Research in Childbirth and Health Unit (REACH)

This group uses a wide range of methods, from ethnography to randomised trials, surveys to phenomenology.

Studies include:

• The nature and outcomes of spontaneous physiological labour and birth in the short and longer term
• New forms of clinical practice that optimise safe positive labour and birth
• Underlying factors in women’s decisions and choices around childbearing
• Optimal ways of organising maternity care
• What matters to women, families, and childbearing people about pregnancy, labour, birth, and the postnatal period, including those with complex conditions and those experiencing intersectional disadvantage

ReaCH research has led to a change in the way that the World Health Organisation frames its global maternity care guidelines, with the addition of ‘a positive experience’ to the titles of the antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal guidelines. This work has also normalised the integration of the voices and views of service users, communities and staff into the evidence base for these and other WHO maternity care guideline documents.  Via a co-produced exhibition, the work of the team has also brought the experiences of asylum seekers and refugees into focus. Projects with ReaCH team involvement have developed tools for implementing optimal caesarean section around the world, and have contributed to toolkits for catalysing and measuring respectful maternity care internationally. Our Babies Born Better survey has been used to make policy changes in maternity care in Spain, and some parts of Eastern Europe.  

Mw 4052: Normal childbirth, evidence and debate

Professor Soo Downe

Dr Kirstie Coxon

Dr Carol Kingdon

Marie-Clare Balaam

Dr Kenny Finlayson

Jennifer Kuroski

• Twitter EU COST study
• International Mother Baby Friendly Organisation

For more information contact:

Professor of Midwifery Studies, Dr Soo Downe

• Maternal and Infant Nutrition and Nurture Unit

• Phenomenological study of midwifery and leadership
• Systematic review of studies of maternity care expertise
• A Synchronised Azure Kinect-based tracking system for the biomechanical Evaluation of Labour (SKEL)
• ASPIRE national maternity and neonatal hub: Resources to optimise the provision of maternity and neonatal services