Vaginal birth after caesarean section (VBAC): exploring women's PerceptionsAims and objectives. This study was designed to complement local audit data by examining the lived experience of women who elected to attempt a vaginal birth following a previous caesarean delivery. The study sought to determine whether or not women were able to exercise informed choice and to explore how they made decisions about the method of delivery and how they interpreted their experiences following the birth. Background. The rising operative birth rate in the UK concerns both obstetricians and midwives. Although the popular press has characterized birth by caesarean section as the socialites' choice, in reality, maternal choice is only one factor in determining the method of birth. However, in considering the next delivery following a caesarean section, maternal choice may be a significant indicator. While accepted current UK practice favours vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) in line with the research evidence indicating reduced maternal morbidity, lower costs and satisfactory neonatal outcomes, Lavender et al. point out that partnership in choice has emerged as a key factor in the decision-making process over the past few decades. Chaung and Jenders explored the issue of choice in an earlier study and concluded that the best method of subsequent delivery, following a caesarean birth, is dependent on a woman's preference. Design and methodology. Using a phenomenological approach enabled a holistic exploration of women's lived experiences of vaginal birth after the caesarean section.Results. This was a qualitative study and, as such, the findings are not transferable to women in general. However, the results confirmed the importance of informed choice and raised some interesting issues meriting the further exploration. Conclusions. Informed choice is the key to effective women-centred care. Women must have access to non-biased evidence-based information in order to engage in a collaborative partnership of equals with midwives and obstetricians. Relevance to clinical practice. This study is relevant to clinical practice as it highlights the importance of informed choice and reminds practitioners that, for women, psycho-social implications may supersede their physical concerns about birth

Delivery suite assessment unit: auditing innovation in maternity triageA Delivery Suite Assessment Unit (DSAU) has been established at a large Northern teaching hospital. This was as a recommendation of ASQUAM (achieving sustainable quality in maternity) to reduce antenatal admissions to delivery suite and provide a more appropriate environment for women attending for antenatal or labour assessment. The DSAU has also provided an effective teaching environment where skills such as effective telephone triage, diagnosis of labour and care of women with pre-labour spontaneous rupture of membranes (SROM) have been developed by junior staff. The first twelve months' audit results indicate that the establishment of the DSAU has been successful in reducing antenatal admissions to delivery suite by increasing the transfers of clients home, rather than to the antenatal wards. This may reflect the confidence of the highly skilled midwives working in this environment and the confidence women feel about their ability to obtain prompt and accurate advice over the telephone

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This issue of IJHG has a focus on self-care. The first article reviewed examines the concept of self-care and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on self-care initiatives. The next article explores the relationship between national income and COVID-19 prevention while the third examines self-care in relation to hospital policy. The next three articles in this review focus on policy decisions while the final article reminds us that while a strong focus remains on the current pandemic and our responses to it, health care providers need to remember that noncommunicable disease (NCD) poses a more serious long-term threat to global health. This final article provides the link back to self-care as the World Health Organization (WHO) views self and community care as an increasingly important component of global health, particularly in providing care for people with NCD.