Dr Carol Bedwell

Senior Lecturer

Carol joined LSTM as a Senior Lecturer in 2020 and is situated within the Centre for Childbirth, Women’s and Newborn Health.

Prior to her appointment at LSTM, Carol was a Senior Lecturer in Midwifery and Global Women’s Health at the University of Manchester. She has considerable teaching experience at undergraduate and post-graduate level. Her main teaching focus was around research methods and leading the dissertation unit. She also contributed to public health and intrapartum care units. She has supervised a number of masters’ and PhD students to completion, covering a variety of topics.

Carol registered as a midwife in 1991 and after gaining considerable clinical and research experience completed her PhD in 2012 at the University of Manchester.

Research

Carol’s research focus is on global women’s health.

She has worked as a co-applicant on several projects with the Lugina Africa Midwives Research Network (LAMRN) in Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Projects undertaken with partner countries in LAMRN include developing the research capacity of midwives and other health professionals in sub-Saharan Africa, along with supporting midwives to implement and embed clinical audit into practice. As part of this work, she has supported individuals to develop and run small research projects.

Currently Carol is a co-applicant on the NIHR Global Health Research Group on Stillbirth Prevention and Management in sub-Saharan Africa. Working with LAMRN partners, she currently leads a workstream focussing on developing interventions to improve communication following stillbirth and early neonatal death. Carol is very committed to developing Community Engagement and Involvement (CEI) in LMICs.

As part of the NIHR Global Health Research Group she led the successful development and integration of CEI groups across the six countries and now, along with CEI members, provides support to other researchers wishing to develop CEI.

Carol also has expertise in monitoring and evaluation, leading this on a number of projects. Carol has experience in a wide range of research methodologies and methods; including, systematic and realist reviews, mixed-methods, quantitative research (RCTs, cohort studies) and qualitative research, with a particular focus on phenomenology.

Teaching

Carol is a supervisor for dissertation students completing the masters programme.

Other relevant expertise, professional memberships, awards

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Registered Midwife Member of Royal College of Midwives

Selected publications

  • Actis Danna V, Bedwell, C, Wakasiaka S, Lavender T. (2020) Utility of the Three-Delays Model and its potential for supporting a solution-based approach to accessing intrapartum care. Global Health Action. In Press.

    Lavender T, Bedwell C, Blaikie K, Actis Danna V, Sutton C, et al. (2020) Journey of vulnerability: A mixed-methods study to understand intrapartum transfers in Tanzania and Zambia. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 20: 292.

    Bedwell C, Lavender T. (2020) Giving patients a voice: implementing patient and public involvement to strengthen research in sub- Saharan Africa. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. 74:4.

    Cooke A, Bedwell C, Campbell M, Esser S, McGowan L, Lavender T. (2017) Skin care for healthy babies at term: a systematic review of the evidence. Midwifery. 56: 29-43.

    Huntriss R, Campbell M, Bedwell C. (2017) A low-carbohydrate diet in the management of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 72:311-25.

    Mudokwenyu-Rawdon C, Danda G, Dube K, Dube G, Bedwell C. (2017) Experiences, thoughts and challenges of participant observation. African Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health. 11:2.

    Bedwell C, Levin K, Pett C, Lavender T. (2017) A realist review of the partograph: when and how does it work for labour monitoring? BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 17:31.

    Danda G, Dube K, Dube P, Rawdon C, Bedwell C. (2015) An observational study of practices to prevent peripartum sepsis in Zimbabwe. African Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health. 9(1); 17-21.

    Laisser R, Manangwa S, Libaba E, Kimweri M, Bedwell C. (2015) Phase 3 delay threats to labouring women. African Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health. 9(1); 35-41.

    Maimbolwa M, Omoni G, Mwebaza E, Chimwaza A, Laisser R, Rawdon C, Bedwell C, et al. (2015) A Delphi survey to determine midwifery research priorities among midwives in sub-Saharan Africa. African Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health. 9(1); 6-11.

    Bedwell C, McGowan L, Lavender T. (2013) Factors affecting midwives confidence in intrapartum care: a phenomenological study. Midwifery. 31(1): 170-6.

    Lavender T, Bedwell C, Roberts SA, Hart A, Turner MA, et al. (2013) Effect on skin barrier function of using a baby wash product on healthy newborn babies born at term: assessor-blinded randomised controlled non-inferiority trial. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing. Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1111/1552-6909.12015.

    Furber C, Bedwell C, Lavender T. (2012) The challenges and realties of diaper cleansing for new parents. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing. 41(6): E13-25.

    Lavender T, Cork MJ, Campbell M, Furber C, Bedwell C, Roberts I. (2012) Effect on skin hydration of using baby wipes to clean the napkin area of newborn babies: assessor-blinded randomised controlled equivalence trial. BMC Pediatrics. 12:59.

    Bedwell C, McGowan L, Lavender T. (2012) Using diaries to explore midwives experiences in intrapartum care: an evaluation of the method in a phenomenological study. Midwifery. 28(2): 150-5.

    Bedwell C, Houghton G, Richens Y, Lavender T (2011) ‘She can choose as long as I’m happy with it’: a qualitative study of expectant fathers views of birthplace. Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. 2: 71-5.

    Lavender T, Bedwell C, O’Brien E, Hart A, Cork M, Turner M. (2011) Infant skin-cleansing product versus water: A pilot randomized, assessor-blinded controlled trial. BMC Pediatrics 11:35.

    Lavender T, Lugina H, Vidot P, Chimwaza A, Bedwell C, et al. (2009) Capacity building through shared curriculum development to reduce maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in the East Central and South Africa (ECSA) region. African Journal of Midwifery. 3(4): 161-7.

    Dowswell T, Bedwell C, Lavender T, Neilson JP. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for pain relief in labour. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD007214. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD007214.