We talk frankly about why medicines in pregnancy and breastfeeding feel frightening, even though most women take something during pregnancy and many treatments are genuinely safe. We break down why the evidence is often patchy, how to think about benefit versus risk, and where to find clear information you can trust.

• British Pharmacological Society statement and the scale of medicine use in pregnancy
• why pregnant and breastfeeding women are often excluded from trials
• how the BNF language can feel alarming and unhelpful
• benefit versus risk and why untreated illness can be the bigger danger
• common prescriptions in pregnancy such as antibiotics for UTIs, anti sickness drugs and reflux medicines
• how pregnancy physiology can change dosing and drug clearance
• women’s anxiety when advice is unclear or conflicting
• practical resources: BUMPS for patients and UKTIS for health professionals
• why considering research participation can improve care for future women

Want to know more:

https://www.medicinesinpregnancy.org/

https://uktis.org/

https://www.bps.ac.uk/fileadmin/uploads/bps/Policy_statements/BPS_Position_Statement-_Medications_in_Pregnancy_and_Breastfeeding__1_.pdf

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/4/2/e004365

If you have, it'd be fantastic if you could subscribe, rate and review on whatever platform you find your podcasts, as well as recommending the Obspod to anyone you think might find it interesting. If you want to get in touch to suggest topics for future episodes, you can find me at the Obspod on Instagram, and you can email me atobspod at gmail.com. If you've enjoyed my episodes and by chance you do have a tiny bit to spare, you can now contribute to keep the podcast going and keep it free via my link to buy me a coffee. Don't feel under any obligation. But if you'd like to contribute, you now can.

Thank you all for listening, My name is Florence Wilcock I am an NHS doctor working as an obstetrician, specialising in the care of both mother and baby during pregnancy and birth. If you have enjoyed my podcast please do continue to subscribe, rate, review and recommend my podcast on your podcast provider.
If you have found my ideas helpful whilst expecting your baby or working in maternity care please spread the word & help theobspod reach other parents or staff who may be interested in exploring all things pregnancy and birth.
Keeping my podcast running without ads or sponsorship is important to me. I want to keep it free and accessible to all but it costs me a small amount each month to maintain and keep the episodes live, if you wish to contribute anything to support theobspod please head over to my buy me a coffee page https://bmc.link/theobspodV any donation very gratefully received however small.
Its easy to explore my back catalogue of episodes, I have a wide range of topics that may help you make decisions for yourself and your baby during pregnancy as well as some more reflective episodes on life as a doctor.
If you want to get in touch to suggest topics, I love to hear your thoughts and ideas. You can find out more about me on Twitter @FWmaternity & @TheObsPod as well as Instagram @TheObsPod and email me on TheObsPod@gmail.com Please also check out #MatExp matexp.org.uk for ideas about how...

We explore what low amniotic fluid really means at different stages of pregnancy and when to act, when to watch, and how to personalise decisions. We share why routine induction for isolated low fluid may not improve outcomes and how to navigate monitoring, growth checks, and timing of birth.

• defining oligohydramnios and anhydramnios
• how gestation changes risk
• ruling out ruptured membranes with history and tests
• expert scans, infections, and maternal factors
• why fluid matters for lung development
• isolated low fluid late in pregnancy
• induction evidence and unplanned caesarean risk
• growth surveillance and timing around due date
• continuous heartbeat monitoring considerations
• practical reassurance and shared decision-making

Want to know more:

https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tog.70021

Subscribe, rate, and review on your podcast app. Recommend The ObsPod to anyone who might find it interesting. Find the programme notes for links. Contact us on Twitter and Instagram @theObspod or email theObspod@gmail.com. If you can, support the show via Buy Me A Coffee.

