering services less accessible in the NHS. This is, as I have said before, about choices.

Prospective clients know that there will be a charge, should they choose to access private services – and it is not a problem for them. If they don’t want to pay it, they don’t become clients. If they become clients, they are happy to pay. Midwives who choose to work for themselves usually find it really difficult to price their services and to ask clients for the money – but they need to tackle this issue if they are going to be successful. If a midwife goes to the hairdresser, she expects to pay the going rate – so why is it so difficult to ask to be paid for the services offered? Obstetricians who work in private practice have no such qualms – although in fairness, they usually have an administrator who actually invoices their clients, effectively removing doctors from actually asking for the money. It would, however, be well worth any midwife considering private practice to have a chat with an obstetrician about this aspect before they set up their business.

Charging a realistic price for services can make the difference for a self-employed midwife between success and failure. Being aware of exactly what it is they are charging for is the first step on this difficult road. Prices are based on costs of training, setting up the business, costs of the actual service equipment and other aspects that have to be factored in – insurances, unpaid holidays of sick leave, legal and accountancy services and much more. On my business training days, we discuss “money” a lot and try to work out realistic pricing strategies so that clients feel they are receiving value for money without being fleeced, and midwives feel appropriately remunerated to fund their lifestyle without the guilt of over-charging. It’s a fine balance, but one that has to be confronted. If you’re considering starting your own business – come and find out how to “get over ” the charging-for-services  hurdle!

It’s Aromatherapy Awareness Week!

I strongly believe in the power of holistic care for expectant parents and maternity service professionals.

As a midwife, staying updated with the latest advancements in aromatherapy and other complementary therapies is essential.

We recommend updating your aromatherapy knowledge every two years to ensure you provide the best care possible.

Tips for practitioners:

🌸 Start with basic essential oils like lavender and sweet orange for relaxation.

🌸 Integrate aromatherapy into birth care to create a calming environment.

🌸 Stay informed about the latest research on aromatherapy benefits and risks.

Learn new knowledge and skills on our Expectancy Certificate in Midwifery Aromatherapy.

Making The Move To Starting Your Own Maternity-Related Business

So … you have decided to set up your own business … but where do you start? It’s vital to research what you want to do and how you want to do it. Don’t be tempted to rush ahead with enthusiasm as this may cause you to make mistakes (which can be costly – professionally, financially, or even legally) or you may find you have to “unpick” something you initiated too early. I have mentored many midwives who become so excited about branching out on their own that they forge ahead with ideas that are only partly thought-through, often with disastrous consequences (I’ve also done it myself in the early days!). Make sure you are deciding on private practice for the right reasons – are you moving towards something better or running away from an untenable situation? 

Once you’ve decided that you really do want to set up your own practice - and having looked honestly at your reasons for doing so - you now need to start by making some concrete plans. Decide on the specific services you wish to provide and consider how you would like to provide them. Take time to think about things, leaving it for a while and going back with fresh eyes once you have had time to consolidate your ideas. Try to identify exactly what you wish to offer – if you don’t know, then neither will your potential clients understand what you are offering. It’s also counter-productive to include too many different elements at the start of your new venture and you need to be flexible enough so that other services can be added later.

When I set up Expectancy, I made the mistake of trying to be all things to all my potential customers. I wanted to offer clinical services to pregnant women, as well as professional courses. Not only did I want to provide education for midwives, but also for doulas, antenatal teachers and therapists. This meant that I was trying to spread myself and my colleagues (and my limited advertising budget) across at least four different markets. Indeed, my adverts were completely unclear because we had tried to have a “one size fits all” leaflet – which just did not work. Everyone was confused – including the team. It was only later that I made the decision to focus solely on offering professional courses preparing the students to provide their own clinical services that it started to make sense. When I finally decided to concentrate entirely on marketing courses and business services for midwives there was a consequent substantial growth in income. If I’d taken time and explored specifically what I wanted to do, I may have achieved success more quickly and more productively. You can’t start everything at once, and your business will develop as you grow.

Discuss your thoughts and plans with your family, your colleagues and, if possible, talk about your ideas with potential users of your services. Is there a market in your area for what you want to offer, and will women pay for it? You will need to be aware of what’s available to women via your local NHS services. For example, if you’ve decided to offer postnatal care and lactation services, be sure that you know how much - or how little – of this is provided by the local maternity services. Similarly, it would be difficult, both in business and professional terms, to offer a service for women who want to avoid induction of labour by accessing complementary therapies if your local maternity unit had already implemented a postdates pregnancy clinic. Perhaps you could start earlier than 40 weeks’ gestation and offer a pre-birth preparation package instead? Research the competition and look at ways in which you may be able to offer something different or better. Which service providers in your area are successful, or more successful than others? Do they have a particular focus on how they market (sell) their services? Are there other midwives or doulas in your area already offering what you are considering?

Taken from Denise’s book The Business of Maternity Care, a guide for midwives and doulas setting up in private practice (Tiran 2019)

What Is A Practising Midwife?

Why is it that many midwives believe - incorrectly - that those who are not working in NHS clinical midwifery are not practising midwives? 

 I recently saw a Facebook question asking who had left midwifery and wanting to know what they were doing now. Almost half of respondents actually stated that they had "left" midwifery - yet they were still registered for NHS bank work or had roles that required a midwifery (or nursing) registration, such as safeguarding. There were one or two ex-midwives now working as doulas (in which case they are required to lapse their midwifery registration), but the majority were practising midwives by virtue of still being on the NMC register, even if they were not employed by the NHS.

This disrespect for midwives not working in NHS clinical practice extends across the whole profession. At the recent RCM annual conference, I overheard a midwife joking about a colleague having "gone over to the dark side" ie, into midwifery teaching. When I left the university sector, where I had worked as a midwifery lecturer, to set up Expectancy, I had colleagues wishing me well "on my retirement" - despite the fact I was about to embark on a journey on which I would work harder than ever before. There was even one who implied that I could not possibly be as good a lecturer now I was about to go freelance as I had been the previous week when I had been employed.

Even at the highest levels, there are often comments made about the number of midwives who have "left" the profession. And yes, midwives are leaving the NHS in droves, but they have not all rescinded their midwifery licence to practise. Some move into independent midwifery, whilst others set up their own businesses providing maternity complementary therapies, antenatal education, lactation support or tongue-tied division. Leaving the NHS to work in a self-employed capacity is seen as traitorous by many, and the notion of actually charging for their services is the ultimate treachery. This is despite the fact that these same midwives do not work for nothing in the NHS - they receive a salary.

When I teach business studies to the midwives who join Expectancy to start their own businesses, we spend some time discussing their personal attitudes to becoming self-employed and to physically charging for the work they do. There are some who never quite overcome what I call "the NHS mentality" - and who consequently only achieve a "hobby business" that they enjoy and that gives them some pin money for a few extras in their lives. But there is a growing number of midwives who embrace this new challenge wholeheartedly and who become successful as "endorsed by Expectancy" business owners.

The nature of maternity care is changing and pregnant women are increasingly prepared to pay for what they want. We talk a lot in midwifery about giving women choices - but what about the midwives? Don't they deserve to be able to make choices about the way they work? A qualification in midwifery prepares you to practise midwifery anywhere in the world (subject to local national requirements) and in any setting in which pregnant, birthing or new parents require our support. This includes teaching and private practice. The NHS doesn't own you and charging for your professional midwifery services is not the heinous crime some would infer.

Let's learn to respect ALL our midwifery colleagues wherever and however they choose to work. The term "practising midwife" refers to anyone with a midwifery qualification who - in the UK - is currently registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

The Power of Reflexology: Predicting Stages of the Menstrual Cycle

Reflexology is a popular relaxation therapy and often used as a therapeutic technique to ease physiological discomforts of pregnancy and the postnatal period. “Reflexology” is not a single complementary therapy, but a generic term for a wide variety of different modalities. The principle of all types of reflex therapy is that one small area of the body (usually the feet) represents a “map” of the whole, with all parts of the body reflected in that defined area. Almost all styles of reflex therapy focus primarily on using the two feet to represent the “map” or chart of the whole, with every part of the body identifiable on one or both feet, although the precise location of different organs varies considerably between different styles of reflex therapy. The application of manual pressure to specific points aims to induce a sense of relaxation, relieve pain, reduce stress and, with some modalities, to treat specific clinical conditions. By working on these precise points on the feet, impulses are thought to be directed to the various organs, having a physiological effect on that distal part of the body to which the foot point relates.

Most forms of reflexology currently used in the UK, USA and southern Europe are based on modified versions of early 20^th century charts. In the 1950’s, a German midwife, Hanne Marquardt, refined reflexology into a dynamic clinical tool for treating various clinical conditions. The Marquardt style of reflex zone therapy (more recently renamed as “reflexotherapy”) is notably different from generic reflexology, with a different “map” of the feet, different terminology, different therapeutic techniques and different pressures. It is commonly used by midwives in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Scandinavia. RZT is the basis of my personal style of practice which I have taught to many midwives around the world and Expectancy is the only UK organisation offering RZT courses specifically for midwives.  

RZT can be useful from the preconception period to the end of the postnatal period. Regular reflexology treatments allow women to take time for themselves; the accumulative physical and emotional effects assist in preparing them for the birth through a proven reduction in stress levels which automatically increases oxytocin levels. When physical discomforts occur during pregnancy, specific techniques can be used to reduce symptoms such as sickness, backache and sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, constipation and oedema. Receiving regular RZT in the final weeks of pregnancy may contribute to spontaneous labour onset, reduced duration of the first stage and greater parental satisfaction.  During labour, it can reduce anxiety, pain and duration of the first stage. 

Many reflexologists claim to be able to “read” the feet and there is growing evidence to suggest a correlation between reflexology points and physiology as well as actual, impending or previous pathology. From my work whilst at the University of Greenwich, I found I was able to identify stages of the menstrual cycle in non-pregnant women, using the foot reflex zones for the reproductive tract and the pituitary gland (a different location from most styles of reflexology, defined by my own research). It is possible to identify in non-pregnant woman with average 28-day menstrual cycles whether they are in the follicular or luteal stage of their cycles, which ovary is active and then to predict the date of onset of the next menstrual period. My results showed a 65-70% success rate and I have since taught midwives on my courses how to do this assessment.  I also adapted the technique to enable an estimation of the onset of labour based on palpation of the two reflex zones for the pituitary gland. Accumulated experience over many years suggests that the pituitary reflex point on the right foot is tender throughout pregnancy, inferring that it is consistent with ongoing anterior pituitary activity. However, the pituitary point on the left foot becomes increasingly tender as term approaches, potentially reflecting the changes in hormonal activity as pregnancy hormones decline and labour hormones increase in readiness for the birth. When the pituitary zone on the woman’s left foot is more tender than (or at least equal to) that on the right, this suggests that labour is imminent, albeit based on a subjective assessment by the woman on the severity of tenderness. The pituitary gland reflex zones are fundamental to midwifery practice of RZT and the primary points to be stimulated for facilitating labour onset. In addition to using this point for postdates pregnancy or to avoid early term induction. It is also useful for encouraging progress in the latent phase of labour, as well as for stalled first stage, retained placenta and, postnatally for lactation, all of which rely on the production of oxytocin. 

If you would like to learn how to use RZT in midwifery, including estimating stages of the menstrual cycle and onset of labour, contactinfo@expectancy.co.uk for details of our Certificate in Midwifery Reflex Zone Therapy commencing 28^th September 2024.

Aromatherapy in Fife

I can hardly believe that April is almost over. Time has flown by so quickly!

One of my highlights was leading the aromatherapy and acupressure course for postdate pregnancy in Fife, Scotland.

It was wonderful visiting the midwives who are eager to embrace the nurturing aspects of midwifery and to establish a service for women seeking alternatives to induction for being overdue. They are committed to promoting natural birthing processes and reducing medical interventions at the unit.

Twelve enthusiastic midwives are now dedicated to this new initiative!

A special thanks to Louise Hepburn and the group for their warm hospitality. 

What has happened to childbirth?

When I teach our postdate pregnancy courses, midwives tell me that term labour is considered to be “overdue” if it has not started spontaneously by 41 weeks and five days gestation or – if you’re lucky – by 42 weeks.

Why are obstetricians – and increasingly, many midwives - so frightened of physiological birth that they feel the need to manage it as a pathological medical condition?  

Why is there such an obstetric dependence on measuring time limits or other numerical markers? Induction rates and other interventions have sky-rocketed, with some units having a 60% induction rate.

There is so much reliance on watching the clock that we are producing midwives who have rarely witnessed an entirely physiological birth. I talk more about the “Institutional Ticking Clock’ in my  blog post.

You can read it here - https://pulse.ly/ukzr1isgag (Photo: Mateus Campos-felipe via Unsplash)

Denise looks back

On my first trip to teach obstetricians in Hong Kong in 2001, I visited a typical Chinese medicine clinic, which was a fascinating experience.

Acupuncture was sometimes used as the primary treatment for a condition, sometimes with herbs or massage, and sometimes the patient was referred to the "bone-setter", who appeared to be a sort of Chinese osteopath.

However, on this trip, my medical peers, trained in the West, had mixed feelings, especially witnessing the informal atmosphere of the clinic and unconventional methods of prescribing herbs.

Yet, years later, I've seen Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) evolve into a blend of tradition and modernity in clinics across Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan - bustling, professional, and as popular as ever.

With nearly 66,000 hospitals and 19,000 clinics dedicated to Chinese medicine in China by 2019, and an increasing amount of research evidence, it's clear: TCM's impact is profound and growing.

Raspberry Leaf – Not A Way To Start Labour

Did you know that raspberry leaf tea (or tablets), one of the most popular herbal remedies used by pregnant women, should not be used to trigger labour contractions? Whilst almost 60% of pregnant women in the western world may be self-administering raspberry leaf, it is of concern that over 50% of midwives, doulas and antenatal educators may be advising women (incorrectly) to take it as a means of avoiding.

The active ingredient is primarily fragarine, which works on smooth muscle and aids cervical ripening. Taking raspberry leaf in the third trimester has been shown to reduce the likelihood of pregnancy going beyond term and may lead to a shorter first stage. Another ingredient, quercetin, is thought to have vasodilatory effects, both on the systemic circulation and the respiratory tract (it is sometimes used for asthma), as well as on other systems containing smooth muscle such as the gastrointestinal tract. Women desperate to avoid induction who start drinking copious amounts of the tea or taking excessive numbers of tablets are more likely to overstimulate the uterus, leading to hypertonic uterine action and fetal distress.

Raspberry leaf should generally be avoided in the first and second trimesters unless prescribed by a qualified medical herbalist, who may use it to prevent or treat threatened miscarriage. However, women should not be advised to wait until 37 weeks’ gestation before commencing it as it is a preparation for birth, toning the muscles of the uterus in readiness for labour. It should be started in the third trimester - one cup of the tea daily, increase gradually to two, then to three a day over three-week period. Overdose has been shown potentially to prolong pregnancy and the duration of the first stage of labour, probably due to the quercetin. The tea can be drunk in labour until well established and in the early postnatal period to aid uterine recovery. Indeed, raspberry leaf should not be discontinued suddenly – the amount should be reduced slowly over two or three weeks to avoid sudden relaxation of the uterus, leading to haemorrhage.

However, when it comes to commercially prepared raspberry leaf tablets or capsules, information via the internet is inconsistent, with advice to take between one and four tablets, with strengths between 35mg to 750mg per tablet. Some sites advise commencing from 30 weeks’ gestation until birth, daily or twice daily, plus, somewhat confusingly, a product marketed as 750mg tablets (no specified daily amount), “suitable for use after the third trimester of pregnancy and beyond birth”. However, the general advice for the capsules seems to be to take between one and two 750 mg tablets daily (approximately equivalent to one to two cups of the tea made from fresh leaves) from about 30-32 weeks’ gestation for the remainder of the pregnancy. Since these are not regulated under medicines law, no medicinal claims can be made, nor are the manufacturers required to provide any further safety advice beyond that required for nutritional supplements in general. As with many products, the “get out” clause on some products may simply state “do not take in pregnancy”, whereas those purporting its value in pregnancy generally do not include any precautions beyond the suggested gestation for commencing the remedy. Many years ago, there was a raspberry leaf product labelled “do not take until two hours before labour” – although I am not sure how you would know when that was!

There are certain expectant parents for whom it is not appropriate, including anyone with medical or obstetric complications, those requiring elective Caesarean for specific indications and – crucially – those with a scar on the uterus from a recent Caesarean (within the last 2-3 years). This latter is a difficult one because so many women wanting a vaginal birth after Caesarean try anything and everything to avoid another operative birth.  Raspberry leaf should not be taken in combination with oxytocic drugs or natural remedies with similar effects such as clary sage aromatherapy oil, castor oil or evening primrose oil which may be used to start labour, nor if there is any smooth muscle condition such as irritable bowel syndrome or hypertension. It appears to have some anticoagulant action so should not be used if a woman is on anticoagulants or other drugs including aspirin and enoxaparin. It can sometimes cause excessively strong Braxton Hicks contractions, in which case it should be reduced – but not stopped suddenly. 

The Institutional Ticking Clock: Have We Lost Sight Of What Is Normal?

When does a physiological labour become pathological? When I teach our postdates pregnancy courses, midwives tell me that term labour is considered to be “overdue” if it has not started spontaneously by 41 weeks and five days’ gestation, or – if you’re lucky – by 42 weeks. If you’re unlucky, then the cut-off might be 41 weeks and 2 days. There are also those women who are recommended to have labour induced even before their estimated due date for various medical, obstetric or social indications, occasionally justifiable but frequently questionable, such as high BMI or even – until challenged vociferously – ethnic origin.  Further we have the issue of the definition of “latent phase” of labour, in which any woman whose labour has not become “established” within a certain time limit (variable) is advised to have intervention such as artificial membrane rupture or oxytocic drugs to accelerate the process. Similarly, a “prolonged” third stage is defined as one in which the placenta has not spontaneously separated and been expelled, usually around an hour after the birth of the baby. The concept of a vaginal breech birth or twin delivery is alien to most midwives even though there may be no deviations from physiological progress.

What has happened to childbirth? Why are obstetricians – and increasingly, many midwives - so frightened of physiological birth that they feel the need to manage it as a pathological medical condition? Why is there such an obstetric dependence on measuring time limits or other numerical markers? There is, in fact, a difference between the parameters defined by the NHS and those who work outside it. Women who choose home birth, especially with an independent midwife, or those who wish to freebirth, do not rely on these time constraints and labour progresses at its own rate. As a community midwife in the 1980s, I knew of several women whose pregnancies lasted 43 weeks, those who had latent phases of 48 hours or longer and others who had third stages lasting up to four hours (myself included in this latter case, with a first stage of 24 hours at home). Even in the 1990s, an obstetric colleague was happy for some women to wait up to 44 weeks before being advised to have an induction of labour – because he trusted in the ability of a woman’s body to do its own work. 

