Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health

INTRODUCTION: Black birthing people in the United States disproportionately endure inequitable experiences and outcomes during pregnancy and childbirth via structural, interpersonal, and obstetric racism. In this study, the researchers explore provider perspectives of how racism is perpetuated in institutional perinatal and reproductive health care. METHODS: Critical Race Theory, Reproductive Justice, and midwifery theory were operationalized through secondary thematic analysis of existing qualitative data from the Community Racial Equity and Training Interventions and Evaluation of Current and Future Healthcare Clinicians Study...

INTRODUCTION: Postgraduate fellowships are growing in midwifery and yet are poorly understood by the profession. These fellowships are optional for midwives interested in developing advanced skills, transitioning to specialty practice, or entering or re-entering professional practice. The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics and outcomes of US postgraduate midwifery fellowships as described by midwifery fellowship program directors. METHODS: Postgraduate midwifery fellowship programs in the United States were identified through an environmental scan and snowball sampling...

INTRODUCTION: There is a misperception in society that individuals with visual impairment are asexual and cannot marry, have children, or take care of children. In addition, individuals with visual impairment face difficulties in many aspects of life due to accessibility issues. Although it is expected that visually impaired individuals experience difficulties when having children, very few studies have focused on understanding the challenges women with visual impairment face in the process of having children...

Unintentional overdose is a leading driver of maternal death in Colorado. The high volume of maternal deaths from preventable causes lends questions to failures in our clinical and community-based care for pregnant and postpartum people. The Colorado Maternal Mortality Review Committee identified 3 main contributors including stigma in the community and health care system, fragmentation of the health care system, and the need for more clinician training. The Colorado Perinatal Care Quality Collaborative led a 3-pronged intervention to address these challenges and improve perinatal care...

INTRODUCTION: This study was carried out to assess the effects of participating in CenteringPregnancy (CP) on maternal, birth, and neonatal outcomes among low-risk pregnant women in the Netherlands. METHODS: A total of 2124 pregnant women in primary care were included in the study. Data were derived from the Dutch national database, Perined, complemented with data from questionnaires completed by pregnant women. A stepwise-wedge design was employed; multilevel intention-to-treat analyses and propensity score matching were the main analytic approaches...

INTRODUCTION: Black women experience significant maternal mortality and morbidity disparities in the United States. Although emerging research has focused on reducing maternal mortality rates among Black birthing individuals, we must explore structural and social factors contributing to mental health outcomes during the perinatal period. Gaps exist where intersectional identities and experiences in maternal and child health are examined. This study explores the intersectional stress experiences of Black perinatal women in the South...

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INTRODUCTION: The impact of doula care on birth outcomes is well-established; however, doula support remains underutilized. Identifying barriers and facilitators to implementation is integral as the demand for doula care increases. The primary objective of this study was to examine doula program implementation across hospitals and payers at varying stages of implementation. METHODS: Representatives from 4 hospitals and 2 payers participated in focus group discussions...

Improving health and achieving health equity includes access to sexual and reproductive health care for all populations, especially those most in need. However, access to life-saving and life-affirming contraception with an individual's chosen perinatal provider can be impeded by restrictive regulations that limit scope and practice authority. This is especially true for the majority of community and direct entry midwives in the United States who have historically been unable to legally provide effective contraceptive methods...

INTRODUCTION: Acupressure and cold application are nonpharmacologic methods that midwives can use for labor pain. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of ice massage applied to the SP6 acupressure point during labor on labor pain, labor comfort, labor duration, and anxiety. METHODS: A single-masked, randomized controlled trial was conducted with 100 nulliparous women, including 50 in the intervention group and 50 in the control group. Rotational ice massage was applied to the SP6 point on both legs of the pregnant women in the intervention group at 4 to 5 cm, 6 to 7 cm, and 8 to 9 cm dilation amounts during 3 contractions...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to explore patient demographic factors associated with counseling against breastfeeding and concurrent marijuana use. METHODS: A cross-sectional study derived using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention administered Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) in collaboration with state and local health departments. This study sample included survey participants whose responses indicate they received counseling discouraging breastfeeding with concurrent marijuana use...

INTRODUCTION: From 2013 to 2019, Black women comprised 73% of pregnancy-related deaths in Philadelphia. There is currently a dearth of research on the continuity of midwifery care from initiation of prenatal care through birth in relation to characteristics such as race/ethnicity and income. The aim of this study was to investigate whether race/ethnicity and insurance status were associated with the likelihood of a pregnant person who begins prenatal care with a midwife to remain in midwifery care for birth attendance...

INTRODUCTION: It is important for health care professionals to address women's pain and anxiety during pelvic examinations. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of virtual reality (VR) on pain and anxiety management during pelvic examinations. METHODS: The study was a randomized controlled clinical trial reported in according to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials 2010 Guidelines. The research was conducted with 128 women (64 intervention, 64 control) who received care at a tertiary hospital outpatient clinic between November 2021 and February 2022...

INTRODUCTION: This study evaluated the effect of the noise level of the nonstress test (NST) device on stress parameters in primigravid women. METHODS: A total of 44 pregnant women participated in a randomized clinical trial between February and October, 2021. The participants were divided randomly into 4 equal groups using an automated web-based randomization system and ensuring allocation concealment: the control group (NST device volume turned off), intervention group I (1-35 dB(A)), intervention group II (36-60 dB(A)), and intervention group III (61 dB(A) and above)...

INTRODUCTION: Continuity of care with an individual clinician is associated with increased satisfaction and better outcomes. Continuity of clinician type (ie, obstetrician-gynecologist or midwife) may also impact care experiences; however, it is unknown how common it is to experience discontinuity of clinician type and what its implications are for the birth experience. We aimed to identify characteristics associated with having a different clinician type for prenatal care than for birth and to compare intrapartum experiences by continuity of clinician type...

INTRODUCTION: Middle-aged women in the postmenopausal period experience menopause symptoms, stress, and poor sleep quality due to hormonal changes. Nonetheless, most of them recognize such symptoms as an aging process without receiving proper treatment, and there are few nonpharmacologic interventions available. METHODS: This was a randomized single-masked, sham-controlled trial. For the intervention group, a vaccaria seed was applied to the auricular points of Shenmen, anterior lobe, adrenal glands, central rim, and endocrine that are related to the menopause symptoms, stress, and sleep while applying a seed to the auricular points not related to the forementioned symptoms to the control group...