Thank you all for listening, My name is Florence Wilcock I am an NHS doctor working as an obstetrician, specialising in the care of both mother and baby during pregnancy and birth. If you have enjoyed my podcast please do continue to subscribe, rate, review and recommend my podcast on your podcast provider.
If you have found my ideas helpful whilst expecting your baby or working in maternity care please spread the word & help theobspod reach other parents or staff who may be interested in exploring all things pregnancy and birth.
Keeping my podcast running without ads or sponsorship is important to me. I want to keep it free and accessible to all but it costs me a small amount each month to maintain and keep the episodes live, if you wish to contribute anything to support theobspod please head over to my buy me a coffee page https://bmc.link/theobspodV any donation very gratefully received however small.
Its easy to explore my back catalogue of episodes, I have a wide range of topics that may help you make decisions for yourself and your baby during pregnancy as well as some more reflective episodes on life as a doctor.
If you want to get in touch to suggest topics, I love to hear your thoughts and ideas. You can find out more about me on Twitter @FWmaternity & @TheObsPod as well as Instagram @TheObsPod and email me on TheObsPod@gmail.com Please also check out #MatExp matexp.org.uk for ideas about how...

We unpack polyhydramnios with clear guidance on measurement, risk, and choices, showing why most mild cases near term are benign while outlining when to call in fetal medicine. Practical steps help parents and midwives stay calm, plan safely, and avoid unnecessary interventions.

• definitions of polyhydramnios by single deepest pool and AFI
• pros and cons of SDP versus AFI measurement
• thresholds for mild, moderate, severe excess fluid
• idiopathic cases late in pregnancy and prevalence
• screening for gestational diabetes and infection
• key risks: unstable lie, cord prolapse, postpartum haemorrhage
• induction debates, continuous monitoring, and individualised plans
• when to refer to fetal medicine and what they assess
• amnioreduction indications, risks, and diagnostic value
• reassurance for parents and guidance for midwives

If you have, it’d be fantastic if you could subscribe, rate and review on whatever platform you find your podcasts, as well as recommending The OBSPod to anyone you think might find it interesting

Want to know more:

https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tog.70021

Thank you all for listening, My name is Florence Wilcock I am an NHS doctor working as an obstetrician, specialising in the care of both mother and baby during pregnancy and birth. If you have enjoyed my podcast please do continue to subscribe, rate, review and recommend my podcast on your podcast provider.
If you have found my ideas helpful whilst expecting your baby or working in maternity care please spread the word & help theobspod reach other parents or staff who may be interested in exploring all things pregnancy and birth.
Keeping my podcast running without ads or sponsorship is important to me. I want to keep it free and accessible to all but it costs me a small amount each month to maintain and keep the episodes live, if you wish to contribute anything to support theobspod please head over to my buy me a coffee page https://bmc.link/theobspodV any donation very gratefully received however small.
Its easy to explore my back catalogue of episodes, I have a wide range of topics that may help you make decisions for yourself and your baby during pregnancy as well as some more reflective episodes on life as a doctor.
If you want to get in touch to suggest topics, I love to hear your thoughts and ideas. You can find out more about me on Twitter @FWmaternity & @TheObsPod as well as Instagram @TheObsPod and email me on TheObsPod@gmail.com Please also check out #MatExp matexp.org.uk for ideas about how...

Remember my popular Episode 29 on big babies from five years ago? Today I'm diving into what's changed since then, spurred by Warwick University's Big Baby trial, new research examining whether early induction truly prevents complications in pregnancies where scans predict larger babies.

The most startling revelation? A whopping 60% of babies predicted to be above the 90th centile weren't actually that large at birth. This margin of error should give us serious pause when recommending interventions based on third-trimester scans.
What also troubled me was the study design itself. The "standard care" group still saw about 75% of women receiving some form of intervention rather than experiencing spontaneous labour. With only six days average difference in delivery timing between groups, is there really enough distinction to draw meaningful conclusions? The recorded times between head and body delivery (just over one minute in both groups) further suggests we might be rushing physiological processes unnecessarily.

