Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode? In this episode Rachel takes me on the path to enlightenment about the topic of the occipito posterior (OP) position in pregnancy, labour and birth! I ask Rachel why she’s always bee

Newborn weight loss

May 8th, 2024 57m 9s

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode? In this episode it’s us together again in the cauldron and Katie chats with Rachel about all things early weight loss… and gain in babies. We look at: · Why do babies lose weigh

The importance of the amniotic sac

Apr 11th, 2024 1h

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?In this episode Rachel talks to Katie about all the wondrous and darn right fascinating things about the amniotic sac. · Why is the baby surrounded by fluid, and what is it made

Pregnancy sickness and hyperemesis breakthrough with Professor Sir Stephen O’Rahilly FRS

Mar 18th, 2024 46m 39s

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?In this episode I discuss with Professor Sir Stephen O’Rahilly all things pregnancy sickness and Hyperemesis. Just a few months ago the scientific evidence was published highlighting

Periods and perimenopause with Dr Lara Briden

Feb 23rd, 2024 1h 7m

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?Lara Briden is a naturopathic doctor and bestselling author of the books Period Repair Manual and Hormone Repair Manual — practical guides to treating period problems with nutrition,

Born at Home with Amanda Banks and Eleanor Currie

Jan 26th, 2024 48m 28s

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?Where and how women choose to birth matters. Born at Home is a stunning documentary film exploring what it takes to have a positive and transformative birth experience. Empowered by t

Breastfeeding and medication with Wendy Jones BSc, MSc, PhD, MRPharmS

Jan 10th, 2024 1h 2m

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?Wendy Jones BSc, MSc, PhD, MRPharmS is known for her work on providing a service on the compatibility of drugs in breastmilk and has been a registered breastfeeding supporter for 36 y

Taking up space and the power of anger with Bonnie Hughes

Dec 13th, 2023 1h 10m

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode? Bonnie Hughes is a midwife, with a background in musical theater and journalism. She is the creator of the podcast series Making a Midwife, and an animation film-maker hobbyist. Bonn

Two beautiful births - excerpts from the book Freebirth Stories

Nov 23rd, 2023 19m 25s

Two beautiful births tales are told here on this special episode -Mavis Kirkham kindly gave me permission to record these excerpts from the new book Freebirth Stories.LINKS You can grab it on Amazon here, buy it at The Great British Book Shop,

Freebirth stories - with Professor Emerita Mavis Kirkham

Nov 16th, 2023 1h

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?Mavis Kirkham is Midwifery Professor Emerita at Sheffield Hallam University and has held honorary professorial positions at the University of Technology Sydney and Auckland University

Labour pauses - Failure to progress or just normal? - An interview with Dr Marina Weckend

Oct 26th, 2023 57m 40s

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?Dr Marina Weckend is a midwife and post-doctoral researcher based at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. Building on 13 years’ experience in midwifery practice, education and

Late preterm and early term infants - why these babies struggle so much with breastfeeding

Oct 4th, 2023 58m 53s

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?In this episode Katie talks with Rachel about late preterm and early term infants. These are the babies who have flown under the radar for far too long and often are the babies who st

Plus Size Pregnancy - an interview with Dr Sara Wickham

Sep 12th, 2023 1h 20m

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?Welcome to season 5!! This episode we have the marvelous Dr Sara Wickham back in the cauldron with us talking all about what’s in her new book Plus Size Pregnancy. Sara talks to us ab

Early labour

Jul 31st, 2023 1h

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?In this episode Rachel takes us into the world of ‘early labour’. She’s been promising it for a long while, and here it is. Get your lug’ols around this one! In this episode we discus

Our special edition: "We hit one million downloads" episode!

Jul 14th, 2023 45m 4s

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?Welcome to the biggest episode yet! Well not really, but we have met a milestone I couldn’t have fathomed 3 years ago on 20th July 2020. It has hit home what has happened over this t

Breastfeeding aversion, agitation and dysphoric milk ejection reflex - An interview with Zainab Yate

Jun 26th, 2023 1h 4m

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?In this episode Katie talks to Zainab Yate. Zainab is a Biomedical Ethicist, with a specialist interest in infant feeding. Zainab is Vice Chair and named qualitative lead on a paediat

The unbelievable tactics of the formula industry- Do not think you can skip this episode!

Jun 6th, 2023 50m

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?In this episode I take Rachel and you into the world of underhand marketing tactics going on right under our noses from the commercial milk formula (CMF) industry. In Feburary 2023 th

Childbirth education, home birth, attachement styles and the "F%k1ng epidural" - An interview with Rhea Dempsey

May 17th, 2023 1h 32m

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?Rhea is a former PE teacher turned childbirth educator, and counsellor and feels privileged to have attended more than a thousand births in hospitals and home settings as a birth atte

Vaginal Examinations

Apr 18th, 2023 1h 4m

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?On this episode of the Midwives Cauldron, it’s just me and Rachel hanging out and stirring the pot discussing vaginal examinations (VE's)!We take a step back in history to look at how

Nipples, shields, infant sucking, pumping, and milk volumes - An interview with Prof Donna Geddes

Mar 29th, 2023 1h 17m

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?Professor Donna Geddes is the director of the Geddes Hartmann Human Lactation Research Group. Based in Perth, Australia, the group is made up of innovative and dedicated scientists an

Peri-menopause, elderhood, cultural mythology, psychology and midwifery -An interview with Dr Sharon Blackie

Mar 6th, 2023 1h 2m

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?In this episode of the cauldron we have Dr. Sharon Blackie; award-winning writer, psychologist and mythologist. Her highly acclaimed books, lectures and workshops are focused on the d

SIDS, bed sharing and an anthropological look at motherhood and infancy - An interview with Prof Helen Ball

Feb 13th, 2023 1h 10m

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?In this episode we talk to Prof Helen Ball. Helen is Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre. Helen studies infant sleep and the parent-infant slee

Why breastfeeding doesn't need to suck, postpartum depression, placental encapsulation and ACE (adverse childhood experiences) - An interview with Dr Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

Jan 25th, 2023 1h 6m

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett is a health psychologist and International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, and the CEO of Praeclarus Press, a small press specializing in women's he

The benefits of working within a midwifery carer model which works for midwives and women; male midwives, and the magic of being a traditional midwife - An interview with James Bourton

Jan 11th, 2023 1h 16m

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?James Bourton is a registered midwife who works in an NHS continuity of care midwifery model within in Wales, UK. James describes himself as a home birth midwife, experienced in physi

Listening to babies during labour

Dec 19th, 2022 57m 27s

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?In this episode Rachel & Katie discuss all things listening to babies during labour. Rachel walks us through:The Herstory of listening to the baby’s heart rate during labour. The inte