Induction rates and other interventions have sky-rocketed, with some units having a 60% induction rate. This includes one large tertiary unit with 8000 births a year, in which women are coerced into induction for often-unspecified reasons, then has 20-25 women per day who have delayed inductions due to lack of bed space (despite having had the fear of God put into them by forceful doctors or midwives). This is clinical negligence in the extreme, yet the professional governing bodies, the scrutineers such as the Care Quality Commission, and NICE which sets practice guidelines, do not appear to recognise nor acknowledge this, nor do they express any concern for the very real possibility of the cascade of intervention leading to Caesarean section or risks of fetal or maternal morbidity and even mortality. 

There is so much reliance on watching the clock, that we are producing midwives who have rarely witnessed a completely physiological birth – and students who are now permitted to record as “normal” a birth in which they may have cared for a woman for the first stage and helped her to birth her baby, but who have had to step aside because a manual removal of placenta is required. If this was not allowed, they would likely never meet their 40 required “normal” births. But these are NOT normal, indeed, neither is a labour in which the third stage is actively managed with drugs to expedite the separation of the placenta, although this has become standard practice. As educators, we are producing midwives who are basically obstetric nurses, who lack the knowledge, understanding and experience to facilitate physiological birth, and the “dumbing down” of educational requirements is complicit in this. Clinicians are putting babies’ and women’s lives at risk, and managers and budget holders are basing decision making on financial and institutional factors rather than clinical factors.  

The simple answer is that maternity professionals are scared. In an overworked, blame-throwing, litigation-conscious autocratic and paternalistic maternity service, midwives and obstetricians do “the job”. At the risk of criticism, I would almost – but perhaps not quite yet – say that many midwives are no longer autonomous birth professionals, able to assess progress in pregnancy and birth, to facilitate a woman’s body and mind to grow and birth a baby, to encourage her to make her own decisions based on being given comprehensive information to make an informed choice and to have the confidence to deal with a situation when things do start to go awry.

This leads expectant and birthing parents to be scared – but they may not be aware that what they are scared of is not pregnancy and birth. They are scared of the system which attempts to manage them for its own benefits. Yes, we have a totally overburdened workload, we have far more women with complex pregnancies than ever before and a pregnant population that expects a “service” that is individualised and gives them what they want. But those who are assertive enough to express their wishes, especially if those wishes go against NICE guidance and unit policies, are often labelled as “difficult patients” or are told that there are not enough facilities to “allow” them their rights, for example having a home birth on the NHS. Those who do not baulk against the system and who unquestioningly accept what is provided often have unsatisfying experiences which can have a lifelong impact on their relationships with their babies and partners.

For all expectant parents, pregnancy and birth has become a battleground that causes immense stresses – the very fact that interferes with the fine balance between stress hormones and birth hormones. Lip service is paid by professionals to relaxing pregnant women and to providing information to answer their myriad questions, despite evidence indicating that these can facilitate physiological birth. Some maternity units provide complementary therapies during first stage labour (primarily aromatherapy) but so much more could be achieved by offering more during pregnancy. We have also largely lost the provision of antenatal education within the NHS, although the increasing number of options for those families who wish to pay for classes is admirable and offers a much-needed service. However, despite this, women mostly give birth in NHS services where the “institutional ticking clock” interferes with parents’ choices – and even with the actions of the most well-intentioned midwives. Let us learn to stand back and facilitate birth from the sidelines for those who progress is within physiological – not institutional – norms.

Forty Years In The Making! Denise Celebrates A Milestone In Her Career

April 4^th marks 40 years since I started teaching midwives. I qualified as a nurse and midwife in the 1970s. After a short time on the labour ward back at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London,  I was accepted as a “district” midwife in Surrey, which I loved. In 1984 I decided on a change of direction and went into midwifery teaching, starting as an clinical tutor at the Middlesex Hospital in Goodge Street, London (which closed in 2005). Here, I was responsible for the 4-week maternity secondment that all student nurses were required to take, so I had a new group of students every four weeks. I had a little classroom and worked alongside the students in the clinical areas – with a labour ward that had only three rooms.

About 18 months later, I moved to the British Hospital for Mothers and Babies (BHMB) in Woolwich, southeast London, where I stayed until going to Surrey University to complete the postgraduate education certificate. BHMB was a wonderful place to work, a tiny, personalised, Christian hospital, where even in 1980s, prayers were still said on the wards every morning. I suppose it was what would be classed as a large birth centre now. We did have an operating theatre, but unfortunately, we didn’t have an anaesthetist or obstetrician onsite. For any emergencies and for the very few elective Caesareans (always scheduled for Fridays), the medical team would come from the Brook Hospital about two miles away. We didn’t have CTG machines or epidurals and students really learned to use all their senses to assess women’s progress in labour. Ultrasound scans were not routine – and not available at BHMB – and we were sometimes faced with sad consequences, such as a baby born with anencephaly (a serious neural tube defect) who died shortly after birth. One of the downsides of these rare occurrences was that everyone was encouraged to go and see the baby and his abnormality – in the sluice. Baby loss was not dealt with as compassionately in the 80s as it is now.

Following my time away at the university, I returned to teaching, but BHMB had closed in one of the early rationalisations of the maternity services, so I was sent to Queen Mary’s Hospital at Sidcup (now also closed). It was here that my interest in complementary therapies started and where I was able to develop it as a specialist field in midwifery. Having undertaken a massage course in 1984, I returned to Queen Mary’s and started to teach massage and touch for labour care. I went on to train in reflex zone therapy (a German clinical style of reflexology) and aromatherapy. In 1990, the Greenwich and Bexley schools of midwifery and nursing were incorporated into what became the University of Greenwich and we transferred from being employed by the NHS to become university staff. The benefit of being part of the academic institution was the opportunities to develop areas of interest and expertise and I was able to develop, first, a post-registration module for midwives and nurses on complementary therapies, which evolved into one of the few BSc (Hons) degrees in complementary therapies, which I managed for 14 years. During this time, I also studied other therapies including acupressure and moxibustion, herbal medicine, homeopathy and Bach flower remedies.

As part of this work, I established a complementary therapies antenatal teaching clinic at the hospital, where student midwives and those on the degree programme could observe and gain experience in working with pregnant women receiving different therapies. This wasn’t simply a relaxation clinic but offered alternative options for women with problems such as sickness, backache, fear of labour, postdates pregnancy and more. Over a ten-year period (1994-2004), I was privileged to treat almost 6000 women and gained immense experience of combining therapies for different conditions. However, as with any large institution, I eventually became burned out with the university bureaucracy and the changes occurring in the NHS. I was aware of the huge increase in interest amongst the general public in the use of “alternative” or complementary medicine and had been active in some of the national initiatives including the Prince of Wales’s Foundation for Integrated Health. I also knew that midwives in particular were frequently asked about natural options but were unsure where to learn more; conversely, expectant parents wanted to explore these options but didn’t know where to find credible practitioners.

I decided to leave the university and set up Expectancy in 2004 to offer academic and professional complementary therapy courses for midwives and birth workers, as well as for therapists wanting to specialise in working with pregnant women. This was, by far, the scariest thing I have ever done, and a real change from being a highly paid principal lecturer in the university sector to having to charge for services and build up from nothing, working in the commercial sector. As far as I know, Expectancy is the only  company in the world offering a unique range of courses on midwifery complementary therapies and has gained a reputation for high calibre university level education that focuses on safety and professional accountability when midwives use complementary therapies in their care of expectant and birthing parents.  I am proud to say that Expectancy celebrates its 20^th anniversary on September 4^th 2024 – watch this space for more about that later in the year.

A Career Milestone!

Join me in celebrating a remarkable milestone in my career! 

This week, it's been forty years since I embarked on a journey in midwifery complementary therapies education. I can't quite believe it!

Here's a flashback photo of me at the beginning of my career in the 1970s when I was training as a nurse at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London.

I went on to train as a midwife at Northwick Park Hospital in North London, before returning to work on the labour ward at Bart’s. I was then a community midwife in Surrey before moving into midwifery teaching in 1984 at the Middlesex Hospital, London.

My career then took me to the British Hospital for Mothers and Babies in Woolwich, and it was here and in subsequent positions that I honed my expertise, both in midwifery and in complementary therapies. This field was in its infancy back then.

At Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup, my passion for complementary therapies, such as reflex zone therapy (clinical reflexology), and aromatherapy, grew. When midwifery education joined the university sector, we became part of the new University of Greenwich.

I was given opportunities to develop courses that combined midwifery with complementary therapies, reflecting the growing interest in complementary medicine among the public and professionals alike.

I developed and ran a BSc (Hons) degree in Complementary Therapies and established a specialist teaching clinic for students to gain experience of using therapies for pregnant women, which was honoured in the Prince of Wales’s awards for healthcare in London in 2001 (see pic!).

In 2004, recognising the increasing need for credible professional education in complementary therapies, I set up my own company providing courses for midwives wanting to learn more about the subject.

Expectancy is unique in offering a range of university-level courses and is committed to ensuring that midwives practise complementary therapies safely, professionally and in line with current evidence.

I'll be reflecting on my journey with pride and gratitude this week.

A Big Welcome To The Expectancy Community!

I want to reintroduce myself to new followers and connections and a big welcome to the Expectancy Community! 

I'm Dr Denise Tiran, an internationally recognised expert on complementary therapies in midwifery, a field I've pioneered as both an academic and professional speciality since the early 1980s.

As founder, CEO and Education Director of Expectancy, I lead in providing unique complementary therapy courses for midwives both in the UK and abroad, having taught nearly 4000 professionals and helped numerous maternity units adopt therapies, particularly aromatherapy for pregnancy and birth care.

Throughout my 40-year career, I've been dedicated to safety, accountability, and evidence-based practices in midwifery, earning notable accolades like an honorary Doctorate from the University of Greenwich and a Royal College of Midwives’ Fellowship. My work with Expectancy, which won a 2012 award for our educational contribution to complementary medicine, has made significant impacts in midwifery.

At the University of Greenwich, I launched one of the first undergraduate degrees in Complementary Therapies and ran a specialist clinic that supported nearly 6000 mothers.

My research, textbooks, and published papers have advanced complementary therapies in midwifery. I've also played a key role in developing professional guidelines, including the recent RCM guidelines for midwives using complementary therapies. I have been privileged to act as a trusted consultant on maternity complementary therapies.

I love connecting with midwives, maternity and birth workers, and complementary therapy practitioners who want to progress in their careers either within the NHS or privately.

Breast Feeding

Whilst I am all for people’s choices and enabling those who wish to live different lifestyles to do so, I am concerned that this article (and a few others in the press) is advocating transitioning men taking hormonal medication to stimulate milk production. If men were meant to produce milk, they would do so. Men have a small amount of breast tissue  but if they were intended to lactate they would have more, not simply chest tissue. Having said that, there are a few occasions when testosterone deficiency causes milk production, but this can be associated with a pathological illness. Further, if babies were meant to have milk that was very high in fat then biological women would produce milk higher in fat. We also have to consider the longterm epigenetic effects of babies growing into adults who have been raised on drug-induced high-fat milk.

https://yhoo.it/3TaiIFU

Do You Play Music In The Workplace? 

Did you know that if you wish to play music in the workplace, whether it is for patients / clients or staff, you are required to purchase a Music Licence otherwise you are infringing copyright legislation? The issue is about playing music in a public place - without paying for this licence, the artists do not receive their royalties. A “public space” is deemed to be anywhere other than your own home. Even therapists who work from home and wish to play music for relaxation of their clients are required to have this licence. You cannot just turn on the radio or TV or play music from your ‘phone from Spotify. There have been a few occasions where businesses, including a local borough council, have been fined a considerable amount of money for failing to purchase a licence before playing music at public events. Conversely, if birthing parents bring their own music into the birth centre that is for their personal use and they would not need to have a licence. For midwives, doulas and therapists working with expectant and birthing parents, the best option is to purchase royalty-free relaxation music, of which there is a good selection – just avoid those which include babbling brooks or crashing waves, which could lead pregnant women to need the bathroom! See https://pplprs.co.uk/themusiclicence/ for more information.

Has "Birthing Person" Become the New Jargon?

Denise recently met a new father at one of her business networks, who complained about the care of his wife during the birth of their son. Here she explains: This father's comments were not about the physical care, but about the midwife's repeated reference to his wife as the "birthing person". Here was a married, obviously heterosexual couple, excited to become a mother and father, yet it seems, from his account, that the midwife was so desperate to use inclusive language that she was unable to individualise the language to the people for whom she was caring.

It has always been difficult for new health professionals to differentiate between inter-professional language (jargon and abbreviations) and using words that are more easily understood by service users. Whilst inclusive non-genderised language is a way of embracing people who choose different lifestyles, it is vital to consider everyone's preferences. When I was a student nurse, we had to ask every patient what they would like to be called. Older people generally preferred a formal address such as Mr or Miss, younger people welcomed the use of their chosen given name or commonly used version of it. When I was a midwifery tutor in the early 1980s, we conducted a survey asking women how they would like to be called from the waiting area into the antenatal clinic rooms - most wanted to be addressed as "Mrs" even when they were not, to avoid the embarrassment of being shown up as an unmarried mother.

In 21st century terms, it seems that some midwives are so hung up on the use of inclusive language that they find it difficult to change when necessary. In this instance, referring to the woman in the impersonal third person is inappropriate. Failing to find out how a woman in labour would like to be addressed is  disrespectful and uncaring. This is certainly how it was perceived by this father, whose experience was marred by the midwife's approach. It is vital that we do not forget that many of our service users are women and wish to continue to be considered as women or mothers. It is also important that "birthing person" or "birthing people" are professional.terms.to encourage inclusivity when discussing service users amongst ourselves and NOT a generic term to be applied when actually caring for them face to face.

Managerial Responsibilities When Midwives Use Aromatherapy in Their Practice

Aromatherapy is the most popular therapy used by expectant and birthing parents. It can ease anxiety, aid relaxation and, by reducing stress hormones, can increase oxytocin and endorphins. Using aromatherapy as an adjunct to midwifery care can reduce the need for intervention in childbirth, with less cascade of intervention. This in turn reduces the risks for parents, the possibility of litigation – and saves money! When clinical midwives incorporate essential oil use into their care, midwifery managers are responsible for monitoring the safety, effectiveness and equity of service provision. Aromatherapy, whilst not being a medicine per se, acts in the same way as drugs and should therefore be used along the same principles of medicines management. Managers are also responsible for complying with health and safety legislation and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations. Where midwives provide oils for parents to use at home, they are legally required to conduct an initial face to face consultation and then give parents the remainder of the same blend used for the first treatment, together with written information on how to use it safely, how to deal with adverse effects and what to report if they are concerned. The use of aromatherapy within midwifery should be viewed as a clinical tool, not simply as a pleasant environmental aroma. For guidelines for midwives using complementary therapies see the new RCM document or contact Denise on info@expectancy.co.uk

The Use of Combs in Labour

Here’s our lovely Amanda Redford talking about combs in labour from last week’s Midwifery Hour broadcast

https://youtu.be/2UGVG6_bja4

Complementary Therapies in Pregnancy and Birth: What is Fully Informed Consent?

When women wish to receive antenatal or intrapartum complementary therapies (CTs) such as aromatherapy, reflexology, acupuncture or clinical hypnosis, it is vital to obtained informed consent. But what do we mean by “fully” informed consent? It’s easy to inform parents about the benefits but what do you tell them about the possible risks? Here is a list of the information you should be able to provide to enable parents to give their fully informed consent to CTs:

WHO: assess the woman to ensure she is eligible to receive the therapy and has no contraindications or precautions
WHAT: what does it involve? explain what the therapy is, how it works (mechanism of action) – how does it help with relieving pain, aiding contractions, reducing stress or other reason for its use?
WHY: what are the reasons you are advising using the therapy on this occasion? Is it likley to be more effective / quicker / easier than a conventional solution?
WHERE: areas of the body where it will be given, what position does the woman need to adopt to receive it?
WHEN: how long is the treatment, how many appointments if a course of treatment is advised
HOW: mention any research that may support its use or explain its effectiveness, with statistics. Explain possible healing reactions (normal), side effects (abnormal) and complications – and how to recognise them if going home after treatment.
Provide after-treatment advice to ensure the woman gets the benefits of the therapy (applies mainly to pregnancy treatments rather than labour care).

Guidelines for Midwives on Complementary Therapies for the RCM

The Royal College of Midwives has published guidelines for midwives using complementary therapies. Written by our own Denise Tiran, they provide general guidance on complementary therapy use by midwives.

https://www.rcm.org.uk/publications/

Introducing Reflexology in Pregnancy and Birth

An Introduction to Reflexology in Pregnancy and Birth

By Dr Denise Tiran HonDUniv FRCM MSc RM

Complementary therapies are often used or sought by women during pregnancy. Reflexology is one such therapy. Did you know there are different types of reflexology? Expert in complementary therapies Dr Denise Tiran, CEO and Education Director for Expectancy, explains the differences in reflex therapies and how they may be used to support during pregnancy and birth
               ______________________________________________

Introduction to reflex therapies

“Reflexology” is a generic term for a range of complementary therapies based on the principle that one small area of the body represents a “map” or chart of the whole. It is not simply foot “massage” – reflex therapies have their own theories, mechanisms of action, effects, contraindications and precautions, as well as a developing body of research evidence.

Not all forms of reflex therapy are the same. Some western styles focus on holistic relaxation, similar to massage,  any therapeutic effects arising largely from reduced stress hormones, such as cortisol, and a corresponding rise in endorphins, oxytocin and other hormones. Eastern reflexology is based on acupuncture energy lines and is very different from western reflexology, both in theory and practice.

Reflex zone therapy (RZT), which I practise and teach in my courses, was devised by the German midwife, Hanne Marquardt, in the 1950s and is often used by midwives in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia. RZT is a clinical tool based on anatomical and physiological principles and usually practised only by registered healthcare professionals, including nurses, physiotherapists and midwives. The relaxation effect is a pleasant but less significant element of treatment which is focused specifically on easing or resolving physiological symptoms and sometimes pathological conditions.

