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For information or support related
to premature babies click
here
BirthChoiceUK
This non-commercial web site is aimed
at pregnant women in the UK to help
them choose where to give birth. This
could mean choosing a hospital birth,
giving birth in a birth centre or
midwifery-led unit, or a home birth.
Women are encouraged to think about
the sort of birth they would like,
using research-based information.
A map of the UK shows them the maternity
units local to them and the site gives
maternity statistics for these. Women
are provided with a list of questions
they may like to ask when visiting
their local maternity units to ensure
that they choose to give birth in
the place that gives them the best
chance of having the sort of birth
they want. The site also contains
information of interest to maternity
health professionals
www.BirthChoiceUK.com
Association for
Improvements in the Maternity Services
(AIMS)
AIMS is a voluntary organisation
that campaigns for the improvement
of all aspects of maternity care.
Through a network of members they
offer support and information to parents,
midwives, doctors and other health
professionals. They also publish a
wide range of leaflets and booklets
that enable parents to make informed
choices about their care. A free publications
list is available from:
AIMS
Manor Barn
Thurloxton
Taunton
Somerset
TA2 8RH
Tel: 0870 765 1433
Fax: 020 8390 4381
www.aims.org.uk
email: chair@aims.org.uk
Home Birth Reference
Site
The aim of this site is not to persuade
you to choose home birth but rather
to provide information about home
birth, for parents who think that
it might be the right choice for them,
and for health professionals looking
for facts and ideas.
Research shows that planned home
birth is safe for women with normal
pregnancies - and 'normal' includes
most first pregnancies. The summaries
of research papers on the site - in
plain English - will help you to look
at the evidence for yourself.
www.homebirth.org.uk
The Independent Midwives Association
may be helpful to you if your local hospital cannot offer homebirth cover.
Please visit www.independentmidwives.org.uk.
Birth Crisis
Network
The Birth Crisis Network is a help
line in Britain that women can ring
if they want to talk about a traumatic
birth. They do not give advice. Instead
they offer reflective listening. The
caller may be given the number of
another member of the Birth Crisis
Network who is nearer her whom she
can also ring, and can ring me back
if she wishes.
Some women ring within a few weeks
of giving birth. But usually it is
later. For some it is months or years.
Some are pregnant again. Another pregnancy
often brings feelings of dread as
to whether it is all going to happen
again and emotions they hoped they
had laid to rest become threatening.
Many women who are suffering from
having been disempowered in birth
are treated by GPs with anti-depressant
drugs, when what they really need
is to be able to talk with someone
who understands, who does not try
to explain or justify the treatment
they received, or to criticise them
and the way they feel about what happened
to them, and who knows how to listen
reflectively. This is what the Birth
Crisis Network offers.
www.sheilakitzinger.com
The Active Birth
Centre
Discover how you can make informed
choices, and gain the confidence to
be actively in charge of your pregnancy,
birth and early parenting.
www.activebirthcentre.com
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