Journey to confidence: women's experiences of pain in labour and relational continuity of care.

Introduction: An evaluation carried out at King's College Hospital Foundation National Health Service Trust in London identified that women who received continuity of carer from the Albany Midwifery Practice were significantly less likely to use pharmacological pain relief when comparisons were made with eight other midwifery group practices and the local maternity service as a whole. This study was designed to explore women's views of this phenomenon.

Methods: We conducted a thematic analysis of semistructured, audiotaped, in-depth interviews with 10 women who reflected on their experiences of preparation and support for pain in labour and midwifery continuity of carer with Albany midwives, using a qualitative descriptive methodological approach.

Estimating blood loss after birth: using simulated clinical examples.

Aim: To determine the accuracy of the estimation of blood loss using simulated clinical examples.

Setting: Over 100 attendees came together at a seminar about postpartum haemorrhage in June 2006. Five blood loss assessment stations were constructed, each containing a simulated clinical example.