Through the lens of an NHS obstetrician -An interview with Dr Florence Wilcock

In this episode we have with us Dr Florence Wilcock , an obstetrician who has been working in NHS maternity services for more than 25 years. Florence has a special interest in improving women’s experience of maternity care & has been a consultant in London since 2007 where she is currently the lead obstetrician for Perinatal mental health as well as working with the Birth Options team, and homebirth team. As a member of the London Maternity Clinical Network Florence was responsible for the innovative Maternity ‘Whose Shoes’ co production workshops piloted across London in 2014. As a result she co-founded #MatExp with Gill Phillips; a grassroots movement of women, families and staff caring for them & working together to improve maternity services, and is also a clinical representative on the Royal College of Obs & Gyn women’s network. Florence hosts the podcast TheObsPod. Where she works towards demystifying obstetrics and help both maternity staff and families. Today we talk about how midwives and obstetricians can work more collaboratively in the hospital system. We discuss safety, the current discussions on physiological birth as radical thinking and the thoughts of some who propose inductions for everyone! Florence talks us through her Lithotomy challenge & the simple power of nurturing touch. She clearly points out how this education tool can spark our knowledge of how disempowering this can be for a woman. And we discuss how the small changes, or what is often known as the 'warm and fluffies' for both obstetrician and midwife, can make a significant difference for the woman physiologically as well as emotionally. And Florence leaves us with her zesty "nuggets" for us all to work in a space that benefits and protects women, midwives and obstetricians. Links:Dr Florence Wilcock:The Obs Pod podcast Twitter @FWMaternity and @TheObsPod Instagram @TheObsPod "Whose shoes" #matexp with Gill Phillips  Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout. Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here Want more from Katie and Rachel? Katie's website Rachel's website DisclaimerThe information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

Om Podcasten

Join us as we hubble, bubble, toil, and trouble our way through aspects of midwifery, birth, lactation, and womanhood. We tackle and discuss a variety of topics within the sphere of womanhood, birth, and lactation and what this entails in today's society. We want to be able to share in the strengths of women gathering together and being more informed, for their birth, their feeding experience, and the transition into knowing ourselves better. This is the podcast to connect us as a greater circle of women united.