It is still not clear exactly how reflex therapies work, although there is ongoing research to “map” the reflex points on the feet, using technology such as MRI, ECG and EEG. Sceptics believe that it is a placebo effect or that the touch or the interaction between client and therapist induces relaxation. Reflex therapy is, however, known to be analgesic, possibly via the gate control mechanism, stimulates peristalsis and circulation and may have neurological effects. It remains difficult, however, to draw definitive conclusions as to the precise mechanism of action of reflex therapies. I have refrained from providing research references in this article because many recent papers are from the Middle East where practice is very different, and studies in which “reflexology” is performed more frequently involve superficial foot massage. For futher exploration of reflexology research, especially in relation to postdates pregnancy, see Tiran 2023.

Reflex zone therapy

In RZT, the “map” of the feet is different from generic western styles such as Ingham or Bailey reflexology. RZT encompasses the entire surfaces of both feet, where as other styles may not use the upper surface of the feet (dorsum). The right foot relates to the right side of the body and the left foot to the left side. The dorsum represents the front of the body, with reflex zones for the face, breasts and abdominal muscles. The outer edge of each foot represents zones for outer aspects of the body eg shoulders, hips, ovaries – whereas the inner edges of the feet represent midline organs such as the uterus, vagina and spine. The soles are mapped with points for all the internal organs (heart, lungs, gastrointestinal zones etc). Where there are two organs (eg eyes, kidneys) there is a reflex zone on each foot, but if there is only one organ the reflex point will be on the same side eg the liver zone is on the right foot. The stomach and heart are central organs but displaced to the left, so there is part of the reflex zone on each foot, that on the left being noticeably larger.

Most styles of generic reflex therapy involve a treatment session of around an hour in which full-foot coverage by the practitioner’s hands help to relax the client. Conversely, in RZT, a treatment is generally much shorter (no more than 35 minutes, especially in pregnancy) or may involve focused treatments of just 5-15 minutes to treat specific symptoms.  By working on precise points on the feet, impulses are thought to be directed to the relevant organs, having a physiological effect on that distal part of the body to which the foot points relate.

One aspect in which I am particularly interested is the diagnostic potential of the reflex zones on the feet. It is possible to see or feel aspects which may indicate current, previous or even impending disorders, from teeth that may need a filling to breast lumps requiring medical referral. Whilst working at the University of Greenwich, I investigated prediction of stages of the menstrual cycle by examination and palpation of the relevant foot zones. I consistently have around a 70% success rate in identifying the active ovary in the current cycle, estimating the day of the cycle and predicting when the next menstrual period is due.

RZT in midwifery practice

Reflexology is a popular relaxation therapy and many expectant parents seek treatment from independent practitioners. However, offering general relaxation reflexology in the NHS may not be practical due to the time required for each individual. In order to offer an equitable service it is essential to rationalise which women can receive it and it may be preferable – and easier – to introduce RZT for specific indications, eg postdates pregnancy or antenatal and postnatal issues. Given the variety of styles of reflexology, it is paramount that all midwives in one unit practise the same style to ensure standardisation of treatments and reflex point location and to allow for audit of the service.

RZT can be used to reduce stress, anxiety and fear and to ease pain in pregnancy, birth or the postnatal period, but it comes into its own when treating specific symptoms. Whilst at the University running a degree in complementary therapies, I established a clinic offering RZT and other therapies (aromatherapy, herbal medicine, moxibustion for breech etc) to treat pregnancy issues. During the ten years of the clinic, I treated almost 6000 women with RZT. Over these years, I had considerable success in  treating women with symptoms such as backache, sciatica, pelvic girdle pain and carpal tunnel syndrome, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, sickness and haemorrhoids. I was involved in setting up a postdates pregnancy clinic in which we used RZT, combined with aromatherapy and acupressure to help avoid induction, and showed that RZT can facilitate labour progress and ease pain; it may even be effective in dealing with retained placenta. RZT can also aid postnatal recovery and stimulate or supress lactation.

Conclusion

RZT is a specific form of reflex therapy which was devised by a midwife and which fits well with contemporary midwifery practice.  Its somewhat more reductionist approach enables short treatments to ease symptoms and reduce the need for intervention, particularly in labour. Although the evidence base is limited, there is an increasing body of knowledge to support its use – and because treatment does not involve any oils or creams, it is safer than aromatherapy, both for individual parents and for staff.

RZT is not an easy therapy to learn. It is necessary to learn the whole therapy before applying the principles to midwifery practice, unlike aromatherapy in which a small selection of oils and massage techniques can be studied for labour care. I am honoured to offer the only UK reflex zone therapy course for midwives and many graduates are now using it in private practice, with a few maternity units incorporating RZT into postdates pregnancy clinics.

Reference: Tiran D 2023 Complementary therapies for postdates pregnancy. Singing Dragon, London

Further information: www.expectancy.co.uk / info@expectancy.co.uk

Osteopathy in Pregnancy 

Denise came back from Tokyo to a week of severe lower back pain – probably a result of that 15-hour flight! Eventually, she took herself off to a local osteopath and is having a course of treatment which is definitely helping.

Osteopathy is a statutorily regulated healthcare profession in the UK, having been legalised back in 1993 and practitioners are registered by the General Osteopathic Council. It is based on the principle that structure and function of the body are inter-related – if the body’s structure is affected by injury or disease, it impacts on the bones, joints, ligaments, tendons – and even on the soft tissues of the body. An example is related to fertility: injuries to the pelvis such as a skiing accident, causing the pelvis to tilt and one leg becoming shorter than the other, can impact on the position of the ovaries and either stretching or kinking of the tubes conveying the egg to the uterus, thus interfering with conception.  Another example is the effect of whiplash injury from a car accident contributing to more severe sickness in pregnancy because of the tension on the neck and upwards to the vomiting centre in the brain. Treatments usually involve gentle manipulations aimed at correcting musculoskeletal misalignment. Of course, in pregnancy, issues can arise because of the impact of relaxin, progesterone and other hormones impacting on the whole. Osteopathy can be useful in pregnancy and after the birth, especially for backpain, sciatica, pelvic girdle pain and carpal tunnel syndrome. However, many people think that osteopaths deal only with musculoskeletal issues, but they can also treat many soft tissue problems such as heartburn, headaches, constipation and more. It can even encourage the onset of labour – particularly useful for those who wish to avoid medical induction. Osteopathy is safe in pregnancy – and for babies – and midwives, doulas and other maternity professionals can refer expectant parents to local osteopaths with confidence in their credibility and professionalism. For more information, see https://www.osteopathy.org.uk/home/

Of Pinard's and Pain

Denise recently saw a discussion on a midwifery FB page about Pinard's fetal stethoscopes going out of fashion. Here she remembers how it was when she was first a midwife in the 1970s. 

When I first started midwifery, there were no tick charts or technology to help us assess wellbeing and progress in pregnancy and birth - just our five senses. We assessed through sight, hearing, touch, smell and ... well, perhaps not taste - although we did employ a healthy dose of common sense, so perhaps that counts. In respect of the Pinard's fetal stethoscope, we had to have our hearing tested just to get into midwifery training - if you couldn't hear a fetal heart (or a blood pressure reading) with your own ears, you weren't accepted. Indeed, CTG machines were just emerging as I finished my training - and midwives and mothers were frightened to death of using them. I remember being chastised by a sister on the antenatal ward for not wanting to put a CTG on a woman, with the words "they're too expensive to leave them lying idle". Even later, when CTGs, became more widespread, Pinard's were still used as the main method of listening to the fetal heart.

in labour, there was little pain relief available except pethidine.There were no epidurals - instead, we offered inhalation pain relief in the form of Entonox or Trilene, the latter involving a rather strange and intricate piece of apparatus (Trilene was stopped in the mid 1970s as it was found to be potentially hazardous to babies). And as for Caesareans, these were extremely rare and warranted a postnatal stay of 14 days for recovery from major surgery. Of course, there were far fewer women with complex medical histories in those days, so operative delivery was really only used for major labour complications such as brow presentation. Induction of labour was very rare  (oh that it was still the case today!) Twin births were also relatively uncommon and warranted a whole group of student midwives and doctors being in the room to observe - a rather intrusive experience for the parents.

Masks, gowns, hats and gloves were worn routinely by midwives for all births -  requiring us to remove our uniform aprons, belts and caps before setting up the delivery trolley. Even the fathers had to wear masks when visiting their babies, who were all in a communal nursery until feeding time (as near to four hourly as possible). Women generally stayed in hospital for several days and were shown baby bathing, nappy changing, how to make up bottle feeds and sterilize equipment. The daily postnatal examination included physically measuring the descending height of the uterine fundus, using a wooden spatula marked off in inches. 

Home births remained popular despite the 1970 government move towards 100% hospital births. As community midwives, we attended these on our own and a second midwife was only called in an emergency. Women often gave birth in the left lateral position, which meant the midwife would rest the woman's raised right leg on her shoulder in order to support it and still be able to conduct the birth.

Midwifery postnatal care in the UK was the envy of the world. As a community midwife, I would visit twice a day up to day 3, including the evening of discharge from hospital, then daily to at least day 10, then weekly to 28 days, occasionally longer. Parents were not transferred to health visitor care until the umbilical cord had separated and healed and the mother's perineal sutures had either been removed or - later, when disposable sutures started to be used - had dissolved.health visitors generally visited on day 11.

What is Safe Complementary Therapy Practice in Midwifery Care?

The NMC Code emphasises the need for safe practice and the RCM believes “safety is intrinsic to maternity care and works as the golden thread in everything we do.” Current concerns about the maternity services focus largely on the risks of low staffing levels, but there is more to safe practice than having enough midwives. Research evidence is often used to attempt to underpin practice and to formulate NICE guidelines, but formal evidence is not the only requirement for safe practice. Midwives’ enthusiasm for using CTs is at an all-time high, perhaps to offset defensive interventionist obstetrics and paper over the cracks of the risk impact of overworked midwives. In my experience, midwives generally fall into one of five groups when it comes to CTs:

• outright sceptics with no knowledge, understanding or interest in CTs, who may use dismissive or even derogatory language to discourage parents from using them
• those who understand that their knowledge is lacking, who relinquish responsibility of advising parents by stating that they are unable to help and advising them to seek help elsewhere
• midwives with little knowledge and huge enthusiasm, who overstep the boundaries of NMC registration because of their desire to help parents, but who often provide inaccurate or incomplete information
• midwives who are qualified therapists, but whose knowledge is insufficient to enable them to apply its use in midwifery and in the NHS
• midwives appropriately trained to use CTs specifically in pregnancy and birth, who provide accurate, comprehensive advice and treatment within the parameters of their training, local clinical guidelines and their registration

However, midwifery managers and consultant midwives overseeing clinical midwives’ use of CTs seem to miss the point about how to ensure SAFETY, perhaps because many CTs are “nice” and aspects such as oil fragrances can enhance the birthing environment. SAFE practice requires midwives to be adequately and appropriately trained so they understand how to apply theory to practice, minimise risk and avoid safety incidents. It requires managers and senior midwives to understand safety issues such as indications, contraindications and precautions, and the laws pertaining to using CTs in maternity units and birth centres. Whilst they may acknowledge the safety issues of using acupuncture, the most significant issue, by far, is the use of aromatherapy, but even hypnosis practice is poorly monitored and often used without having any clinical guidelines to aid safe practice. It is inconceivable that managers in units previously under CQC scrutiny sometimes rush blindly into introducing CTs (usually aromatherapy) in a misguided attempt to improve matters, yet without the understanding of how to effect this change SAFELY. Unfortunately, it is also the case that CQC inspectors also have little or no appreciation of the SAFETY issues of CTs. It is all very well – indeed laudable – that managers wish to offer a more natural approach to birth in an attempt to reduce interventions, but they are treading on very thin ice unless they consider how best to ensure SAFETY of expectant and birthing parents, babies, visitors and staff.

What do you love?

As February is the month of love, let’s start it with a few words about my love of what I do!

This is Expectancy’s 20th year and I can honestly say I have loved every minute of watching my business grow and flourish; all the ups, downs and perseverance have contributed to a successful business with my ongoing quest for teaching and sharing a subject I feel so passionate about.

I could never go back to working for somebody else and I feel it’s the best thing I have done with my life.

It is very important to me to continue to increase awareness about complementary therapies in pregnancy and childbirth. It gives me great joy to watch my students and Licensed Consultants come into their own and to experience the satisfaction of a job well done!

Nasal Congestion in Pregnancy

Nasal congestion occurs in over 30% of pregnant women and the severity can range from simply being irritating to considerable discomfort and difficulty in breathing through the nose. It is caused by changing levels of the various pregnancy hormones that affect the nasal passages and can cause rhinitis, including a constantly dripping nose, and nosebleeds. In Chinese medicine, a blocked nose is thought to arise when there is stagnation of the internal energy (Qi) and if the condition becomes debilitating, acupuncture can offer a solution. Reflex zone therapy, a clinical form of reflexology, can also help - and a simple self-help strategy is to encourage expectant mothers to massage firmly around the joints of the thumbs - or better still, to ask someone to massage the tops of the big toes, particularly around the middle joints. These areas correspond to the face and working around the main joints of thumbs or big toes is, in effect, stimulating the nose area to encourage flow of the mucus in the nostrils. Inhalation of essential oils such as eucalyptus or frankincense may help but this should only be considered as a "quick sniff" solution and not as prolonged exposure to oils in a diffuser, which may actually worsen the condition. (and remember that small children and pets should not be exposed to oils containing eucalyptus).

In Japan

On Sunday, Denise gave a very successful conference presentation in Tokyo on “the challenges for clinical maternity aromatherapy” to obstetricians from the Japan Medical Association as well as midwives and aromatherapists. It was so well received that she received a further invitation to present to the whole Medical Association next year.

This was followed by a fascinating session on using aromatherapy for victims of child sexual abuse. A moving personal account of the benefits of aromatherapy after IVF pregnancy ending in a term stillbirth was a powerful persuader of the need to attend to emotional well-being, only recently an emerging concern in Japanese health care. Finally, her colleague talked about Japanese regulations on essential oil production and showed us photos of her wonderful fields and farms around Japan and overseas, from which her own brand is essential oils is produced. All in all, a very successful and enlightening conference.

Some Amazing Pregnancy and Birth Facts

Did you know that, between 1929 and 2023, only around 95 babies have been born on planes – and just three on British Airways flights? And did you know that, whilst the babies’ nationalities are usually taken from the country of origin of the airline, passports usually state the place of birth as “born at sea” (anywhere that is not on dry land).

The fastest recorded labour is TWO minutes – to an Australian woman who previous labours had only lasted 15 minutes each! And the longest labour was, apparently, 75 days for a woman in Poland in 2012!

Water births have been around for a long time – Egyptian pharaohs were said to have been born in shallow water – but the first recorded water birth was in France in 1505.

One of the highest rates of multiple pregnancy is to a tribal group in Africa where the staple ingredient of their diet is yams. Since yams contain a range of plant oestrogens that may aid fertility, they may aid maturation of multiple eggs, resulting in twin or higher multiple conceptions. 

The youngest female ever to give birth was a five-year-old girl in Peru in 1939. In the UK, an 11-year-old girl become pregnant in 2006.

And the Guiness Book of Records documents that a Russian woman conceived 27 pregnancies and gave birth to 69 – yes 69! – babies in the 18^th century. She had 16 sets of twins, seven sets of triplets and four sets of quadruplets!

In Japan

Denise is in Tokyo, Japan, teaching and speaking at a conference this week.

Denise had a fascinating day yesterday, treating six of her colleagues’ students with reflex zone therapy. It’s very different from general reflexology, especially Japanese reflex therapy which is more akin to foot massage.

They were amazed by what Denise was able to detect from their feet, including headaches due to dehydration, abdominal bloating due to a change in diet, uterine fibroids (visible on the uterus zone on the inner heel) and backache.

Today, (Saturday) Denise had a very interesting visit to the postnatal hospital at the royal Aiiku hospital in Tokyo central. Women transfer here after the birth and can use the facilities for up to one month. It’s like a hotel inside with beautiful en suite rooms. Midwives - note the full linen room! There’s also a section where women can pay to spend the day sleeping! They can bring the baby for a midwife to care for while the mother rests - part government funded, parents pay around £10 a day. Mind you, hospital parking for visitors is extortionate at around £100 a day (which pays for patient parking)! Postnatal classes are provided - they even include a “toy consultant”. Other services include counselling and lymphatic  drainage massage. Aromatherapy is provided by a team of staff led by Denise’s colleague, Azusa from ArtQ. Breastfeeding rates are about 30% - because the government does not promote it as they feel it’s too stressful for new mothers!!

What’s In A Name ? - Choosing appropriate names for your maternity related private practice.

Following our business training day for midwives wanting to set up private maternity complementary therapy practice, Denise has had several enquiries about individuals’ ideas for business names. Having a business name gives your business its own identify that enables potential clients to find you. choosing a name can be exciting and fun, but it is important to look at your long term plans before finalising your choice. You don’t want to choose a name that is too restrictive, for example, only relating to antenatal education when later you may want to include complementary therapies or tongue tie services. On the other hand, you don’t want a name that is too broad, and it is wise to avoid using solely your own name unless you already have a reputation that leads expectant parents to search specifically for you. Avoid using words that may mean something to you but which don’t pop up in search engine optimisation for those searching for pregnancy-related services.

It is essential to undertake an advanced internet search to see if any other businesses have the same name or similar. You must check with Companies House (UK) to find out if your chosen name has already been taken and is registered as a limited company, in which case you cannot have the same name. It is also wise to check if a name has been trademarked, in which case you cannot use the same name or logo. Use an online thesaurus search to see if you could use different words to make your business name more appealing. Denise undertook a an advanced Google search looking for names such as “holistic” and “midwifery” and found at least five different businesses with the same or similar names – this is not a good idea because if another business has better search engine optimisation or more popular social media postings, their business name will appear at the top of any list and you may find yourself further down, possibly even on another page.

Crucially, if you wish to use the word “midwife” or “midwifery” in your business name, you must consult the Nursing and Midwifery Council for permission to do so. This is because these words are protected in law – only a midwife or a doctor can claim to be practising “midwifery” and only those currently on the NMC register can claim to be a practising midwife and use “midwife” in their business title.

Less Is More: Complementary Therapies for Postdates Pregnancy

Many expectant parents become desperate to get labour started that they try many natural remedies and therapies to avoid induction.

One of the difficulties is that there are so many suggestions out there – Denise found at least 80 ways of initiating contractions from a simple Google search.  However, not all of these are appropriate, and some are unsafe, plus there is very little evidence to support many of the suggestions. More importantly, expectant parents should be advised NOT to combine all their chosen methods at one time – this simply overwhelms their physiology and is more likely to prolong labour than initiate i, and poses a significant risk that some herbal and aromatherapy remedies may interact and cause side effects. Less is always more – and midwives and birth workers should advise expectant parents to use any natural remedies cautiously AND to inform their caregivers.