For pregnant women hearing "your baby might be big," take these predictions with healthy skepticism. Having a larger baby doesn't automatically mean a difficult birth lies ahead. For healthcare providers, perhaps it's time we questioned whether we've trapped ourselves in a cycle of intervention based on imprecise predictions and exaggerated risks.

Listen to this update alongside my original Episode 29 Big baby and episode 102 Shoulder Dystocia. Subscribe, rate, and share if you found this valuable!

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00162-X/fulltext

Thank you all for listening, My name is Florence Wilcock I am an NHS doctor working as an obstetrician, specialising in the care of both mother and baby during pregnancy and birth. If you have enjoyed my podcast please do continue to subscribe, rate, review and recommend my podcast on your podcast provider.
If you have found my ideas helpful whilst expecting your baby or working in maternity care please spread the word & help theobspod reach other parents or staff who may be interested in exploring all things pregnancy and birth.
Keeping my podcast running without ads or sponsorship is important to me. I want to keep it free and accessible to all but it costs me a small amount each month to maintain and keep the episodes live, if you wish to contribute anything to support theobspod please head over to my buy me a coffee page https://bmc.link/theobspodV any donation very gratefully received however small.
Its easy to explore my back catalogue of episodes, I have a wide range of topics that may help you make decisions for yourself and your baby during pregnancy as well as some more reflective episodes on life as a doctor.
If you want to get in touch to suggest topics, I love to hear your thoughts and ideas. You can find out more about me on Twitter @FWmaternity & @TheObsPod as well as Instagram @TheObsPod and email me on TheObsPod@gmail.com Please also check out #MatExp matexp.org.uk for ideas about how...

Trigger warning: This episode discusses birth trauma.

When a birth doesn't go as planned and requires intervention, how does it feel from the woman's perspective? Jacqueline Edwards, mother of five, shares her powerful firsthand experiences of both traumatic and positive assisted vaginal births, challenging healthcare professionals to see beyond the clinical procedure.

Through our conversation, Jacqueline offers a rare glimpse into the psychological impact of instrumental deliveries. She describes her experiences with both forceps and ventouse deliveries, revealing how communication, respect, and pain relief dramatically affected her perception of each birth. Surprisingly, her forceps delivery – often considered the more invasive intervention – proved less traumatic than her ventouse births due to better communication and adequate pain management.

The emotional weight of assisted birth emerges through Jacqueline's moving marathon analogy: "You've prepared for it, trained for it, you can see the finishing line... but all of a sudden, for some reason, you fall down and someone runs out of the crowd and picks you up and carries you." This powerful comparison highlights the sense of incompleteness many women feel when intervention becomes necessary, despite having done most of the work themselves.

What shines through is how small, seemingly insignificant actions from healthcare providers can transform a potentially traumatic experience. When an obstetrician told Jacqueline "I can't get this baby out on my own. This is something we're doing together," it fundamentally shifted her perception from passive recipient to active participant. These simple words acknowledged her essential role in bringing her baby into the world.

Jacqueline also shares practical suggestions for improving care during instrumental deliveries – from better lighting arrangements to privacy screens – alongside powerful insights into how birth trauma can manifest in unexpected everyday situations, like trips to the supermarket. Her testimony stands as both a call for change and a roadmap for more compassionate, woman-centered care during assisted births.

Whether you're a healthcare professional seeking to improve practice, an expectant parent preparing for birth possibilities, or someone processing their own birth experience, this episode offers invaluable perspective on centering women's dignity and agency during one of life's mo

Thank you all for listening, My name is Florence Wilcock I am an NHS doctor working as an obstetrician, specialising in the care of both mother and baby during pregnancy and birth. If you have enjoyed my podcast please do continue to subscribe, rate, review and recommend my podcast on your podcast provider.
If you have found my ideas helpful whilst expecting your baby or working in maternity care please spread the word & help theobspod reach other parents or staff who may be interested in exploring all things pregnancy and birth.
Keeping my podcast running without ads or sponsorship is important to me. I want to keep it free and accessible to all but it costs me a small amount each month to maintain and keep the episodes live, if you wish to contribute anything to support theobspod please head over to my buy me a coffee page https://bmc.link/theobspodV any donation very gratefully received however small.
Its easy to explore my back catalogue of episodes, I have a wide range of topics that may help you make decisions for yourself and your baby during pregnancy as well as some more reflective episodes on life as a doctor.
If you want to get in touch to suggest topics, I love to hear your thoughts and ideas. You can find out more about me on Twitter @FWmaternity & @TheObsPod as well as Instagram @TheObsPod and email me on TheObsPod@gmail.com Please also check out #MatExp matexp.org.uk for ideas about how...

Trigger warning Baby Loss

This episode is part of the podcasthon global charity podcast event 15th-21st March 2025. Join me as I chat with Heidi Eldridge, founder of the Mama Academy, a charity dedicated to reducing stillbirths and improving maternal health. Heidi's personal story, marked by the tragic loss of her son Aidan, propelled her into action, grounding her journey in the need to provide essential resources and support for expectant parents. Discover how Mama Academy's innovative initiatives, like Wellbeing Wallets and memory kits, are making a tangible difference in combating the silent epidemic of pregnancy loss.

In our conversation, Heidi shares insights into pivotal strategies employed to enhance awareness around pregnancy complications while supporting emotional well-being in a compassionate manner. With a focus on inclusivity and community engagement, the Mama Academy ensures that essential information is accessible to all, empowering parents in their pregnancy journeys. As we dissect important themes of grief, resilience, and transformation, listeners will find inspiration in how one woman turned her heartbreak into a beacon of hope for countless others.

This episode is not just a story of loss; it's a call to action for parents and healthcare professionals alike to prioritize awareness and knowledge in pregnancy care. Listen in, explore the myriad ways you can engage with this vital mission, and help make an impact in maternal health. Share your thoughts, leave us a review, and consider supporting the Mama Academy. Together, we can make a difference for expectant families everywhere.

To find out more or support the charity please visit:

https://www.mamaacademy.org.uk/

Thank you all for listening, My name is Florence Wilcock I am an NHS doctor working as an obstetrician, specialising in the care of both mother and baby during pregnancy and birth. If you have enjoyed my podcast please do continue to subscribe, rate, review and recommend my podcast on your podcast provider.
If you have found my ideas helpful whilst expecting your baby or working in maternity care please spread the word & help theobspod reach other parents or staff who may be interested in exploring all things pregnancy and birth.
Keeping my podcast running without ads or sponsorship is important to me. I want to keep it free and accessible to all but it costs me a small amount each month to maintain and keep the episodes live, if you wish to contribute anything to support theobspod please head over to my buy me a coffee page https://bmc.link/theobspodV any donation very gratefully received however small.
Its easy to explore my back catalogue of episodes, I have a wide range of topics that may help you make decisions for yourself and your baby during pregnancy as well as some more reflective episodes on life as a doctor.
If you want to get in touch to suggest topics, I love to hear your thoughts and ideas. You can find out more about me on Twitter @FWmaternity & @TheObsPod as well as Instagram @TheObsPod and email me on TheObsPod@gmail.com Please also check out #MatExp matexp.org.uk for ideas about how...

Step into our enlightening conversation about the multi-faceted experience of Ramadan, particularly as it relates to pregnant women and the maternity care system. With insights from Muslim doctors Miss Natasha Abdul-Aziz and Dr Emma Wiley , we dive into the spiritual and communal aspects of fasting during this holy month, discussing its potential impacts on health and wellbeing for expecting mothers.

Ramadan is more than just abstaining from food; it is a time for renewal, reflection, and community. Join us as we uncover Quranic teachings that outline the importance of fasting and how flexibility applies regarding exemptions for pregnant women.

