Susanna Stanford
@susannastanford.bsky.social
Healthcare safety advocate. Human factors. Obstetric anaesthesia. Maternity care.
I think, perhaps, uncertainty should be seen a warning sign of a suboptimal block. I have spoken to women who have had good blocks after previously experiencing poor ones - they all describe testing as being easy when it is a good block.
July 30, 2025 at 5:33 PM
I think, perhaps, uncertainty should be seen a warning sign of a suboptimal block. I have spoken to women who have had good blocks after previously experiencing poor ones - they all describe testing as being easy when it is a good block.
So sorry, Rob. Wonderful photo as is his picture of you.
July 27, 2025 at 7:10 AM
So sorry, Rob. Wonderful photo as is his picture of you.
The Retrievals is available wherever you usually listen eg
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
#TheRetrievals #TheRetrievalsPodcast
13/13
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
#TheRetrievals #TheRetrievalsPodcast
13/13
The Retrievals
True Crime Podcast · Series · C-sections are the most frequently performed major surgeries in the world. So why do so many patients feel severe pain during them? Season 2 of the award-winning podcast ...
podcasts.apple.com
July 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
The Retrievals is available wherever you usually listen eg
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
#TheRetrievals #TheRetrievalsPodcast
13/13
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
#TheRetrievals #TheRetrievalsPodcast
13/13
Women find themselves shamed and silenced with the trite phrase, 'The baby's alright, that's all that matters.' Of course, healthy babies matter - but mothers matter too.
12/
12/
July 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Women find themselves shamed and silenced with the trite phrase, 'The baby's alright, that's all that matters.' Of course, healthy babies matter - but mothers matter too.
12/
12/
To everyone else, it is likely you know someone who has experienced pain during a caesarean and felt nobody believed them. Maybe it is easier for people to think, 'There's no way anyone would allow that to happen' than to imagine what someone's experience might have been.
11/
11/
July 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
To everyone else, it is likely you know someone who has experienced pain during a caesarean and felt nobody believed them. Maybe it is easier for people to think, 'There's no way anyone would allow that to happen' than to imagine what someone's experience might have been.
11/
11/
Trust, once taken for granted, needs to be re-earned.
10/
10/
July 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Trust, once taken for granted, needs to be re-earned.
10/
10/
Every healthcare professional needs to understand women may carry the burden of experiences of maternity care. The trauma response may be apparent years later: patients who have experienced harm in healthcare can find it incredibly difficult to access care.
9/
9/
July 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Every healthcare professional needs to understand women may carry the burden of experiences of maternity care. The trauma response may be apparent years later: patients who have experienced harm in healthcare can find it incredibly difficult to access care.
9/
9/
I, too, have had the privilege of contributing to the series, sharing what has been almost 15 years work to improve care and outcomes.
8/
8/
July 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
I, too, have had the privilege of contributing to the series, sharing what has been almost 15 years work to improve care and outcomes.
8/
8/
Including Dr Heather Nixon's excellent work at University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Hospital building pain scores into the documentation and system, creating a culture where a patient’s pain matters.
7/
7/
July 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Including Dr Heather Nixon's excellent work at University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Hospital building pain scores into the documentation and system, creating a culture where a patient’s pain matters.
7/
7/
Failure to include patient reported outcomes in research doubtless contributed. Importantly, the series explores these failures and also details solutions...
6/
6/
July 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Failure to include patient reported outcomes in research doubtless contributed. Importantly, the series explores these failures and also details solutions...
6/
6/
For healthcare professionals, in the US, UK and beyond, the series may be confronting. Please listen to understand what can happen when there is normalisation of deviance. There is no other major surgery where pain has been accepted. How could that happen?
5/
5/
July 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
For healthcare professionals, in the US, UK and beyond, the series may be confronting. Please listen to understand what can happen when there is normalisation of deviance. There is no other major surgery where pain has been accepted. How could that happen?
5/
5/
These women describe the new series as ‘healing’ for the validation it gives them and the hope that people are working to improve care for mothers in the future.
4/
4/
July 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
These women describe the new series as ‘healing’ for the validation it gives them and the hope that people are working to improve care for mothers in the future.
4/
4/
A review in The Independent describes the series as a ‘harrowing and urgent listen’ and the responses coming in are overwhelming. Women are sharing their own experiences from last year to 38 years ago.
3/
3/
July 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
A review in The Independent describes the series as a ‘harrowing and urgent listen’ and the responses coming in are overwhelming. Women are sharing their own experiences from last year to 38 years ago.
3/
3/
This is more common than most are aware. A recent study in 15 teaching hospitals across the US and Canada found that 8% of patients experienced intraoperative pain during their caesareans. This equates to 100,000 women a year in the US alone. It is a global issue.
2/
2/
July 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
This is more common than most are aware. A recent study in 15 teaching hospitals across the US and Canada found that 8% of patients experienced intraoperative pain during their caesareans. This equates to 100,000 women a year in the US alone. It is a global issue.
2/
2/
Mmm, I suspect the BP cuff is a less excruciating analogy! 😂
July 14, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Mmm, I suspect the BP cuff is a less excruciating analogy! 😂
Thank you, Laura. Interesting thought! There’s been some concern about patients filming in the UK - there are rules re protecting privacy of others, not wanting to distract clinicians etc - but with permission and if not sharing, there’s no reason why someone couldn’t.
July 14, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Thank you, Laura. Interesting thought! There’s been some concern about patients filming in the UK - there are rules re protecting privacy of others, not wanting to distract clinicians etc - but with permission and if not sharing, there’s no reason why someone couldn’t.
It is a difficult environment in which to speak up - the perceived authority gradient is steep. My concern is that the most vulnerable women are going to be least able to raise concerns. In The Retrievals Heather Nixon describes routine pain scoring being build into the system at UIC. 2/2
July 14, 2025 at 2:33 PM
It is a difficult environment in which to speak up - the perceived authority gradient is steep. My concern is that the most vulnerable women are going to be least able to raise concerns. In The Retrievals Heather Nixon describes routine pain scoring being build into the system at UIC. 2/2
Thank you all, this is all great to hear. One thing to be aware of is that in the SONAR study pilot at UCL, all the women who said they were in pain had their pain managed - great - but almost as many did not tell the clinicians they were in pain. Currently we’re putting the onus on women and… 1/2
July 14, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Thank you all, this is all great to hear. One thing to be aware of is that in the SONAR study pilot at UCL, all the women who said they were in pain had their pain managed - great - but almost as many did not tell the clinicians they were in pain. Currently we’re putting the onus on women and… 1/2
Agreed re expectations of sensation, very important. Unfortunately recent studies are showing women are experiencing pain far more often than acceptable. The Retrievals is solutions focused. The trailer starts with qu of pressure vs pain: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
Trailer: The Retrievals, Season 2
Podcast Episode · The Retrievals · S2 Trailer · 3m
podcasts.apple.com
July 14, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Agreed re expectations of sensation, very important. Unfortunately recent studies are showing women are experiencing pain far more often than acceptable. The Retrievals is solutions focused. The trailer starts with qu of pressure vs pain: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...