Author | Lightnews

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · 10d

Not my usual sort of post but it’s not everyday I get compared to Erin Brockovich…

Astute review of Susan Burton’s work in The Retrievals: open.substack.com/pub/bingewor...

1

Reposted by Susanna Stanford

Sound School Podcast @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social · Sep 9

Writing like it's a television drama complete with instructions for a camera operator. That's an unusual maneuver for a podcast. One I'd never heard before. Neither had Susan Burton until she wrote that way herself for #TheRetrievals from Serial and @nytimes.com. @prx.org. @transom.bsky.social.

Writing Like TV in a Podcast

Writing Like TV in a Podcast - Transom

transom.org

2 5

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 30

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.

1 2

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 27

So sorry, Rob. Wonderful photo as is his picture of you.

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 24

The Retrievals is available wherever you usually listen eg
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

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 24

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/

1 1

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 24

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/

1

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 24

Trust, once taken for granted, needs to be re-earned.

10/

1

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 24

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/

1

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 24

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/

1

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 24

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/

1

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 24

Failure to include patient reported outcomes in research doubtless contributed. Importantly, the series explores these failures and also details solutions...

6/

1

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 24

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/

1

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 24

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/

1

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 24

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/

1

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 24

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/

1

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 24

The @nytimes.com and @serialproductions.bsky.social have released the second series of The Retrievals. It is powerful, compelling listening from Susan Burton with Julie Snyder, Ben Phelan and team.

The 4 episodes are a solutions focused look at intraoperative pain during caesarean delivery.

1/

1 2 5

Reposted by Susanna Stanford

John Aglionby @johnaglionby.bsky.social · Jul 15

I've just listened to this series and it's both powerful and shocking - the "normalisation of deviance". But at least the situaiton appears to be changing. Well worth 3.5 hours of your life. @susannastanford.bsky.social

Serial Productions @serialproductions.bsky.social · Jun 28

After Season 1 of "The Retrievals," hundreds of listeners wrote to us saying they "felt everything" during their C-sections.

Season 2 investigates how this happens—and who is trying to fix it.

Subscribe now to get the first episode on July 10. lnk.to/akQAPD

The Retrievals

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 “The Retrievals” is an investi...

lnk.to

1 2

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 14

Mmm, I suspect the BP cuff is a less excruciating analogy! 😂

1

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 14

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.

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 14

Thank you 🙏

1

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 14

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

1 5

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 14

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

2 3

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 14

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

1 5

Susanna Stanford @susannastanford.bsky.social · Jul 14

This idea of pressure vs pain is where The Retrievals starts in the trailer…

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Trailer: The Retrievals, Season 2

Podcast Episode · The Retrievals · S2 Trailer · 3m

podcasts.apple.com

3