Expectant Mum Q&A August 2026

 

Please find a summary below of the resources I mentioned from the answers I gave at the Q&A and some questions I was asked after the session: 

  1. Assisted birth resource- NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/labour-and-birth/forceps-or-vacuum-delivery/
  2. NICE guideline on inducing labour - see section 1.2 'Pregnancy lasting longer than 41 weeks': https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng207/chapter/Recommendations#induction-of-labour-in-specific-circumstances
  3. Monitoring your baby in labour: https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/giving-birth/monitoring-your-baby-labour
  4. Turning a breech baby: (i) Moxibustion therapy: https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD003928_moxibustion-turning-baby-breech-position (ii) Spinning babies 'flip a breech': https://www.spinningbabies.com/pregnancy-birth/baby-position/breech/flip-a-breech/ (iii) External Cephalic Version (ECV): https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/labour-and-birth/if-your-baby-is-breech/
  5. Safe sleeping and what to dress baby in depending on overnight room temperature: https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/baby-safety/baby-product-information/dress-your-baby-for-sleep/
  6. Eating dates (no robust evidence) but not harmful if you want to try. Best to avoid if you have gestational diabetes. Raspberry leaf tea - again not recommended for labour but if wishing to try, start after 32-34 weeks gestation. Info on both dates and raspberry leaf tea can be found here: https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/giving-birth/labour-and-birth-faqs/can-anything-bring-labour
  7. Perineal massage for reducing severe obstetric anal sphincter tears (note there is no evidence that massage completely mitigates the risk of tearing and that many factors contribute to vaginal tears). If doing massage, pease follow guidance on the link below, and don't buy any stretching devices as these can cause severe injury and infection: https://www.rcog.org.uk/for-the-public/perineal-tears-and-episiotomies-in-childbirth/reducing-your-risk-of-perineal-tears/