Here is a summary of some of the popular remedies used to trigger labour:

• Foods thought to aid contraction of smooth muscle include aubergine, balsamic vinegar, bananas, capsicum (peppers), chilli, Chinese food containing monosodium glutamate (MSG), dates, green papaya, mangoes, pineapple, spicy food.
• Herbal remedies that are often used but which may be unsafe include aloe vera juice, basil, black cohosh, blue cohosh, evening primrose oil, goldenseal, motherwort, liquorice, squaw vine, raspberry leaf.
• Essential oils that are popular, but which are not appropriate for everyone include cinnamon, clary sage, fenugreek, frangipani, nutmeg, peppermint, thyme. 
• Other natural means of encouraging labour include laminaria tents (a type of seaweed), DIY enemas or stretch and sweep, various types of exercise especially those that cause movement such as yoga, Pilates, belly dancing, Tai Chi and, of course, sex.
• Complementary therapies with a reasonable evidence base: acupuncture, acupressure, some essential oils (aromatherapy), some herbal remedies, hypnosis, massage, osteopathy, chiropractic, reflexology, shiatsu.

Have You Set Your Professional Goals For 2024?

It’s a bit like a New Year’s resolution, but it’s important to review your professional practice and set some goals for the year. Denise will be off to present at a medical conference in Japan soon, but when she gets back, she’ll hit the ground running with no time for jetlag! There are various NHS courses arranged, our scheduled reflexology and hypnosis courses coming up and lots of webinars and discussion groups for our existing students and Licensed Consultants preparing for private practice. To celebrate Expectancy’s 20^th year, it’s time to invest in the business and plans are afoot for a revamp, with upgrades to our website, some eye-catching ads (look out for The Practising Midwife), new courses, a new marketing strategy and an uptick of our social media. 

We’d love to hear what your plans are. It might be as simple as ensuring you get ahead with your NMC revalidation documents, or it might be something new and exciting such as changing jobs, starting a Masters degree or deciding to have a complete change and work for yourself. Let us know what you’re doing in 2024!

Impact of Aromatherapy Oils on Midwives

A midwife recently asked me if prolonged exposure to clary sage oil during a long labour could have contributed to excessive abdominal cramps and vaginal bleeding even though she had a contraceptive implant in place and did not normally bleed. It’s impossible to say with certainty that inhaling clary sage oil continuously during a 12-hour shift caused her problem, it is certainly possible. Clary sage has also caused excessively heavy menstrual blood flow in many midwives, and even threatened miscarriage in a few in early pregnancy. Other oils that can adversely affect midwives, other staff and birth companions exposed to aromatherapy oil vapours for prolonged periods include hay-fever-type reactions and asthma attacks from flower oils such as lavender, geranium and rose; dizziness and fainting from the hypotensive effects of clary sage, ylang ylang and lavender; nausea and skin itching from citrus oils such as orange or grapefruit, especially in people sensitive to citrus fruit. It is as important to look after yourself in your clinical practice, as it is to be cautious with aromatherapy provided for individual women in labour (NMC Code),

Herbal Medicines Considered Unsafe For Use In Pregnancy

There are many herbal remedies that should be avoided in the preconception period, pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding.

Midwives should try to ask all those booking for antenatal care about their use of herbal and other natural remedies and document this in the notes. Some remedies may cause miscarriage, preterm labour or even birth defects; others interact with prescribed medication and some cause hepatic, renal or cardiovascular adverse effects. For example, many herbs contain chemicals that thin the blood, potentially causing bruising, bleeding or slow wound coagulation. Here are some of the herbal medicines that should be avoided:

Aloe vera (oral); basil; black cohosh; blue cohosh; clary sage; comfrey; dong quai; fennel; fenugreek; feverfew; ginseng; juniper berry; mugwort; nutmeg; parsley; pennyroyal; sage; St John’ wort. NB cautious use of herbal teas; herbs used in cooking in small amounts are acceptable.

Take Your Shoes Off !

Did you know that you should work barefoot when performing massage, reflexology or aromatherapy treatments? Have you ever felt exhausted when you’ve provided two or three manual treatments in a day? This is because of an energy transfer between clients and therapists. Treating several clients consecutively causes accumulation of the energy transfer from clients. It is vital to expel this accumulated negative energy and to find ways of protecting yourself when providing manual therapies. Working barefoot allows you to “ground” yourself and provides a conduit for the accumulated energy to be dispersed into the earth. For NHS midwives, working barefoot may contravene health and safety regulations, but keeping shoes on risks them experiencing adverse effects from repeatedly treating expectant or birthing parents and not providing an outlet for the negative energy. Adverse effects may be excessive tiredness, headaches, nausea, dehydration and an increased tendency to develop minor infections due to negative effects on the immune system. What are your thoughts about working barefoot, especially in the NHS? If you’re running an NHS complementary therapy service, for example, a postdates pregnancy clinic, how do you protect yourself from negative energies?

Pregnancy Sickness Causes 

It is interesting to see news of the recent research in which the growth-like hormone, GDF15, is implicated. Researchers suggest that this may pave the way to a treatment for pregnancy sickness in which those at risk are offered the hormone preconceptionally as a protection against debilitating sickness.  Denise says: For those who suffer extreme hyperemesis gravidarum, which often leads to hospital admission and even to some women to seek termination of pregnancy because they can endure it no longer, this new research could literally be a life saver. However, we must remember that pregnancy sickness is caused by various factors – from hormonal effects, nutritional deficiencies, musculoskeletal misalignment and other causes that are not acknowledged by the medical profession. Symptoms are often exacerbated by stress, tiredness and mental health issues and accompanied by headaches, bowel disturbances, heartburn and other symptoms. Indeed, whilst not wanting to minimise the severe nature of the illness for the 3-4% of women who suffer hyperemesis, it is often those with moderately severe sickness who struggle most. They are not ill enough to require medical care and are often left to find ways to reduce its effects by themselves. I have treated hundreds of women with moderately severe pregnancy sickness who report feeling isolated and uncared for by the maternity services. In addition, standard medical advice is limited to the ubiquitous ginger biscuits, dietary changes and rest, unless symptoms are severe enough to warrant medication, which often stops the vomiting but rarely the unremitting nausea. Those suffering pregnancy sickness should be fully and holistically assessed to determine the cause before being fobbed off with medication and the frequently incorrect and inappropriate advice to “try ginger”. If the cause of nausea and vomiting is a deficiency of vitamin B6 or magnesium, optimum treatment is to supplement these; it is it a history of whiplash injury that has caused musculoskeletal misalignment, chiropractic or osteopathy would be most effective.

More Criticism of Complementary Medicine

It’s only to be expected, of course, that the appointment of Dr Dixon, a GP with almost 50 years’ experience, would bring out the sceptics of complementary medicine once again. This truly eminent medical practitioner, with a distinguished career and an OBE for services to primary (conventional) healthcare, is being castigated by a belligerent press that believes the only way to provide healthcare is via the orthodoxy of conventional medicine, with its paternalistic, interventionist, chemically invasive approaches, preferably delivered within the NHS.

Outspoken in his criticism is retired Edzard Ernest, previously a professor of complementary medicine at the University of Exeter who became the "scourge of alternative medicine" in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Whilst his prolific research into complementary medicine undoubtedly added to the body of knowledge and evidence on different therapies, Ernst turned his back on his own medical training in Germany, where he had studied acupuncture, homeopathy, massage and other therapies. Throughout the 1990s he undertook hundreds of research studies in complementary medicine, most of which concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support its use or, indeed, that the therapies tested were “ineffective” or even “unsafe”. Like so many others, he attempted to evidence complementary modalities with “gold standard” randomised controlled research methodology, which does not fit with the individualised nature of complementary medicine. He gained a reputation as an anti-complementary medicine authority despite the title of his role at the time (Professor of Complementary Medicine). Of particular note is Ernst’s comments in the Guardian that “anyone who promotes homeopathy is undermining evidence-based medicine and rational thinking. The former weakens the NHS, the latter will cause harm to society.” This is not only grossly untrue and unfair, it is contrary to his own homeopathic qualifications and demonstrates more a desire to undermine complementary medicine evidence than offering any really critical appraisal of the failures of conventional medicine, particularly within the current NHS.

The press is vociferous in its deprecation of complementary medicine, yet there is no acknowledgement of personal choice – choice to decline conventional care, choice to choose “alternatives” - especially when the NHS has no other options to offer than drugs or surgery, coupled with excessively long waiting lists - and choice to pay for private care. In maternity care, this is particularly significant at present, with the anti-natural-childbirth lobby denigrating any practices of which it has little understanding and of which it does not approve, mainly for political reasons. Expectant and birthing parents do have choices yet find it difficult to search them out or combine with the medicalisation of maternity care. Complementary medicine is NOT about alternatives, it is about using different modalities in combination with conventional healthcare practices. It is to be hoped that the appointment of Dr Dixon will produce a new surge of interest in and enthusiasm for complementary medicine so that it can be integrated within conventional healthcare.

Expectancy Welcomes Appointment of Royal Doctor Who is Pro- Complementary Medicine

Denise is delighted to see that Dr Michael Dixon has been appointed to the Royal Household. A GP with an interest in complementary approaches to health and wellbeing, Dr Dixon has long championed the use of modalities such as herbal medicine, which works the same way as drugs, homeopathy, a gentle method of treating like with like, and relaxation therapies. Denise says:

It is so refreshing to see royal support for a doctor who advocates healthcare that is more individualised, less invasive and more focused on the whole person than conventional medicine. Whilst the mainstream press once again denigrates something about which they know very little, and which they claim to be a negative factor for the NHS, King Charles' renewed support could be a powerful motivator for the complementary medical field.

Doubtless the public media will use this move to argue that complementary therapies are ineffective, unsafe and poorly evidenced, but don't believe everything you read. I see this as a very positive move especially for maternity care at a time when childbirth is ever more interventionist, unsatisfying for parents and professionals alike and increasingly downright dangerous for many reasons. Congratulations Dr Dixon and well done Your Majesty.

Reflexology in Pregnancy and Birth: The Power of The Pituitary Gland

“Reflexology” is a generic term for a range of different therapies which are all based on the principle that one small part of the body (normally the feet and hands) reflects the whole. Denise teaches a German clinical style, reflex zone therapy, (RZT) devised by the midwife Hanne Marquardt, which is used by many midwives in northern Europe. Midwives on our courses learn the “map” of the feet and how to perform a relaxation treatment – but RZT offers so much more than relaxation effects. 

RZT can be used to treat many of the physiological discomforts in pregnancy and is particularly effective in facilitating the onset and progress of labour through stimulation of two pressure points on the big toes which refer to the pituitary gland reflex zones and can therefore initiate oxytocin release to encourage contractions. We have much discussion during our courses on the precise location of these points because different styles of reflexology locate it in different positions on the toes. When she was at the University of Greenwich, Denise worked on clarifying these points in a research study on predictions within the female menstrual cycle, which appeared to show the pituitary gland points in very different locations from any other style of reflexology. She also identified which toe relates to the anterior part of the pituitary gland and which relates to the posterior pituitary – which, in fact, differed from what she had been taught when training in the late 1980s. 

Understanding the most effective locations for the pituitary gland reflex zones can enable midwives to use RZT effectively for postdates pregnancy, labour acceleration, retained placenta and lactation support, all of which require pituitary hormone release. If you’d like to learn how to use RZT in your midwifery practice, we have two places left on our next course, commencing in January and currently available at the special discounted rate of £1800 (normally £2376). Contact info@expectancy.co.uk by 20^th December for more information.

Differences Between Midwifery Training Standards in The 1970s and Today

Denise has been reflecting on the differences between training as a nurse and midwife in the mid-1970s and training in the 21^st century. When she first started training in 1975, standards were very strict. Most students were young, often school leavers going straight into training and tutors acted in loco parentis. Almost all were unmarried – and encouraged to remain so until qualified. All students were addressed as “nurse” and their surname: first names were not permitted to be used on the wards or even in the classroom! Uniform standards were very high – students had their hair length measured to ensure hair did not touch the uniform collar; nail length was checked, and no bracelets, watches or rings were permitted apart from an approved fob watch. Only very light make-up was allowed – and absolutely no perfume in case it caused nausea in some patients. Tights were not allowed to have ladders in them and had to be changed if any occurred on duty. Aprons had to be removed when going to the dining room for a break. No drinks were officially sanctioned to be consumed in clinical areas although it was easer on night duty to grab something quickly in the ward kitchens. Every nurse and midwife was encouraged to take a break during each shift and were reprimanded if the workload prevented this – it was seen to be the fault of the individual in not organising their work efficiently enough!

Classes were very formal, and teaching was largely didactic (straightforward information-giving). The amount of detail taught was phenomenal – and students were expected to “know” it all. Students would never have dared to ask “how much do we need to know? (a common question asked by students today, simply to pass an exam). Anatomy and physiology was the backbone of the entire course – and wo betide any student who could not explain clinical situations in terms of A&P. Denise says she finds this the most concerning aspect of contemporary midwifery education, with many midwives unable to apply A&P theory to practice. Obstetricians and other eminent doctors were brought in to teach some aspects of the course – although most of them couldn’t teach at all! Research was not considered – in fact, one of the first midwifery research projects was only undertaken in the late 1970s after Denise qualified (an investigation about the routine use of enemas in labour). Assessments were almost entirely by exams in large formal halls – Denise remembers her final exams being a whole day with two 3-hour papers followed by a practical exam the following day. There was then the trauma of having to go to the Central Midwives’ Board (CMB which was eventually replaced by the NMC) for a viva voce (oral exam) with a midwifery tutor and an obstetrician. The CMB was in Kensington in London in a very old building and the door to the room in which the vivas were held had a carved banner over the door stating “Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here”!

As a midwifery educator in the 1980s, Denise and her colleagues had their own “set” of students and were expected to teach the entire curriculum to their own group, as well as work with them on the wards. Indeed, every lecturer was expected to spend 20% of their week in clinical practice. The only aspect that was taught by a different lecturer on a rotational basis was the community element, with all students having a 3-month placement in the community. In the southeast London school of midwifery where Denise taught (Greenwich and Bexley), students were also sent to a second hospital for three months to gain different experience.

Does she miss those days? Yes, she does. It was hard work, but it was also fun, believe it or not. Students were proud of their training and their qualifications and went into practice well mentored. There were no clinical guidelines to constrain practice and innovation, no real shortage of staff and there was a supportive culture for everyone working in the health service. Would she go back into direct clinical practice now? Absolutely not, she states emphatically! Denise feels she has been very lucky to find her niche in midwifery, specialising in complementary therapies and teaching it to other midwives since 1984 – it will be 40 years next year!

Midwifery Aromatherapy Under Scrutiny

MIDWIFERY AROMATHERAPY UNDER SCRUTINY: LET’S GET THE MESSAGE OUT THERE - PLEASE SHARE THIS POST WITH ALL YOUR COLLEAGUES.

Midwifery aromatherapy is currently under immense national public and professional scrutiny, but still Denise is consulted by midwives facing safety issues in their units. She recently heard from a midwife whose manager wanted to introduce oil diffusers using a few oils, with laminated cards in birth rooms to inform midwives how to use them (without any training). Other examples, often repeated, include managers asking midwives who have studied a few days of aromatherapy to write clinical guidelines, diffusers being use in the antenatal ward or triage areas, or the constant injudicious and unsafe use of clary sage oil in well-established labour.

Aromatherapy – the use of aromatic oils and massage – provides a wonderfully relaxing adjunct to labour care, easing pain and aiding progress. There is evidence to demonstrate the benefits of using aromatherapy – when it is used appropriately, by midwives with comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the potential safety issues AND how to minimise the risks. Aromatherapy is NOT just about acquiring the skills of massage and how to blend a few oils together.

Midwives who study aromatherapy with Expectancy explore the positive and possible negative pharmacological effects of the oils, the health and safety issues of using them in maternity units, their application to medicines management principles and their legal, ethical and professional responsibilities to all parents, babies, visitors and staff exposed to the chemically active aromatic vapours. It is of grave concern that midwifery managers permit their staff to implement aromatherapy without themselves having any knowledge of the subject and how to monitor midwives’ practice to ensure it is safe. Midwifery managers themselves need to understand the risks of essential oil use in pregnancy and labour so that they can take steps towards minimising those risks and developing an aromatherapy service for birthing parents that is safe, as well as effective, cost effective and equitable.

Denise will be running a series of FREE WEBINARS specifically for managers and consultant midwives to help them appreciate safe use of aromatherapy in midwifery practice. NB These 90-minute webinars aim to provide information, answer your questions and encourage discussion and will not be recorded.

BOOK YOUR PLACE: Thursday 11^thJanuary at 1000 hrs; Wednesday 17^thJanuary at 1900 hrs; Tuesday 23^rdJanuary at 1400 hrs. CONTACT info@expectancy.co.uk for Zoom link.

A Conundrum ?

Conflicts of interest for midwives offering private services whilst still employed by the NHS :

Increasing numbers of midwives undertake some private work such as antenatal education, pregnancy yoga classes,complementary therapies, tongue tie division or other services. However, it can be difficult to maintain the boundaries between being self-employed if you also continue working in the NHS – you should inform your NHS manager of your private work and ensure there is no crossover with local NHS services. An example of this would be providing private services for postdates pregnancy when there is already a similar NHS service. Another area that can cause difficulty is antagonism from colleagues who are committed to free-at-the-point-of-access care as with the NHS, and who do not agree with charging for your services. Knowing how to market yourself without overstepping the boundaries of the NMC Code can be problematic and requires sound business knowledge so that you can promote your services professionally. You are not, of course, permitted to promote your services during your NHS work (nor do anything related to your private practice whilst on NHS duty time – not even taking a ‘phone call). Knowing the limitations of your personal indemnity insurance will help to avoid the pitfalls between working as a therapist, antenatal teacher, yoga instructor etc, and providing midwifery-specific care.

Postdates Pregnancy

Did you know that raspberry leaf tea is a third trimester BIRTH PREPARATION remedy and NOT a remedy to bring on labour? See Denise's latest book Complementary Therapies for Postdates Pregnancy for more information. 

Denise and Amanda’s Week

This week, Denise and Amanda have been teaching our popular online Aromatherapy and Acupressure for Postdates Pregnancy course, with over 40 midwives.

On the first day we explored the theoretical background to aromatherapy and the safe use of essential oils in pregnancy and birth.

On day 2 we applied the principles of aromatherapy to midwifery practice, considering ways of administering essential oils for expectant and birthing parents. This involved group work and experimenting with selecting oils for both their clinical effectiveness and their aromas.

Day 3 saw midwives practising acupressure points that have been shown to be effective for aiding labour onset.

We concluded by discussing the implementation of aromatherapy and development of a postdates pregnancy service in the NHS or private practice.

Did You Know That Herbal Remedies And Drugs Should Not Be Combined?

Many people view herbal remedies as natural - and therefore safe, but this is not the case. All herbal remedies work in exactly the same way as drugs and can cause similar side effects, which may be precipitated by combining them with prescribed or recreational drugs. This is particularly significant when women at term resort to natural ways to try and start labour. Taking herbal remedies such as raspberry leaf, castor oil, black cohosh, ginger, evening primrose oil and others alongside medical drugs to induce or increase contractions can lead to serious hyperactivity of the uterus and fetal distress. Midwives and other birth workers should advise parents not to combine herbal remedies with prostin, Propess™ or syntocinon. In pregnancy, taking herbal medicines frequently, even prophylactically, can cause problems such as changes in blood sugar, liver overload and, notably, blood thinning.

Why Do Expectant And Birthing Parents Turn To Complementary Therapies?

Complementary therapies (CTs) are not part of standard antenatal care but are increasingly used in labour. There are many types of CTs, including massage, aromatherapy and reflexology, acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medicine and homeopathy and hypnosis. Osteopathy and chiropractic are not now classified as “complementary” but are statutorily regulated as “supplementaryprofessions”. In pregnancy and birth all these therapies should be complementary options – not alternative to standard maternity care and it is important that midwives ask expectant parents about their use of CTs and natural remedies.

Expectant parents turn to CTs to resolve pregnancy issues such as sickness and back pain, for which they are generally discouraged from taking conventional medicines. Many use them for relaxation and preparation for birth. Perhaps the commonest reason for CTs use is to avoid induction of labour, closely followed by pain relief in labour. It has been shown that CTs are less commonly used after the baby’s birth although some women use them to aid recovery, ease discomforts and stimulate lactation.

Did You Know That The Sense Of Smell Increases During Pregnancy?

Expectant parents often tell us that their sense of smell has changed, sometimes to the extent that they cannot tolerate certain odours. This heightened sensitivity to aromas is called hyperosmia. It is thought that this is due to the impact of increased ghrelin, a hormone found mainly in the stomach, and is often called the “hunger hormone” as it triggers the urge to eat. In pregnancy, it is also produced by the placenta in association with growth hormone, peaking in the second trimester and declining towards term. Reports of going off the smell of meat, milk orcooking/cooked food are common, but sometimes, a woman will tell you that her sense of smell is so sensitive that she cannot even bear the smell of her partner. When Denise was a student midwife in the 1970s, it was forbidden to wear perfume to work (in nursing too) as the aroma could have negative effects on expectant parents (and patients).

It is worth remembering this hyperosmia when working with expectant parents, especially in maternity units where aromatherapy is offered for labour. Essential oils should never be used simply to fragrance the environment in a birth centre or maternity unit, partly because of the potential for some people (not just parents, but also staff) may dislike certain aromas, but also because of the chemical impact on individuals inhaling the vapours.

Surreal conversation

Surreal conversation during our midwifery aromatherapy course recently:

Denise: all opened bottles of essential oils must be kept in the fridge

Midwife 1: can we keep our full carry case of oils in there?

Midwife 2: I can't do that, I wouldn't have space for my tortoise!

Midwife 1: why would you keep a tortoise in the fridge?

Midwife 2: to prepare him for hibernation

Denise: even without a tortoise you have to be careful to keep the oils insulated otherwise they can make your eggs smell - wrap the oil container in silver foil

Midwife 3: can the oils make the tortoise smell as well?

Midwife2: if so, should we wrap the tortoise in foil to protect him too?

Denise: actually you have to be careful about using essential oils around animals and you should avoid specifically oils such as eucalyptus and tea tree around tortoises.

NICE Persists in Inaccurately Classifying Aromatherapy as “Non-Pharmacological”

Having been away for a while, Denise has just caught up with the latest revision of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on care in labour (NICE guideline NG235 published 29 September 2023). As expected, very little has changed in respect of pain relief in labour, particularly relating to complementary therapies. In a continuation from previous versions, maternity professionals are still directed not to offer or advise parents on aromatherapy, yoga, hypnosis, acupuncture or acupressure in the latent or first stages of labour – but suggests we should support her choice if she wishes to use them. They are “kind” enough to suggest that women wishing to receive massage “that has been taught to birth companions” should be able to receive it, but then discourage the use of massage, acupressure or hypnosis by professionals. This is ridiculous, since therapy performed by professionally taught midwives or doulas is likely to be more effective than that performed by partners. Either massage, acupressure and hypnosis are safe in labour – or they are not - in which case birth companions should be discouraged from using them as well. You can’t have it both ways. Further, women wishing to receive acupuncture are extremely unlikely to self-administer this or ask their partners to perform it: acupuncture needs to be administered by visiting acupuncturists or appropriately trained midwives or doctors. By advising that it should not be offered deprives women of a choice they may prefer to conventional pain relief – and one that is as effective and potentially safer than pethidine, morphine or epidural anaesthesia.

Crucially, despite several previous editions of the intrapartum guideline having been challenged by Denise and others, NICE persists in classifying aromatherapy as “non-pharmacological”. Essential oils used in aromatherapy most certainly DO work like drugs, being absorbed, distributed, metabolised and excreted by exactly the same physiological mechanisms. NICE incorrectly and simplistically classifies aromatherapy with other relaxation therapies with its dismissive and potentially harmful attitude. Indeed, the vast number of expectant and birthing parents using aromatherapy means that many are completely unaware of the possible risks of inappropriate use, seeing them simply as pleasant smells to enhance massage. Further, NICE sets its guidelines on the basis of the available evidence – and assumes (incorrectly) that there is insufficient evidence on complementary therapies to support their use.

Conversely, the revised antenatal care guideline (NG201 published 2021) advises maternity staff to record at booking the use of herbal remedies and to offer advice on herbal and other remedies during antenatal appointments, as well as commending the value of both acupressure and (inappropriately) the ubiquitous ginger for all women with nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. These are more examples of the lack of knowledge and understanding of complementary therapies and natural remedies by members of the NICE guideline teams, who seem out of touch with reality and the trends in self-administered natural remedies. Even if the team members do not understand this subject and cannot find sufficient randomised controlled trials to advocate for the use of complementary therapies in pregnancy and birth, they should, at the very least, ensure that the information in the guidelines is accurate – and the word “non-pharmacological” is not accurate when referrring to aromatherapy.

Licorice In Pregnancy

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a herbal remedy that is sometimes used by expectant parents to try to trigger labour. However, it should not be used in therapeutic doses – in the first and second trimesters it may cause miscarriage or preterm labour, or excessive contractions at term. Importantly, its high salt content means it should not be used by those with hypertension or oedema. Babies of women who have consumed a lot of licorice may have raised cortisol levels and exhibit signs of stress. Licorice should be avoided with gestational or pre-existing diabetes, renal conditions or hormone sensitive conditions. It has the potential to interact with many drugs, particularly antihypertensives, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories eg diclofenac, ibuprofen; some anti-diabetic medication andanticoagulants such as heparin, warfarin, aspirin, nifedipine, enoxaparin.

Childbirth In Africa: Still A Dangerous Event

Maternal deaths continue to be largely concentrated in the poorest regions of the world and in countries affected by conflict. In 2020, approximately 70% of all maternal deaths were in sub-Saharan Africa. In nine countries facing severe humanitarian crises, maternal mortality rates were more than double the world average (551 maternal deaths per 100 000 live births, compared to 223 globally). South Sudan has the worst statistics in the world, with a maternal mortality rate of 1223 per 1000,000 live births. Life threatening haemorrhage, hypertension and eclampsia, pregnancy-related infections, complications from unsafe terminations, as well as HIV/AIDS and malaria are the leading causes of maternal deaths. These are all largely preventable and treatable with access to high quality maternity care.

Effects Of The Full Moon On Women’s Health

Many people claim that the full moon affects their wellbeing. It is thought that menstrual cycles amongst groups of women become synchronised during the phase of the full moon, possibly due to the gravitational pull of the moon. It is claimed that a full moon affects mental health and wellbeing, although formal research studies have failed to confirm this.

A large French study of over 38 million births found a small but significant increase in labour onset during the full moon. (Chambat et al 2021).

African Medicinal Plants For Childbirth

Over 5500 plants growing in Africa are used in traditional medicines, although around 90% of these have not been studied, researched or classified for safety.

Many of the commonly used plants are the same as those used in first world westernised countries, such as ginger and peppermint for sickness and fennel and fenugreek for lactation, but others are rare or obscure plants– that may not always be safe.

Natural plant medicine in African countries is entwined with traditional sociocultural practices and spiritual beliefs and they are often shrouded in mystery such as when they are prescribed by the local sangoma (witch doctor).

One Zulu remedy in preparation for childbirth, called Isihlambezo, is a concoction of over 50 different plants, many of which in scientific medicine are not considered safe in pregnancy.

World Reflexology Week

This week, 18^th to 24^th September is World Reflexology Week. Reflexology is a general term for a wide range of therapies based on the principle of one small part of the body representing a map of the whole body. Some styles of reflexology are simply adapted foot massages incorporating pressure point work. Reflexology in the Far East uses Chinese medicine meridians (energy lines) and there are some European styles that are similar. Reflex zone therapy, which is taught by Expectancy, is based on anatomical and physiological principles and fits well with midwifery practice. We offer a full six month Certificate programme in Midwifery Reflex Zone Therapy commencing on 3^rd January 2024. If you’d like to join us to learn about this fascinating therapy, contact info@expectancy.co.uk

Complementary Therapies To Reduce Intervention In Childbirth

The growing number of birthing parents with complex medical, psychological or social needs, means that the focus of NHS midwifery is primarily on the pathological elements of complicated pregnancies and births. Since Denise started midwifery in the mid-1970s, childbirth seem to have changed out of all recognition and midwifery has become an extension of nursing practice, with greater medical intervention. This has led to a reduction in midwives’ experience of physiological birth – and their ability to help women whose births could remain physiological if only midwives had the confidence to help with them.

Using complementary therapies (CTs) can contribute to reduced stress in expectant and birthing parents which has a knock-on effect of increasing oxytocin and endorphins. Several units using aromatherapy for pain relief in labour or acupressure for postdates pregnancy have found a reduction in the need for epidurals, induction or acceleration of labour and Caesarean sections. Despite a national backlash against the use of CTs in midwifery from some quarters, there is no doubt that having birthing parents who are more relaxed contributes to greater levels of physiological birth, so long as there are no other complications or deviations from expected physiological progress. 

How Do You Know If An Aromatherapy Course Is Appropriate For Midwifery Practice?

Aromatherapy has become the most popular complementary therapy amongst birthing parents and is an effective tool for midwives to use. However, if you want to introduce aromatherapy for birth into your midwifery practice, it is essential to ensure that you choose the most appropriate training course. It is not necessary to be a fully qualified aromatherapist in order to use aromatherapy within midwifery practice, but midwives must undertake courses applicable to midwifery. Here are some questions you should ask to ensure that the course you want to attend is appropriate for midwives:

• are all the course facilitators qualified midwifery educators, fully qualified in aromatherapy? do they have experience of implementing aromatherapy into midwifery practice in the NHS? 
• is the course accredited by a reputable organisation: (NB any course claiming to be RCM accredited is out of date – RCM has not accredited courses since 2020)
• how long is the course and what do the facilitators claim you are able to do at the end of the course? Is it appropriate for CPD and revalidation?
• does the course content provide a balance between theoretical and practical learning?
• is the theory taught at academic level 6, in which you are encouraged to apply principles to practice – or is it merely a level 3 or 4 course, which offers enjoyable practical work with little academic content?
• does the way the course is taught test your understanding of pregnancy and birth physiology and how it relates to aromatherapy – or is the teaching didactic?
• does the course content include chemistry, NMC parameters, institutional health and safety laws, research evidence and regulations pertaining to aromatherapy?
• are participants assessed for competence and knowledge of aromatherapy? if so, is the assessment process robust and validated by an external academic organisation?
• Do the introductory courses offer opportunities for further learning on advanced aromatherapy and massage, as well as preparing you for both NHS and private practice?

Expectancy aromatherapy courses provide you with all of this! 

What Is Your USP? 

Midwives who’ve joined our Expectancy Licensed Consultancy have taken the plunge to work freelance so they can offer services for expectant and newly birthed parents that are not generally available on the NHS. We always advise our LCs to focus on their USP – their unique selling point – which is the fact that they are MIDWIVES and have undertaken specialist training with Expectancy on midwifery complementary therapies (CTs). Expectant parents like the fact that their appointments allow them time to ask the midwife any questions they may feel they can’t ask in a busy NHS clinic. We advise the midwives to market (advertise) their services in terms of offering SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS, rather than the process (the treatment). For example, rather than stating on their websites and social media that they offer reflexology, aromatherapy or hypnosis etc, we suggest midwives focus their adverts on being able to help relieve pregnancy sickness or backache or CTs treatments for those wanting to avoid induction for postdates pregnancy. Expectancy’s Licensed Consultancy offers full business training alongside your chosen complementary therapy programme, with support to establish and start your private practice and develop it further once you have started trading. 

Don’t Stretch The Boundaries Beyond Your Training 

Denise was recently contacted by a midwife from a unit where aromatherapy has been available for some time. She asked whether it is possible to use polysorbate 20 rather than carrier oils when midwives provide aromatherapy in pregnancy or birth. Polysorbate 20 is a non-ionic surfactant and emulsifier substance derived from oleic acid and is soluble in water. The surfactant contains ethylene oxide produced from sorbitol through various industrial processes, so polysorbates are not natural products - they have been chemically altered.

There are several reasons why polysorbate 20 should not be used by midwives offering aromatherapy:

• it is an artificially produced chemical substance whereas only natural essential and carrier oils should be used in aromatherapy
• oleic acid is contraindicated for massage as it can actually dry the skin – it is also the reason why olive oil should not be used in massage
• concerns have been expressed about the potential allergenicity, reproductive toxicity and carcinogenic effects of polysorbate 20 (due to ethylene oxide content).

More importantly for midwives, the NMC Code 2018 requires midwives to:

• work within the limits of knowledge and training
• act in the best interests of people in their care and in line with available evidence for safe practice
• have a clinical guideline that states clearly the parameters of practice – so if carrier oil is specified and polysorbate is not, then it should not be used  
• take account of their own safety and that of others
• work in line with the principles of medicines management
• reduce potential for harm associated with practice

Midwives need to be more careful than ever before, with so many challenges to midwifery complementary therapies (CTs), especially aromatherapy.

This requires them to be updated and to work within the very strict criteria laid down by the NMC, the RCM position statement 2020 and the forthcoming RCM Guideline for midwives using CTs (2023).

Home Birth or Hospital Birth ?

Denise was chatting with a midwife the other day, acting as her confirmer for NMC revalidation. The midwife explored a situation in which she was caring for a woman who had an undiagnosed breech presentation in the second stage of labour and commented on the reassurance that having another midwife present gave her. Denise then reflected on her own experiences as a community midwife in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when home births were generally conducted with only one midwife present. Midwives today work in a maternity culture in which, rather than focusing on appreciating physiological parameters, emphasises the need to avoid complications - and possible litigation when things go wrong. However, in the 1970s and ‘80s, midwives understood physiological birth so well that they had confidence in women’s bodies to labour and birth their babies spontaneously – and the parents had confidence in their midwives. Understanding physiological parameters meant that midwives were able to detect when deviations from normal progress were developing and the stage at which obstetric support should be summoned. The spectrum of “normality” was much wider than it is today – but then many parents still chose home birth, despite the move to encourage hospital birth. How confident would you feel in assisting parents without a second midwife present, especially at a home birth?

Most Commonly Used Herbs for Pregnancy and Birth

Did you know that the most commonly used herbal medicines during pregnancy include ginger (for nausea), raspberry leaf (for birth preparation, not induction), peppermint (for sickness), chamomile (to aid sleep), cranberry (for urinary infections - UTI), fennel or fenugreek (for lactation) and clary sage, black cohosh, blue cohosh and evening primrose oil (to aid labour onset). However, you may not know that all herbal medicines must be used with caution as they act in exactly the same way as drugs and can interact with some. Whilst most of these herbal remedies are safe enough in pregnancy and birth when used appropriately, some – particularly blue cohosh – should not be used at all. Others, including clary sage oil should be avoided until at least 37 weeks of pregnancy and only used when there are no complications. There are specific issues to consider depending on the remedy used, for example cranberry juice to prevent or treat UTI should always be sugar-free; chamomile should not be consumed to excess as it will then act as a stimulant rather than a sedative, and fenugreek taken in late pregnancy can cause the baby to be born with an unusual body odour, similar to maple syrup urine disease. 

WATCH OUT!

It’s essential for both the pregnant or birthing parent receiving complementary therapies (CTs) and the midwife, doula or therapist providing treatment, to remove their watches during the session. This is not only to avoid scratching the client (from a wristwatch), but more importantly because a watch can have an impact on the success of the treatment. CTs work on balancing energy levels to restore homeostasis. However, a watch (fob watches too) or any other source of magnetic or electrical energy, increases heat transfer which increases stress hormones and can adversely affect the success of the therapy. This also applies to other equipment, for example, CTG machines in the birthing room, which are an unpleasant source of heat that are counter-productive to physiological birth progress. The concept of energy is explored on our scientific basis of CTs, an essential study day for midwives on our Diploma in Midwifery CTs and our acupuncture programme. 

Promoting Physiological Birth

Did you know that research supports the use of complementary therapies (CTs) in pregnancy and birth, with several studies showing a decrease in stress hormones. Massage, acupuncture and reflexology have all been shown to reduce cortisol and increase feel-good endorphins and encephalins. As we know, reduced stress hormones has a knock-on effect by increasing oxytocin to aid progress in pregnancy and especially during labour. Let’s return to nurturing birthing parents by using relaxing CTs during the first stage. Promoting physiological birth reduces the need for medical intervention – but does not preclude it if it becomes essential.

IT ONLY TAKES ONE ….

The number of allergic reactions has doubled in the last two decades, with over 25,000 people requiring hospital admission (this does not account for those who attended A&E but who were not admitted).

Whilst the main culprits are foods such as nuts, kiwi fruit and chickpeas, dairy and wheat products, people also react to chemicals in the atmosphere, from fuels and industrial use. Others react adversely to certain trees, for example, the increasing plantation of birch trees. Perfumes, bath products and household cleaning agents are also high on the list of allergens. This includes aromatherapy essential oils, which each contain up to 300 chemical constituents.

Denise has seen some extremely severe reactions to aromatherapy oils, with more reactions amongst students in the past ten years than in the previous 30 years working in the complementary therapy field. It only takes ONE single chemical to aggravate the nasal smell receptors, stimulating the olfactory nerve and passing to neurotransmitters in the brain which impact on various other nerves to produce respiratory, dermal, cardiovascular or other adverse reactions.  Why then, is it so difficult to get this message across to midwives using aromatherapy in their practice? Essential oils act like drugs and can be very effective in relaxing pregnant and birthing parents, easing labour pain and nausea, fighting infection and lowering blood pressure. Conversely, if they have the power to do good, they also have the potential to do harm when not used appropriately. Midwives need to get past the belief that essential oils are just “pleasant smells” and take on board that they may cause allergic reactions – in expectant and birthing parents and babies, themselves and anyone else wo comes into contact with the chemical vapours (aromas). The issue is often that “aromatherapy” is taught as a skills-based “tool” to add to midwives’ options for care, without adequate theory to help them understand the therapy and its mechanism of action, contraindications and precautions.

Expectancy is currently developing a full implementation project for NHS trusts wishing to introduce or review aromatherapy services or to establish clinics for postdates pregnancy using essential oils and acupressure. Denise’s philosophy has always been “safety, accountability and evidence-based practice” – and this includes ensuring that midwives fully understand both the benefits and the risks of using essential oils in their care of pregnant and birthing parents – and that they know how to minimise those risks. Midwives should also acknowledge that they are “cherry picking” a small amount of someone else’s profession to add to their own. We would not expect aromatherapists to undertake a couple of days of skills based training on how to help someone give birth - and then expect to practise “midwifery” – so why do midwives assume that they can do so with aromatherapy?

Safety, Accountability and Evidence-Based Practice

There is much national scrutiny of midwifery complementary therapies at present - from people who know nothing about the subject but who have an axe to grind against the natural childbirth lobby and, indeed, against the midwifery profession. They argue that the NHS should not "waste" money on "unproven quackery" yet, conversely, want greater medical intervention to avoid the so-called risks of allowing women's bodies to do the fundamental job of giving birth. 

Complementary therapies (CTs) should be just that - a complement to other midwifery care - offered as an aid to relaxation and a means of facilitating physiological progress of pregnancy and birth. Despite the sceptics' claims that it is unproven, there IS a considerable amount of evidence to support therapies such as massage, aromatherapy, acupuncture and others. 

And what does this scepticism and antagonism do for expectant and birthing parents' choices? The fact that over three quarters may be using some aspect of CTs or natural remedies indicates the popularity of less invasive options particularly for pain relief in labour or as a means of avoiding induction.

At Expectancy, our courses aim to help midwives use CTs safely. Indeed, our philosophy is "safety, accountability and evidence based practice". Midwives on our courses not only learn the skills but acquire an in-depth understanding of the therapies, how they work and how to use them safely. Assignments are based around a critical understanding of the evidence and the professional,.legal, ethical and health and safety parameters required for implementing CTs into midwifery practice. Midwives complete a year-long academic programme designed to prepare them to defend CTs and to use them appropriately and safely.

Bring Back Massage in Midwifery !

Denise has been having some very interesting conversations with midwives on her courses recently. One group was reflecting on the power of touch and the benefits of massage, especially during labour. Massage, with fragrant herbs and oils has been part of midwifery care for childbirth since time immemorial. However, it seems that the skills and - importantly - the intuition to use touch may be being lost, unless we take steps to remedy the situation.

Student and newly qualified midwives seem hardly ever to witness their mentors touching expectant and birthing parents in anything other than a functional way, doing things TO them rather than FOR them. This may be due to lack of time, a fear of misunderstanding of intent or a worry that spending time with one woman denies others, thus making the service inequitable. 

Touch and massage are fundamental to the nurturing of midwifery yet if we don't work hard to incorporate it into our care, it will be lost altogether. The changing nature of maternity care, the medicalisation of birth, the pressures on staff and the political correctness of modern day society all conspire to discourage many health professionals from providing anything more than the basic care to enable expectant parents to give birth to their babies.

On the other hand, massage is immensely powerful in its own right. It is well researched and demonstrates that touch reduces stress hormones such as cortisol and increases the feel-good endorphins and encephalins,with a corresponding increase in oxytocin and other birth hormones. Receiving regular massage (and other touch therapies) in the last few weeks of pregnancy has been shown to facilitate the spontaneous onset and physiological progress of birth. It enhances the birthing experience, promotes the infant-parent relationship, improves the immune system to aid recovery from birth and reduces the long-term physical and emotional negative effects of birth. This in turn reduces the long-term financial and logistical impact on the health services, particularly gynaecology and mental health services.

Student midwives need to be helped to develop a better intuitive approach to pregnancy and birth through pre-registration programmes that focus on holistic approaches. Newly qualified midwives need to lose the fear of punitive criticism for "wasting time" CARING for expectant and birthing parents. Midwives who have been in practice for some time need help to rekindle their joy of helping families at this most significant time of their lives. Managers need to factor in time and cost of caring as opposed to ticking boxes in pointless time wasting statistics gathering exercises. And society needs to embrace the value of birth as perhaps the most important human achievement of all. 

An Extract From Her Latest Book, Complementary Therapies for Postdates Pregnancy....

Denise explains how she came to be involved in – and enthused by – complementary therapies. Now acknowledged as one of the world’s authorities on midwifery complementary therapies, Denise has spent 40 years developing the specialism, including practising, teaching, researching and publishing on the subject. 

In the early 1980s, when I first became involved in this emerging field of healthcare, most therapies were viewed very much as “alternative” or “fringe medicine” (or even witchcraft!). I first become interested in complementary therapies (CTs) after completing a massage course, then decided to train in reflexology, which I loved. At the time, I had returned to my midwifery teaching role but was still breastfeeding my nine-month-old son. Whilst on the reflex zone therapy (RZT) course (a specific German clinical style of reflexology), I started to produce copious amounts of extra breastmilk, which my tutor informed me was due to slight over-stimulation of the foot reflex point for the pituitary gland during the previous day’s practical work. This caused me to consider the possible application of RZT to midwifery practice – indeed, it was my “aha” moment that was the driver for everything else I have done since. RZT became my primary tool in clinical practice and is still my preferred therapy today. Next, I attended an aromatherapy course which fuelled my interest in using essential oils for pregnancy and birth, but although I now teach more aromatherapy to midwives than any other therapy, I use it less in my own clinical practice than RZT. I have a serious interest in the need for professionals to use aromatherapy with extreme caution in pregnancy, especially when it is incorporated into midwifery practice and have recently completed guidelines for other midwives using CTs for the Royal College of Midwives (due to be published shortly). Over the next few years, I studied herbal and homeopathic medicine and later maternity acupuncture and clinical hypnosis. In the late 1980s, schools of midwifery and nursing in the UK were just being incorporated into the university system and the school of midwifery where I worked in southeast London became part of the University of Greenwich. I was appointed to lead the post-registration education provision and was given the opportunity to develop a Diploma of Higher Education in CTs and later a unique Bachelor of Science Honours degree in CTs. I also established, as part of this work, a CTs teaching clinic at one of the local maternity units where student midwives undertook their clinical placements. I spent one day a week in the clinic for the next ten years and treated almost 6000 expectant women with a variety of pregnancy discomforts and anxieties. As a midwife, I think I was initially seen as the “resident witch” particularly when it came to weird techniques such as burning sticks to turn a breech (moxibustion) or claiming that pressing points on the feet could impact on uterine action (RZT) or advocating natural remedies that contained “nothing” (highly diluted homeopathic remedies transformed from pharmacological chemical substances into energetic medicines). However, as time went by and the midwives and obstetricians witnessed the successes I achieved, they became increasingly more accepting of what was on offer, sometimes even attending themselves to experience a treatment session – a very good way of convincing them of the effectiveness of complementary therapies. At one point, having successfully relieved pregnancy sickness and hyper-salivation for one of the obstetric registrars, who later recounted her experience in theatre over a Caesarean section, I then had several anaesthetists with similar problems queuing up for treatment! One of the initiatives I introduced, with the help of other midwives I had trained in the unit, was a postdates pregnancy clinic, the first of its kind in the UK. We used acupressure, aromatherapy and reflex zone therapy as a package of treatment and had significant success in facilitating labour onset.  I also undertook several research studies relating to CTs, including assisting a local maternity unit with research on using acupressure for postdates pregnancy. Postdates pregnancy has always been a specific interest of mine and no more so than now, when it is one of the most provocative debates in maternity care. In 2004, I left the University of Greenwich to set up my own education company, Expectancy, and have been training midwives in the UK and overseas on a variety of CTs ever since, together with continuing to write textbooks on the subject, an activity that began in 1992.

Yoga as Preparation for Birth

Yoga can be a very pleasant way of preparing for birth, although some authorities advise that the style of yoga should be one that is largely sedentary rather than the excessive exercise of “hot” yoga which would raise the woman’s temperature excessively. In general, yoga can have a positive physical and mental effect, reducing stress in pregnancy, which contributes to a positive approach to labour and has even been found to reduce depression in some women. Yoga may contribute to reduced intervention, shorter first stage labour and alter the perception of pain, thereby reducing the amount of pharmacological pain relief required.  This is likely to be due to the generalised impact on stress and biomarkers such as cortisol, salivary amylase and immunoglobulins.

Midwifery Aromatherapy: Is It Safe? 

The use of aromatherapy by midwives in the UK has been under intense national scrutiny in the past few months, from the CQC, Ockenden review teams and national newspapers and radio. The media frenzy in particular has arisen from problems in some maternity units where midwives offer labour aromatherapy. Whilst there is not always a direct correlation between obstetric/neonatal complications and aromatherapy when midwives use it cautiously, there is bound to be some antagonism from sceptical colleagues when things go wrong. Similarly, parents experiencing traumatic birth or loss look for reasons and could potentially blame the use of aromatherapy in the absence of any known evidence for its safety.

So, is it safe to use aromatherapy in pregnancy and birth? The short answer is YES – when those using it understand how it works and when - and when not - to use essential oils. This includes ensuring that expectant and birthing parents appreciate that the oils act like drugs and are not always safe to use.  And - is it safe for midwives to incorporate aromatherapy into their practice? YES - when midwives and managers apply the principles of aromatherapy to its use within a maternity unit or birth centre. This requires them not only to know how to select and blend appropriate oils and to administer them, but also to appreciate issues around health and safety, the law and the midwifery Code and the impact on everyone exposed to the oil vapours. 

And – the crux of the matter – is aromatherapy use in midwifery currently safe? The answer here is - NOT ALWAYS. Many midwives ARE using essential oils judiciously and practice, monitored by managers who understand the subject, is based on contemporary evidence and safety principles intended to protect families and professionals. However, there are some maternity services where midwives’ use of aromatherapy is based on training undertaken years ago or, which has been provided by teachers who themselves do not understand the context in which they need to set maternity aromatherapy. These midwives’ practice is considerably out of date, both in terms of aromatherapy practice and NHS developments. It is not evidence-based and is not in keeping with contemporary maternity care, the parameters of institutional use and the NHS culture.

Do I think that midwives should learn about aromatherapy in their training? YES, absolutely. I have been campaigning for an introduction to the vast subject of complementary therapies to be included in pre-registration midwifery education for many years. This is not because I believe that all midwives, at the point of registration, should be involved in offering aromatherapy in practice, but because they should all be able to provide basic safe information to expectant and birthing parents who ask about it – and to advise on safety for those who don’t ask but who wish to use their own oils, particularly to aid the onset and progress of labour.

My professional philosophy, over 40 years of teaching complementary therapies in midwifery, has always been SAFETY, accountability and evidence-based practice. It was this philosophy that motivated me to establish myself as a freelance lecturer via my own company, Expectancy, almost 19 years ago after running a BSc(Hons) degree on the subject at the University of Greenwich for many years. It is the reason I am still working long after many of my colleagues have retired, and the reason I intend to continue hammering out the same message of safe practice as I pass on the baton to other colleagues.

For NHS trusts wanting to introduce or review current aromatherapy services or to establish complementary therapy services for postdates pregnancy, I can help you provide a safe, effective, cost effective, equitable, timely and evidence-based service. For those increasing numbers of UK midwives wanting to offer private pregnancy aromatherapy, I can help you avoid the pitfalls of “going it alone” and ensure that you can offer a safe, effective, marketable and profitable service. For midwives overseas, I can provide face to face or online courses to enable you to use aromatherapy appropriately and safely. Contact me now for more information – info@expectancy.co.uk

The Professionalism of Reflexologists

I am once again concerned to see several posts on Facebook from reflexologists asking questions that should not be asked in such a public domain. The most worrying post was from someone asking if it was OK to provide reflexology for someone who had had "brain surgery"  two weeks ago, with no other information given. Some responses suggested this was acceptable, which I would truly challenge. If a reflexologist has to ask such a fundamental question, then they should not be providing treatment for people with complex medical conditions before further training. Moreover, if they do not recognise the boundaries of their own practice, perhaps they should not be practising at all. 

Other posts pose similar questions based on what colleagues can see on photos of clients' feet, (only occasionally with a "posted with permission" comment). Whilst viewing photos in a formal training session can be a useful aid to learning, it is highly inappropriate to post these publicly and to ask for comments from colleagues who do not have the clients' full medical histories. Doctors would not post photos of  patients' organs with a general "what would you do?" question to all and sundry, so why do some reflexologists feel it is acceptable?

One issue that raises its head in relation to pregnancy reflexology is that of helping to "induce" labour when women are approaching term and want to avoid induction. Whilst reflexology can be very useful in aiding relaxation, which encourages oxytocin, and even, when performed by appropriately trained midwives, facilitate the onset of contractions, I have come across several reflexologists claiming to offer an ™induction" service. This is most certainly not their role -especially when they do not know or understand the obstetric history or - in the case of one practitioner I met many years ago - even consider the need to take a history.

So why do some reflexologists feel these practices are acceptable? Is it a genuine interest in sharing of knowledge? I suspect this is what they would say. Is it a lack of availability of professional development opportunities to ask these questions in a formal setting? Perhaps there is a need for reflexology educators to provide a regular forum for reflection and further learning through case discussions, as we do regularly in midwifery. Or is it because some reflexologists are "wannabee" medical practitioners who see fit to stretch the boundaries of their practice because it gives them a sense of self-importance?I

Of course, these issues apply to only a very few therapists and most reflexologists are highly trained practitioners. However, in a health discipline that still draws scepticism from many conventional  medical practitioners, it is these few who detract from the professionalism of the majority. Perhaps it is time for the reflexology regulators and training organisations to address how they identify and deal with these few mavericks.

Reflexology For Pain Relief In Labour: Research Problems    

Several research studies have been undertaken to determine its effect on labour pain and duration. Most of the more recent studies have been done in countries such as Turkey and Iran. There is no doubt that manual therapies such as reflexology and massage can be effective in relaxing women during labour, reducing their stress hormones and increasing birth hormones to aid comfort and progress. Denise has treated hundreds of expectant and birthing parents with reflex zone therapy, a German clinical style of the therapy that lends itself very well to midwifery practice 9and was developed by a German midwife, Hanne Marquardt).

Marhan, Varghese 2021 Unfortunately, the research is not as clear cut as it could be and does not give us the best evidence of effectiveness. There are several reasons for this. Most studies fail to define what type of reflexology is used, which precise reflex points on the feet are palpated, which techniques are used or even to differentiate between reflexology and foot massage. This makes it difficult to determine whether the effects are from reflex point stimulation specifically or from touch and massage more generally. Studies also need to be set in the context of the maternity care provided in the different countries: where care is very medicalised, with frequent vaginal examinations or other interventions, any nurturing in the form of touch therapies is bound to enhance the experience for birthing parents, irrespective of what type it is. There is no acknowledgement in most studies of the contraindications and precautions to using reflexology – this is particularly so when treatment is provided by midwives who have learned a few reflexology (or foot massage) techniques but whose knowledge and understanding of the therapy is limited. Indeed, there is no evidence for either the safety or risk aspects of reflexology in pregnancy, so practitioners need to determine for themselves whether or not it is safe to treat a woman by applying reflexology theory to the midwifery/obstetric condition of the individual. Reflexology is one of the most difficult therapies to fit into a randomised controlled trial methodology, because the foot points vary from one system to another – reflexology is not a single therapy but a wide range of different “reflex” related therapies which different mechanisms of action, different point locations and different techniques. Further, there are several studies where reflexology has either been compared to other therapies or interventions for pain relief, or have been used in combination with strategies such as massage, music or breathing exercises.

Healing Reactions and Adverse Effects of Complementary Therapies

Complementary therapies (CTs) generally aim to work from the inside out, considering the physical, psychological and spiritual factors that contribute to health and wellbeing. This differs from conventional medical treatment which focuses on working with individual body systems and the relief of symptoms. In the case of pregnancy, obstetrics focuses on the reproductive system, its symptoms and effects on other systems, and rarely considers the impact of lifestyle or psychosocial factors that may impact on pregnancy wellbeing.

Most people experience effects from CTs treatments as the body starts to heal itself. Some of these effects are positive, for example an improvement in unpleasant symptoms such as sickness or backache. Other effects of treatment can appear to be negative, but in fact are a positive sign that the treatment is working, encouraging toxins to be eliminated as the body responds. This is called a healing reaction and people may experience headaches, increased urine output or perspiration, thirst or other signs of toxin release such as spots appearing on the face. Healing reactions generally occur within 24-36 hours of CTs treatment, usually being more dynamic after the first treatment.

Conversely, more significant advere reactions can occur, in the event of inappropriate ue of CTs, such as prolonged or excessive administration. Sometimes these effects can be relatively minor and may include symptoms similar to healing reactions although they may last longer than 24 hours. More often, and dependent on the doses and duration of misuse, some adveres reactions can be severe and occasionally even life-threatening. This is particularly so with inappropriate use of herbal medicines that have a systemic effect and can affect the liver, kidneys or brain.

Added to this is the need to be mindful that some symptoms may be unrelated to the CTs treatment but may be a normal physiological symptom of pregnancy, or herald the onset of a pregnancy complication. For example, headache may be a healing reaction to an appropriately used therapy or an adverse reaction to an inappropriately used therapy, Conversely, it may be unrelated to the CTs, but be a normal symptom of pregnancy, tiredness or stress, or it may be the start of impending fulminating pre-eclampsia. When midwives use CTs in pregnancy, birth or the postnatal period, it is vital to distinguish between normal healing reactions, common physiological symptoms, abnormal adverse reactions to CTs and the onset of clinical complications.

What’s in a Name?