This episode also sheds light on the disparities faced by Muslim women within maternity care. The insightful narrative of the 'Invisible' report reveals significant gaps in understanding and service provision, emphasising the need for culturally sensitive healthcare practices.

Curiosity, compassion, and community spirit are woven throughout our discussion. Whether you're curious about the practices surrounding Ramadan, looking for ways to support a loved one, or seeking to understand how faith intersects with healthcare, this episode offers valuable insights. Tune in, engage with the content, and join us in promoting a more inclusive understanding of Ramadan and its meaningful impact during maternity care. Please remember to subscribe, share your thoughts, and leave a review!

Want to knowmore?

https://britishima.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/bima-ramadan-compendium-v1.2-3-1.pdf

https://britishima.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ramadan-health-factsheet.pdf

With thanks to this clip sung beautifully by Omar Hisham Al Arabi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6zOA6OX34E

Thank you all for listening, My name is Florence Wilcock I am an NHS doctor working as an obstetrician, specialising in the care of both mother and baby during pregnancy and birth. If you have enjoyed my podcast please do continue to subscribe, rate, review and recommend my podcast on your podcast provider.
If you have found my ideas helpful whilst expecting your baby or working in maternity care please spread the word & help theobspod reach other parents or staff who may be interested in exploring all things pregnancy and birth.
Keeping my podcast running without ads or sponsorship is important to me. I want to keep it free and accessible to all but it costs me a small amount each month to maintain and keep the episodes live, if you wish to contribute anything to support theobspod please head over to my buy me a coffee page https://bmc.link/theobspodV any donation very gratefully received however small.
Its easy to explore my back catalogue of episodes, I have a wide range of topics that may help you make decisions for yourself and your baby during pregnancy as well as some more reflective episodes on life as a doctor.
If you want to get in touch to suggest topics, I love to hear your thoughts and ideas. You can find out more about me on Twitter @FWmaternity & @TheObsPod as well as Instagram @TheObsPod and email me on TheObsPod@gmail.com Please also check out #MatExp matexp.org.uk for ideas about how...

Maternity triage plays an essential role in providing urgent care to pregnant women, ensuring timely and appropriate responses to potentially life-threatening situations. The episode discusses the BSOTS system, its implementation, challenges, and the importance of maintaining relationships with GPs and midwives while prioritising urgent care needs.

• Overview of maternity triage and its significance
• Introduction to the Birmingham Symptom Specific Obstetric Triage System (BSOTS)
• Importance of timely assessment for maternal and fetal health

Want to know more?

https://www.rcog.org.uk/media/p13lrr3n/gpp17-final-publication-proof.pdf

https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-017-1503-5

https://www.cqc.org.uk/publications/maternity-services-2022-2024/triage

Thank you all for listening, My name is Florence Wilcock I am an NHS doctor working as an obstetrician, specialising in the care of both mother and baby during pregnancy and birth. If you have enjoyed my podcast please do continue to subscribe, rate, review and recommend my podcast on your podcast provider.
If you have found my ideas helpful whilst expecting your baby or working in maternity care please spread the word & help theobspod reach other parents or staff who may be interested in exploring all things pregnancy and birth.
Keeping my podcast running without ads or sponsorship is important to me. I want to keep it free and accessible to all but it costs me a small amount each month to maintain and keep the episodes live, if you wish to contribute anything to support theobspod please head over to my buy me a coffee page https://bmc.link/theobspodV any donation very gratefully received however small.
Its easy to explore my back catalogue of episodes, I have a wide range of topics that may help you make decisions for yourself and your baby during pregnancy as well as some more reflective episodes on life as a doctor.
If you want to get in touch to suggest topics, I love to hear your thoughts and ideas. You can find out more about me on Twitter @FWmaternity & @TheObsPod as well as Instagram @TheObsPod and email me on TheObsPod@gmail.com Please also check out #MatExp matexp.org.uk for ideas about how...