Wendy Jackson, mother and retired midwife with 30 years' experience in the UK and Australian maternity care systems, has a lot to say about the massive cultural, social and political issues that surround the world of birth.

Main topics covered:

the importance of honouring and protecting the postnatal period/4th trimester, also known as matrescence,
women need to know the realities of the maternity system, as well as their incredible biology and how to protect its optimal functioining in the system,
defensive, interventionist (and often unquestioned) practices that have evolved over the millenia, especially over the last 100 years.
a resource she has developed for women navigating the perinatal period - her book "Mother Becoming".

Other references mentioned:

Prof. Archie Cochrane "the father of evidence based medicine" who jokingly awarded obstetrics with the "wooden spoon".
Jenny Allenson "The Golden Month"
Transforming Maternity Care Initiative
Dr Andrew Bissets, featured in "Birth Time"
Human Rights in Childbirth
Dr Carol de Costa "The Women's Doc" first professor of obs/gyn in Australia
Robbie Davis Floyd

NOTE: At 15 mins 51 secs, when referring to Dr Liz Fowler "trying to get vaginal birth in", she neglected to include the word "breech", so "trying to get vaginal BREECH birth in".

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