Did you know that the name of Denise’s company, Expectancy, is a mnemonic derived from the somewhat wordy title, “Expectant Parents’ Complementary Therapies Consultancy”? This was how Expectancy started back in 2004, when services were initially aimed more at expectant parentsrather than professionals. However, as a midwifery lecturer and international authority on the subject of complementary therapies (CTs), Denise soon realised that her forte was more in teaching other midwives to offer CTs for pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period, especially as this was at a time when many midwives were just becoming interested in learning more about this emerging specialist field.

Did you also know that Expectancy is the ONLY organisation, world-wide, offering this wide range of CTs courses specifically related to maternity care? Denise and her team teach in London, around the UK for various NHS trusts and Denise frequently teaches overseas, with courses for midwives and doulas wanting to learn about the therapies, and for therapists wanting to specialise in working with pregnant clients. Contact info@expectancy.co.uk for a prospectus.

Complementary Therapies for Mental Wellbeing in Pregnancy

Lets explore how complementary therapies can be helpful for sustaining mental and emotional wellbeing in pregnancy. We know that pregnancy and early parenthood can be a very stressful time for many expectant and new parents. Despite most babies being anticipated eagerly, physical, emotional, occupational and societal pressures combine to cause anxiety, stress and fear to a greater or lesser extent in most expectant parents. For some, the pressures are even greater, leading to both antenatal and postnatal depression – sometimes in both parents. We know that a large proportion of the population already experience mental health issues, with many taking antidepressants before and during pregnancy.

Therapies such as massage, reflexology and aromatherapy are known to be very relaxing and have been shown in various studies to reduce stress hormones (cortisol) and increase feel-good hormones (endorphins). A course of relaxation treatment during pregnancy, perhaps monthly or even more frequently, can be very effective in keeping stress and anxiety at bay, with an accumulative effect over the weeks. Reduced stress enhances expectant parents’ coping abilities when faced with the many discomforts of pregnancy, and aids growth and development of the fetus. Indeed, regular massage or reflexology has been found to make it more likely that labour will commence within expected time limits and progress will be good, resulting in a reduced need for intervention such as induction. Essential oils used in aromatherapy contain chemicals known to be relaxing, even sedating, and some can be useful in dealing with the physical symptoms that accompany mental ill health, such as headaches, insomnia and tension-induced muscular aches and pains.

Acupuncture is not usually the first therapy which comes to mind for relaxation, but studies have shown significant changes in stress hormones during and after receiving acupuncture for other conditions. This is particularly helpful when couples seek treatment to for fertility issues, since stress can be a real barrier to balanced hormones and sub-fertility. Herbal medicines, such as dong quai, chasteberry, black cohosh, evening primrose oil, red clover and others, can also help in the preconception period, but are best prescribed by a qualified practitioner rather than self-selected and administered. Similarly, homeopathy offers a gentle, individualised means of preparing for pregnancy, dealing with antenatal aches and pains and facilitating physiological birth.

Clinical hypnosis can be especially helpful in general preparation for the birth, but it can also be effective for specific issues during pregnancy, such as smoking cessation, needle phobia or extreme fear of giving birth. A course of treatment may be best, but there are also some excellent digital versions of general relaxation sessions which may be suitable for many. Note – clinical hypnosis is more specific and individualised than “hypnobirthing” and safer when attempting to treat acknowledged mental health issues. Like “hypnobirthing”, it is contraindicated when there is a diagnosed clinical mental health disorder.

In labour, midwives offering complementary therapies such as aromatherapy or massage find that birthing parents are calmer and progress better than those who do not receive aromatherapy. This may be due to the closer relationship between the midwife and parents, with a greater sense of wellbeing arising from the feeling of being nurtured. Postnatally, too, complementary therapies contribute to an easier transition into parenthood and quicker recovery from the birth. Regular treatments of all sorts of therapies can keep parents calm, focused and less likely to develop clinical depression or to experience a worsening of an existing condition.

Midwives’ Knowledge of Natural Remedies in Pregnancy and Birth 

At our recent online study day on natural remedies, we discussed the difficulties facing midwives in helping parents to understand the safety aspects of herbs, homeopathy and other natural remedies. Unfortunately, there is no single source of information for maternity professionals and parents. In addition, it has been shown from research surveys that expectant parents primarily obtain their information about natural remedies from the internet, friends and family, none of which may be the most knowledgeable source. Furthermore, student midwives are not taught about natural remedies such as herbal raspberry leaf tea for birth preparation, ginger for nausea, castor oil to expedite labour onset, echinacea to prevent winter colds or any of the other popular remedies. There is also a misunderstanding that highly diluted energetic homeopathic remedies such as arnica (for stress and bruising) is not the same as pharmacologically active herbal arnica, which can be toxic in large doses This lack of knowledge and understanding amongst midwives is due to several reasons:

1) there are virtually no midwifery lecturers with the appropriate training on the indications, contraindications, precautions and side effects to teach students about safe use of natural remedies so they can advise parents accordingly;

2) there is insufficient time to include the subject in pre-registration training and

3) there is  no real acknowledgement at a national educational or clinical level (ie within the NMC) to appreciate the need for midwives to be able to provide this information for the people in their care, because “natural remedies” are classified under the same umbrella term as “complementary therapies” with its insinuation that CTs are solely for relaxation.

Where's The Evidence For Banning Aromatherapy Diffusers From Birth Centres?

Denise has written guidelines for midwives on why aromatherapy diffusers should not be used in maternity units and birth centres. Recently, a consultant midwife challenged these guidelines, asking "where's the evidence?" There is, of course, no "evidence" in terms of formal research. It would be unethical to test out diffuser safety in a randomised controlled study. However, "evidence" can be gathered from a variety of sources, particularly from the application of knowledge to practice and from experience. The diffuser guidelines are based on physiological, chemical, legal and health and safety knowledge and principles, and the application of aromatherapy knowledge to midwifery practice and NMC and NHS requirements.

Unfortunately, it's easy to think of aromatherapy as just pleasant, relaxing aromas - but anything that has the power to do good also has the potential to do harm when used inappropriately. It's also sad to think that a consultant midwife, so keen to include diffusers in the birth centre simply for their aromatic effects, fails to understand midwives' professional responsibilities to parents, visitors, other staff and themselves and their legal obligations to the institution in which they work. Or perhaps we've become so reliant on seeking the "evidence" that we've forgotten how to apply knowledge to practice and how to appreciate and apply empirical evidence?

Promoting Midwives Working in Private Practice – What Are The Rules?

I am often asked about whether midwives working in private practice can be promoted by their NHS colleagues to women in their care. There is a long-standing misconception that NHS midwives are not permitted to suggest named practitioners, but this is not true. Amongst our Licensed Consultants, there have been situations where NHS managers have forbidden all midwives to promote the services of an individual midwife offering private complementary therapies. The NMC does not state, anywhere in its documentation, that a midwife cannot provide the names of specific practitioners to people in their care – and surely it is better to advise someone to contact a known practitioner than to conduct on online search. The NMC Code 2018 requires all midwives to promote professionalism and trust and to uphold their position as a midwife. Midwives working part time in the NHS cannot promote their own private services, as this would be a conflict of interest. However, another midwife can suggest that person and even give out business cards, if they feel the private practitioner has credibility. Direct reference to advertisements requires midwives working in private practice to ensure that they are “accurate, responsible, ethical, do not mislead or exploit vulnerabilities and accurately reflect skills, experience and qualifications”. It is not acceptable to imply that being a midwife makes you a “better” acupuncture or reflexology practitioner than someone who is not a midwife.

If you have lots of questions about this and other aspects of working for yourself, why not consider our Licensed Consultancy scheme? Full business training, problem-solving sessions, webinars, personal guidance on setting up and growing your business and much more, alongside your chosen complementary therapy programme – acupuncture, aromatherapy, reflexology, hypnosis or our signature Diploma in Midwifery Complementary Therapies. Contact Denise on info@expectancy.co.uk

Exciting Business Developments and Teaching

Denise has a busy week ahead. She will be spending a lot of time with her laptop, offering webinars for current students on the mechanism of reflexology and literature searching to help with assignments. She also has a very exciting meeting to discuss our new project, offering a full aromatherapy implementation package to NHS trusts wanting to introduce aromatherapy into midwifery practice.

On Wednesday she has her business coaching meeting, to enable her to discuss the next stage of Expectancy’s services and a business networking lunch on Thursday. Having been teaching all of this last weekend, Denise will be taking a well-earned weekend off for the bank holiday.

Wooden Combs for Childbirth – How Do They Work?

The use of combs to activate pressure points has become very popular for use in childbirth. These combs are usually wooden, chunky and small enough to fit into the palm of the hand. When clutched during labour, especially during contractions, they can act as a diversion from the physiological but often intense sensations of uterine contractions – this is based on the gate control theory of pain. In fact, pressure applied by squeezing the comb teeth is focused over two acupuncture / acupressure points on the palm of the hand. These are called Pericardium 8 and Heart 8. In Chinese medicine, the Pericardium 8 acupoint is referred to as Lao Gong, meaning “the palace of toil or labour” and is particularly good for relieving anxiety, literally by helping to “push” the pain away. It is situated at the centre of the hand and can be found, when making a fist,  by bending the middle finger into the palm. The Heart 8 acupoint is located, when making a fist, at the point where the little (5^th) finger rests. It is thought to increase internal energy and ease reproductive pain. Both of these points are approximately along the main crease across the palm, where the teeth of the comb presses when squeezed. Our Senior Tutor for our Certificate in Midwifery Acupuncture, Amanda Redford, recommends the Wave com,  which was cleverly  developed by a woman who used designed a moulded, small version of the original combs but small enough to fit neatly into the palm.  See https://www.thewavecomb.co.uk/    If you are interested in applying for our acupuncture programme for midwives, commencing in September, please email info@expectancy.co.uk for more information.

Starbucks In The Firing Line For Drinks To Aid Labour Onset

click here for link to article

There seem to be no lengths to which expectant parents will not resort in their attempts to expedite labour and avoid medical induction. The latest fad seems to be to drink Passion Tango tea from Starbucks. This tea contains hibiscus, a herbal remedy sometimes used as a traditional remedy to aid labour onset. The article states that it is not advisable to drink the tea because there is some evidence to support its effect on smooth muscle. Yes, hibiscus, in a medicinally therapeutic dose, may possibly encourage the uterus to start contracting and it is not advisable to drink concentrated hibiscus tea in large quantities in earlier pregnancy. However, it is highly unlikely that a commercially prepared drink will contain anything approaching a medicinal dose of hibiscus. Apparently, women are also adding Starbucks’ “raspberry syrup” to the drink, presumably in the mistaken belief that it acts like raspberry leaf, which may also aid labour onset. However, the traditional remedy of drinking raspberry relates to the LEAF rather than the fruit. Adding raspberry syrup to a drink will have no impact on labour onset but its high sugar content may be a problem for women with diabetes. Some parents are also adding pineapple syrup or juice – because there is some evidence that the bromelain in the central core of pineapple may encourage contractions. However, the bromelain is destroyed by juicing or canning the pineapple, so it is also rather pointless to add the juice or syrup to the drink. This is yet another fad embraced by desperate expectant parents which has absolutely no foundation, although I would not advise consuming excessive amounts – of anything- to encourage labour. Certainly, Starbucks should not be pilloried for offering the drink as one of their products, a product which has been lauded as a possible answer by hordes of expectant parents desperate to get into labour.

Happy 900th Anniversary - Saint Bartholomew's Hospital, London!

Today marks the 900th anniversary of St Bartholomew's Hospital in London. Denise was interviewed for nurse training in the year of the 850th anniversary,1973, and started training in 1975. Situated in London, between St Paul's cathedral and the Barbican, and very close the the Smithfield meat market, it was wonderful to be part of the heritage of this prestigious hospital. Denise will be visiting on the annual View Day in May to explore the area and meet up with friends. 

NHS Information About Complementary Therapies in Pregnancy

The NHS generally does not support the use of complementary therapies (CTs), except for cancer patients. Its information relating to pregnancy is superficial and challenges the safety of CTs, stating that most CTs are not statutorily regulated (correct) and that CTs lack scientific evidence to support it (incorrect but based solely on studies using “gold standard” methodology). 

There are some sweeping statements that provide no real information for prospective users of CTs. For example, there is no explanation about any of the supportive therapies which are frequently used by expectant and birthing parents, including aromatherapy, massage, reflexology, moxibustion and hypnosis. There are links to additonal pages on acupuncture and homeopathy, yet there is an implied disparagement for traditional Chinese medicine as opposed to western medical acupuncture, and antagonism towards homeopathy since it is no longer approved for NHS use, despite the fact that many people continue to access homeopathy elsewhere. 

Conversely, there is the ironic and continuing inaccuracy advocating universal recommendation of ginger for pregnancy sickness, based on its proven anti-emetic effects, yet failing to caution that it is not safe for everyone. There is just a single statement about herbal medicines focusing on the risks of using blue cohosh (correct) but failing spectacularly – and irresponsibly, almost negligently  - to emphasise that ALL herbal medicines should be used with caution since they act in the same way as prescribed drugs.

https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/pregnancy/are-complementary-therapies-safe-during-pregnancy/

Clinical and Business Issues for Midwives Working in Private Practice

Denise has had a very busy return to work, helping some of our Licensed Consultants (LCs) with both clinical and business queries. Our LCs have completed one of our complementary therapy (CTs) programmes alongside business training so they can work in private practice. As part of the LC benefits, they have the opportunity to discuss suitable treatments for their clients, and to ask busines-related questions. Sometimes, especially those still working part time in the NHS, midwives want to discuss how to resolve complementary therapy safety issues that arise in practice.

Some of the questions Denise has tackled today include: 

• Suitable treatment for a woman with severe pregnancy sickness, also expecting twins
• Whether it is safe to treat with CTs a woman with abdominal pain, possibly adhesions from diastasis recti in the last pregnancy
• Discussing the draft text for a business website
• Proof reading some parent information leaflets devised by one of the LCs
• Reassuring an LC who wanted to double check the location of some acupressure points for postdates pregnancy
• How to deal with a Head of Midwifery intent on introducing aromatherapy diffusers to labour ward, despite the midwife explaing it is not safe
• Considering a business proposal for an LC wanting to ask for a loan from the bank
• Advising an LC who has booked to exhibit at a local Baby fair

If you are considering setting up your own maternity complementary therapy business, contact Denise on info@expectancy.co.uk for information about our Licensed Consultancy programme commencing in September.

The Evidence Base for Complementary Therapies

It's an easy argument for sceptics of complementary therapies (CTs) to say there is no research to support their inclusion into conventional healthcare. The truth is that these antagonists do not know about the considerable body of evidence for many of the popular therapies, largely because they do not know where to find it. In addition, that old chestnut, the reliance on "gold standard" randomised controlled studies, is yet again trawled out as further fuel against using CTs as a complement to standard care. The issue here is that RCT research methodology is not appropriate for care that needs to be individualised to each person. However, there certainly is evidence out there if you know  where to find it. Some of it is poor but much of the research is increasingly of a good standard and provides evidence of effectiveness and safety.

Pregnancy presents an additional problem because it is not possible to test out CTs for safety on expectant and birthing parents. Sceptics conveniently forget that some aspects of general healthcare are introduced without adequate evidence of safety of effectiveness. Pharmaceutical research was introduced after the Thalidomide disaster in the 1960s, but still it is unethical to test new drugs for safety on pregnant women - so some drugs used in pregnancy are not actually licensed for such use.

There is very much a two tier system in play here, with acceptance that certain medical treatments, largely introduced by doctors into our paternalistic health service, are acceptable without always having exhaustive evidence prior to implementation, whilst caring strategies introduced by midwives have to prove themselves twice over in order to gain any semblance of acceptance.

Once again, I challenge these arguments put forward by people with personal agendas, who seek to denigrate CTs because it suits them to do so but who do not in any way have the expertise to use facts rather than supposition. I would always defer to the relevant authorities for correct, comprehensive, contemporary and evidence based facts on other clinical specialisms - so why can't those same "experts" have the respect for those of us who have worked for so long to make midwifery CTs an academic and professional specialism that involves years of practice, teaching, research and publication on the subject?

Integration of Complementary Therapies in Midwifery 

When midwives consider introducing any aspect of complementary therapy (CT) into their practice, they're governed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code of Practice, not by the regulatory organisations that would govern CT use outside midwifery or the NHS. 

CTs offered by midwives as part of standard maternity care must be: 

• Effective
• Safe 
• Cost effective
• Evidence-based
• Individualised
• Equitable
• Compatible with other treatment
• Set in the context of institutional use (NHS)
• Used in line with national laws and directives

The Cost Effectiveness of Complementary Therapies in Maternity Care

Money has raised its head as yet another argument against incorporating complementary therapies (CTs) into midwifery. Various Twitter comments theorise that CTs are an expensive waste of money and something that the NHS can ill afford to support. The truth, in fact, is very different. Introducing aromatherapy into labour care for women without complications costs no more that £1500 a year, even in large tertiary units. That is less than the cost of one unnecessary Caesarean section. The procedure of moxibustion to turn a breech baby to head-first costs as little as £15.  Even when a couple of hours of midwives' time is factored in, the whole process costs little more than £100 - if that saves a woman from having a Caesarean then the NHS has saved another £2000. Teaching parents to use acupressure points at home to encourage cervical ripening and contractions has been shown in several studies to reduce the need for medical induction with all its potential for a cascade of further intervention - and yet another risk of a £2000 Caesarean.

And let's not forget the cost of parental satisfaction and facilitating parents' choice. Medical staff, supported by NICE, seem hell bent on taking total control of pregnancy - and particularly labour onset and birth. We now have induction for "post dates pregnancy" recommended to be brought down to 41 week's gestation, despite no real evidence that this saves babies' lives. Indeed, what it does show is that women do not want to be coerced into labour before their bodies are ready - and they are not given sufficient information about the risks of induction to be able to make informed decisions about the procedure. Indeed, the forcing of labour onset, in itself, increases the risks of further intervention, complications - and ultimately of possible litigation when things go wrong - and that is the most expensive cost to the NHS obstetric specialism. 

Midwives Are Beleaguered Again About Complementary Therapies

Is there nothing that midwives or the maternity services can do right? Once again, the use of “unscientific” complementary therapies (CTs) in maternity care is being challenged by people who know nothing about the subject but who feel they have an axe to grind because they have had personal negative experiences of maternity care. In addition, I am being harangued as someone who should not be teaching midwives about “expensive” and “unproven”  alternatives. Yesterday, I had an email from a journalist preparing an article for a mainstream national newspaper (online) about CTs. She had obviously seen various posts on Twitter about courses for midwives and wanted me to tell her which trusts I had provided training for, and how much they were charged. I obviously refrained from giving her the confidential names of my clients (NHS trusts) but sent her the publicly available information in our Expectancy prospectus and the brochure that is sent to trusts enquiring about having training. I then ‘phoned her to find out what the article was going to cover, but she said it was in the planning stages and she didn’t yet know but that it would be “balanced”. I informed her verbally and in writing that I did not want my name associated with any negativity surrounding CTs, nor did I wish my reputation to be maligned. 

