Women and Birth

INTRODUCTION: The recent change in Chilean legislation towards abortion enabled midwives to include the care of women having an induced abortion within their scope of practice. However, midwives' identity could be strained by induced abortion care provision as it is contrary to midwives' traditional role. Considering this, the aim of the study was to elucidate how Chilean midwives understand and provide abortion care. METHODS: A constructivist grounded theory study was conducted using online semi-structured in-depth interviews...

PROBLEM AND BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence in First Nations doula care as a strategy to address perinatal inequities and improve maternal care experiences. However, there is no evidence around the approach and principals required to successfully deliver First Nations doula (childbirth) training. QUESTION/AIM: To explore and describe the approach and principles used in piloting the training of First Nations doulas in remote, multilingual Northern Australian community settings...

BACKGROUND: In Australia, continuity of midwife care is recommended for First Nations women to address the burden of inequitable perinatal outcomes experienced by First Nations women and newborns. AIMS: This study aimed to explore the experiences of women having a First Nations baby who received care at one of three maternity services in Naarm (Melbourne), Victoria, where culturally tailored midwife continuity models had been implemented. METHODS: Women having a First Nations baby who were booked for care at one of three study sites were invited to participate in an evaluation of care...

PROBLEM: Midwifery led units are rare in Spain. BACKGROUND: Midwife-Led Care (MLC) is a widely extended model of care and, within this, the alongside midwifery-led units (AMLU) are those hospital-based and located in close connection with obstetric units. In Spain, CL is the first center belonging to the National Health System of these characteristics. AIM: To evaluate the first year of activity of this pioneering unit. METHODS: An observational cross-sectional study was carried out to assess maternal and neonatal outcomes of births facilitated at CL by comparing with those births that fulfilled the criteria to be admitted at the AMLU but were assisted at the standard obstetric care unit of the hospital...

BACKGROUND: Diabetes in pregnancy is diagnosed in 6% of pregnancies annually in Aotearoa-New Zealand, disproportionately affecting multi-ethnic, low socio-economic women. Little is known about the care experience of this population within the model of midwifery continuity-of-care, including views of telehealth care. AIM: Increase understanding of the experience of diabetes in pregnancy care, including telehealth, among multi-ethnic, low socio-economic women receiving midwifery continuity-of-care...

BACKGROUND: In Australia, midwifery students are required to undertake at least ten Continuity of Care Experiences (CoCE) during their education. The learning outcomes of this experience have never been explicit or standardised resulting in inconsistent assessment. AIM: To develop and identify standardised learning outcomes for the CoCE. METHODS: A modified Delphi survey was conducted with an expert panel. Intended learning outcome statements were developed, reflecting the learning objectives identified in a previous study...

The rules for writing a research report are well defined but novice writers need more clarification on writing scholarly scientific papers for publication. The purpose of this paper is to enable novice writers to confidently apply the skills of scientific writing to the development of a scholarly paper for publication. We highlight the importance of having a clearly defined question or clarity in focus before moving on to consider the components of a scholarly paper including, the question, thesis, introduction, body, discussion, conclusion and finally, an abstract...

BACKGROUND: Inequitable maternity care provision in high-income countries contributes to ongoing poor outcomes for women of refugee backgrounds. To address barriers to quality maternity care and improve health equity, a co-designed maternity service incorporating community-based group antenatal care, onsite social worker and interpreters, continuity of midwifery carer through a caseload design with 24/7 phone access was implemented for women of refugee background. OBJECTIVE: To explore and describe women's experiences and perceptions of care from a dedicated Refugee Midwifery Group Practice service...

BACKGROUND: Research suggests 1 in 3 births are experienced as psychologically traumatic and about 4% of women and 1% of their partners develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result. AIM: To provide expert consensus recommendations for practice, policy, and research and theory. METHOD: Two consultations (n = 65 and n = 43) with an international group of expert researchers and clinicians from 33 countries involved in COST Action CA18211; three meetings with CA18211 group leaders and stakeholders; followed by review and feedback from people with lived experience and CA18211 members (n = 238)...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

PROBLEM: Models of care for women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have evolved in an ad hoc way and do not meet women's needs. BACKGROUND: GDM affects 50,000 Australian women per annum with prevalence quadrupling in the last ten years. Many health services are struggling to provide a quality service. People with diabetes are calling for care that focuses on their wellbeing more broadly. AIM: To examine the holistic (emotional, social, economic, and spiritual) care needs of women with GDM...

BACKGROUND: Women referred to social work services during pregnancy are more likely to experience social disadvantage than those who are not, resulting in reduced antenatal care attendance. Lack of antenatal care engagement leads to poor identification and management of concerns that can have immediate and long-term health consequences for women and their babies. Identifying the barriers and enablers to antenatal care attendance for women referred to social work services is important for designing models of care that promote effective engagement...

BACKGROUND: Previous research indicates disparities in the care of bereaved parents and siblings following a stillbirth in the family. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effects of interventions aimed at reducing psychological distress among parents or siblings in high-income countries after experiencing a stillbirth. METHODS: The databases CINAHL, Medline, PsycInfo, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE were searched in August 2022. RESULTS: Four intervention studies from the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), Finland, and Australia, met the inclusion criteria...

PROBLEM: Midwives all over the world have had to adapt to the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The issue of how they managed to support birthing women, despite the use of PPE, has been insufficiently studied. BACKGROUND: Midwives support birthing women in one of their most life-changing situations. