Nicky Grace

Background

About Nicky Grace

I am currently working as a Teaching Associate in Midwifery at the University of Nottingham. I am also a PhD student, writing a creative/critical thesis which consists of two parts. The first part is a memoir titled With Woman: A Memoir of Birth, Death and Midwifery. The second part of the thesis is a critical exploration of life writing about birth. My other work experiences include caring for women as a midwife throughout pregnancy, birth and early parenthood - I still have a small clinical caseload. I have worked in a variety of maternity settings including consultant-led hospital maternity unit, and as an NHS community midwife. Between 2006 and the present I worked as an independent midwife within a continuity of carer model. In addition, I gained a Masters in Research Methods with the University of Nottingham in 2011 and worked in research as senior research midwife helping design, manage and recruit to major research studies including the WOMAN trial and the 35/39 trial and NHS and academic staff in research methods. I teach as a guest lecturer within colleges and Universities on a variety of subjects including feminist thought, the mother-midwife relationship, home birth, research design and methodology, qualitative and quantitative methods in research. My Masters thesis was titled,'A Qualitative Exploration of Pain in Labour in Different Birth Settings'. Main career achievements: the privilege of attending births where the mother feels in control of the process and baby benefits from the best possible start in life. Sharing those skills and experiences with other midwives and students through networking and teaching. Research career highlights include working on the WOMAN trial (tranexamic acid for PPH) which may have a significant effect on global maternal mortality, and the CORD trial into delayed cord clamping for preterm babies. I am proud to be a co-applicant on one of the largest maternity research studies ever conducted in the UK - the GBS3 trial which looks at the best way to test for GBS in pregnancy. I love being involved with research that may help to improve outcomes for mothers, babies and families.