Much of the challenges are arising from patient safety groups associated with recent investigations of failing maternity services around the UK. I have no qualms about safety and practice being scrutinised – as those of you who know me will be aware, my whole focus for almost 40 years has been on the scientific basis of CTS. This requires not only acquiring the manual skills of a therapy but also developing an in-depth knowledge of the physiology, pharmacology, chemistry, philosophy and safety of each therapy, and especially its evidence-base and its application to midwifery practice. It is untrue to state that essential oils or other CTs are unsafe in pregnancy and birth because midwives who have been trained to use them should know how to use them judiciously. Where CTs are not used appropriately, there is of course a risk to both parents and babies, as well as staff. So it is not so much the therapies that are unsafe but possibly a few maverick midwives stretching the boundaries of practice without fully understanding the implications. 

Aromatherapy is by far the most challenged therapy because it is the most popular amongst parents and maternity professionals alike. Here I include my guide for midwives using essential oils, including some updated cautions as a result of changes in aromatherapy practice and in light of the various challenges to midwives using essential oils.  

Professional requirements relating to midwives’ use of essential oils:

• Midwives must complete the trust-approved training on safe use of essential oils (EOs) and update every two years; cascade training of colleagues is NOT permitted.

• The use of EOs by midwives is a clinical intervention only to be used in the absence of any medical or obstetric deviations from normal progress.

• Midwives must be able to justify their use of EOs which must, where possible, be based on contemporary research or authoritative discourse. 

• Midwifery responsibilities and the needs of the maternity servicestake priority. 

• Fully informed consent must be documented prior to use of EOs. Comprehensive records of EO use must be documented in the maternity records. 

• Clinical guidelines, regularly updated, must include indications, contraindications, precautions to use of EOs; specified EOs permitted for use in the trust; what to do in the event of adverse effects, spillages or other untoward situations relating to EO use.

• EOs are prohibited from use in the antenatal ward or main delivery suite; EOs used in the birth centre must be discontinued if a transfer to delivery suite is required.

• EOs must not be used for, or near, neonates; EO use in labour must be discontinued by the start of the second stage of labour, or preferably at transition, if known.

• EO use must be in accordance with the principles of medicines management (but should not be documented on the medicines prescription record).

• EOs must be individualised to each woman and used only whenclinically compatible with any other care or treatment, including other self-administered herbal medicines.

• The NMC Code 2018 requires midwives to take account of their own safety and that of others exposed to EOs. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002, midwives must minimise the risk of harm to themselves, colleagues, parents, babies and the public.

• The use of diffusers is completely contraindicated in any institutional setting – birth centre, main delivery suite, publicly accessible areas, including staff areas.

• Midwives who identify any digressions from the approved use of EOs, especially when safety is an issue, are required to escalate their concerns to an appropriate authority.

Essential oils – specific requirements 

• Stocks of unopened EOs must be stored in a cool, dark, locked refrigerator. Opened bottles must be stored in a locked refrigerator.

• The batch number of each opened bottle of EO must be recorded in a central register.

• The Cosmetics Regulations 2020 require midwives wishing to provide EOs for home use to undertake an initial face-to-face consultation, to give the first treatment and provide parents with the remainder of thesame blend with full written instructions.

• EOs aimed at aiding progress in labour, particularly clary sage, must NOT be used in well-established labour to avoid hyperpolarisation. Midwives must take steps to avoid hyperpolarisation, be able to recognise its effects and know what to do to reverse it.

• EOs must NOT be added to the water of the birthing pool, or to a bath if the woman has ruptured membranes.

• Midwives must be able to differentiate between adverse reactions to EOs, physiological symptoms of pregnancy and developing pathological complications.

Copyright © Expectancy ® 2023; All rights reserved

Holding Babies Has An Epigenetic Effect

Research at the University of British Columbia in Canada has shown that the amount of time babies and children up to the age of five are held and cuddled affects their "epigenetic age". Babies who are held less are found, at age 4.5 years, to have an epigenetic age lower than their actual age, making them more prone to illness throughout their lives. Lack of touch was shown adversely to affect gene expression at five specific DNA sites, including one affecting the immune system and one affecting metabolism. The University team plans to follow up with another study exploring the affect of cuddling on genes impacting on psychological wellbeing. 

The Pressure On Expectant Parents To Have A Perfect Birth

This article explores the mis-match between parents' expectations following birth preparation and the reality, particularly when the progress of birth deviates from that for which they were prepared. Yet again we have a journalist challenging antenatal classes such as "hypnobirthing"and complementary therapies including massage or acupuncture as methods of birth preparation . There is truth in the fact that many women may not achieve the birth for which they planned, but a blanket criticism of birth preparation is inappropriate, unhelpful and only part of the picture. 

I agree that some who attend "hypnobirthing" classes may come away with an idealised vision of what the birth may be like, and may be left feeling disillusioned and with a sense of grief and failure if they do not "achieve" the birth they planned. Yet this is not about the classes per se; it is about the slant put on the subject by the person presenting the classes. As was the case with the NCT in the 1970s and 80s, an emphasis on battling the system for a natural birth can be seen in the approach used by some "hypnobirthing" facilitators who idealise birth and who direct the blame for not achieving a spontaneous vaginal birth onto the "system".

However, disillusionment with birth experiences is not just about ill-directed birth preparation. It is a complex issue in which the whole of modern society is complicit. The medicalisation of birth and the attempt by doctors to control it, the apathy amongst many NHS midwives to challenge the status quo (except those who leave), the expectation of parents that they can conceive and birth a baby whilst continuing their high stress lifestyles and the pressure of society as a whole to control every element of life from birth to death contribute to highly emotive attitudes that can leave some parents with post traumatic stress after giving birth.

Part of the solution requires a radical overhaul of the maternity services which are, like the rest of the NHS, no longer fit for purpose. On the other hand, expectant parents who choose to appoint an independent midwife for their care through pregnancy, birth and the early postnatal period rarely experience dissonance between expectation and reality. This is because care is totally individualised, with plenty of time allocated to discussing desires and fears for the birth, and adaptations to care according to clinical need being made by mutual agreement. 

Continuity of carer has been shown to be an effective model but does not work well in the over-stretched NHS. Expectant and birthing parents need individualised care provided by a system that puts them first, and one in which intervention is justified and accepted as a possibility for some. When it is required, we can still take steps to ensure the event is as near as possible to what was envisaged and to help parents to see that they have not "failed" if birth progress is different in one person from another.

Healthcare in Japan

On her recent visit to Japan, Denise and her colleague Azusa, discussed the perilous state of the NHS and how Japan differs in its provision of healthcare. Japanese people find it difficult to understand how healthcare can be free at the point of access in the UK, when they pay so much for it. In both countries income tax contributes to healthcare services, as well as education, policing, roads etc. However, in Japan, this covers only basic health services. Everyone is required to pay for individual health insurance which covers the secondary and some tertiary healthcare, but not major issues such as cancer, ongoing disability or life limiting conditions - these are paid for through life insurance policies. Road accidents that necessitate hospital admission are covered by vehicle insurance. All-in-all, these equate to about 40% of the individual's salary. A small state pension is paid from income tax, but most people also take out private pensions if they can afford them. Given that the majority of families rent their homes, this means that they have nothing to sell to fund their retirement so tend to take out other insurance policies to cover old age, although the state does contribute to elderly care after the age of 75, which is the pensionable age.

There are also some cultural differences between people's expectations of healthcare provision. Unlike the UK public's expectation that the paternalistic  NHS will "pick up the pieces" when people are ill, Japanese people take greater individual responsibility for managing minor illnesses and health conditions. There are no GPs, but they consult pharmacists for self-treatment advice or private specialists for more serious illnesses. However, the national deference to authority means that people generally accept without question the medical advice and treatment offered. There is less abuse of the system and more appreciation of, and gratitude for the care, advice and treatment available.

An Interesting Discovery

Denise is teaching in Japan at the moment. In her Tokyo clinic she treated a student whose baby was just two months old, which was lovely. However the interesting part of this treatment was what Denise noticed on the woman’s feet. On the outer heels where the reflex zones for the ovaries are found, there was a noticeable difference in the location on one foot compared to the other.

Normally this reflex point is central to the heel as seen on the left foot here, but on this lady the ovary zone on the right foot was much higher. This led Denise to ask the woman if she had any misalignment in her spine and the client revealed that she had scoliosis, making her right leg shorter than her left. Fascinating!

Photo with permission.

Did you know ?

Did you know that homeopathic remedies and aromatherapy oils should not be used together? If someone in labour wants to use their own homeopathic medicines to aid progess, midwives should not offer aromatherapy at the same time. Homeopathy is an energetic medicine and is chemically dilute and fragile, so the remedies are easily inactivated by strong smells from chemically active essential oils and some drugs, as well as moxibustion sticks and electrical equipment such as mobile 'phones and monitoring machines used in labour (CTG). Always ask birthing people if they are using other natural remedies before offering aromatherapy in labour.

Natural Remedy Safety in Pregnancy and Birth – Guidelines for Midwives and Birth Workers 

• NRs include herbal remedies and aromatherapy oils (pharmacological), homeopathic medicines (energetic) and traditional remedies from different cultures, which may derive from plants, minerals or animals.

• All natural remedies (NRs) should be treated with the same respect as that given to pharmaceutical drugs.

• “Natural” does not mean that all NRs are safe, or safe for all.

• No NR should be used routinely for prolonged periods of time.

• Natural remedies should never be used as a replacement for proven medical treatment, especially in the event of an emergency.

• Expectant parents should be advised to avoid ALL NRs before and during pregnancy, labour and breastfeeding unless under the supervision of an appropriately qualified, insured professional.

• Expectant parents should be asked at their first antenatal appointment if they are using any NRs. They should be asked again in the third trimester as they prepare for the birth, and in early labour, to ascertain if they are using any remedies that may compromise maternal or fetal wellbeing or progress.

• In labour, any self-administration of NRs should be documented and correlated with standard monitoring eg CTG.

• Expectant parents should be informed that not all NRs are approved, regulated or evidence based. NRs obtained from the Internet may be falsely labelled, contaminated with chemical impurities or contain banned or toxic ingredients.

• Pregnant women should be informed about the possible risks of taking pharmacologically active herbal remedies or using essential oils, including adverse effects such as allergies and interactions with other prescribed drugs. 

• There is no place for the use of NRS when complications arise in pregnancy or birth. Midwives should be mindful that deviations from normal progress may be linked with undisclosed self-administration of NRs.

• Women admitted to the antenatal ward have, by definition, pathological complications requiring medical attention; they must be asked directly if they are self-administering NRs. It is not appropriate for midwives and other maternity professionals to advocate NRs for these women or to use essential oils for aromatherapy in the antenatal ward area.

Indoor Pollutants Harmful To The Fetus

Everyone is aware of the dangers of passive smoking and general air pollution, especially before and during pregnancy. Minute particles of toxic substances have been found in the lungs, brains and livers of fetuses, even when the mothers do not smoke. A new study at the University of Swansea is now examining the impact of indoor pollutants on the fetuses and children of women exposed to their chemicals, including those from cleaning products and cooking. Indoor pollution can be up to ten times higher than when the same substances are used outdoors. Products that may cause adverse effects include paints, solvents, glues, wood preservatives, dry cleaned clothing, pesticides, office chemicals such as printer inks and correction fluids, burning materials and furnishings. Use of paint stripper agents in the home has been shown to produce high levels of harmful chemicals which can persist for several hours. Added to these, are the adverse effects of aerosol air fresheners, essential oil diffusers and burning incense sticks. ANY inhaled chemicals, including those which produce a fragrance - whether pleasant or not - can affect people trying to conceive, those who are pregnant and new parents and their babies. Any small children, elderly or unwell relatives or friends exposed to the chemicals, even pets, can also be adversely affected.

Essential plant oils used in aromatherapy release volatile organic compounds into the air. When these VOCs combine with ozone in the air, minute by-products are produced,which are inhaled and may cause respiratory difficulties, as well as eye, nose and throat irritation, nosebleeds, headaches, nausea, lethargy and loss of coordination. Excessive or long-term exposure can lead to liver disease, cerebral effects and even cancers.

Beauty spas are notorious for using aromatic substances to fragrance the environment, yet some clients may be allergic – or simply dislike – the aromas. Chemicals in nail varnishes and gels and their removal agents are particularly significant and expectant mothers should avoid exposure to them. Taiwanese researchers found high levels of indoor pollutants in spas, which varied according to the efficiency of their ventilation systems and the layout of the area. Certain high street stores pride themselves in aerating the atmosphere for the “pleasure” of the purchasing public – yet often so heavily that the smell is overpowering that it spills into public walkways outside the shops.

In pregnancy and birth, midwives and birth workers must remember that aromatherapy is used as a tool to enhance expectant and birthing parents’ physical and emotional wellbeing, and NOT as a means of fragrancing the environment. ALL exposure to essential oil chemicals must be individualised, taking into account the wellbeing of not only the mother but also the partner, staff and other people present who are inhaling the aromas.

The Concept of Energy and Complementary Therapies

Midwives on Expectancy’s Diploma explore the concept of energy and its relationship with complementary therapies. Work by the scientist, Winifred Otto Schumann in the 1950s revealed that the earth’s energy vibrates at a particular energetic frequency and that the energetic level of humans (and animals) in optimum health is exactly the same as that of the earth. This is measured as 7.83 Hz. Any compromised wellbeing alters the energy frequency measurement, leading to ill health or disease. Other sources of energy (heat) can adversely affect wellbeing, also potentially leading to ill health. Electrical equipment such as TVs, mobile ‘phones, X-rays, microwaves, medical monitors such as CTG machines and more can interfere with the optimum 7.83 Hz energy of an individual. Stress hormones act as a vibrational heat source to agitate the brain (“hot tempered”) and blood (increased risk of clumping of platelets). Adverse energies can also arise from changes in geopathic stress – volcanoes, earthquakes and global warming – leading to issues such as sick building syndrome and adversely affecting human and animal health. 

During complementary therapy, the practitioner acts as a conduit to channel positive energy to aid a return to homeostatic balance – which is why it is vital that therapists are in good health when they are treating clients. This applies whether the therapy is manual, as with massage or reflexology, psychological, for example, Hypnotherapy, or energetic such as homeopathy or reiki. Midwives providing massage or aromatherapy in labour should not be stressed, busy or tired since their increasing negative energy levels can be transmitted to the birthing person, potentially adding to any negative energies arising from equipment, stress levels, noise, movement and light. This is why a quiet, secluded birthing environment is so important for both mother and baby.

NHS Trusts Accused Of Pseudoscience - Putting Expectant Parents At Risk With Alternative Therapies

Yet again, mainstream media has sensationalised what they perceive as “witchcraft” – the use of “alternative” therapies by midwives. The Sunday Times has now waded into the melee, castigating midwives’ use of aromatherapy, acupuncture, reflexology and “burning herbs to turn a breech baby” (moxibustion).

The article by Health Editor Shaun Lintern also denigrates practices which are not classified as complementary therapies, such as water injections for pain relief, hypnobirthing for birth preparation and counselling sessions following traumatic birth. Some of the accusations focus on their (inaccurate) statement about the lack of complementary therapy research, whilst others deplore trusts charging for some of these services.

A letter to the Chief Executive of the NHS has been sent by a group of families whose babies have died in maternity units that have now come under scrutiny from the Care Quality Commission and the Ockenden team. Amongst those spearheading this group is a consultant physician whose baby died during birth (unrelated to complementary therapies) and who has taken it on himself to challenge the NHS on all matters pertaining to safety in maternity care. That is admirable – safety is paramount – but it is obvious neither he, nor the author of this latest article, knows anything at all about the vast subject of complementary therapies in pregnancy and birth.

The article is padded out with (incorrect) statistics about midwives’ use of complementary therapies, coupled with several pleas for the NHS to ban care that they say (incorrectly) is not evidence-based and which contravene NICE guidelines (the relevant word here being guidelines, not directives). The article is biased and, to my knowledge, no authority on the subject has been consulted to provide a balanced view (the Royal College of Midwives offered a generic response but did not consult me, despite being appointed a Fellow of the RCM specifically for my 40 years’ expertise in this subject).

I would be the first to emphasise that complementary therapies must be safe and, where possible, evidence-based, and I am well aware that there have been situations where midwives have overstepped the boundaries of safety in respect of therapies such as aromatherapy. However, I have not spent almost my entire career educating midwives (not just providing skills training) and emphasising that complementary therapy use must be based on a comprehensive theoretical understanding, to have it snatched away because of a few ill-informed campaigners intent on medicalising pregnancy and birth even further than it is already.

For well-respected broadsheets to publish such inaccurate and biased sensationalism only serves to highlight the problems of the British media and the ways in which it influences public opinion with untruths and poorly informed reporting.

Chamomile In Pregnancy

Chamomile has many medicinal uses. As a tea, it can aid wound healing, promote relaxation and sleep, encourage intestinal balance (relieve constipation or diarrhoea).

The essential oil, applied topically, can be effective for labour, reducing pain and aiding contractions; in pregnancy, it eases sickness (in some), aids relaxation and even ease haemorrhoids.

In pregnancy, however, it should be used with caution – excessive consumption of the tea as a night-time relaxant can have the opposite effect, overstimulating the brain and preventing sleep. The essential oil (and tea) should come from Roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) rather than German chamomile as this is considered safer in pregnancy.

Small doses of the oil, of no more than 1.5%, should be used for aromatherapy in pregnancy to avoid any possible risk of threatened miscarriage. In large doses, both the oil and excessive consumption of the tea could lead to bleeding problems, so it is best avoided by anyone with a bleeding condition or on anticoagulants. The oil can cause skin irritation in some people (including the practitioner when applying it in a massage blend).

Vigorous Massage Of The Inner Heels In Labour Should Be Avoided

Many women enjoy foot massage or reflexology for relaxation during labour. However, vigorous massage of the inner heels can interfere with the progress of birth because, in reflexology, this area represents the link with uterus and reproductive tract. Some reflexologists mistakenly believe that stimulation of the uterus reflex points encourages contractions but it is more likely to disrupt the natural rhythm of contractions. If labour progress needs a helping hand, careful stimulation of the reflex points for the pituitary gland - which is on the side of the big toes - may help increase the frequency and length of contractions. This should only be done when the midwife has confirmed there is no clinical reason for delay in labour such as obstruction.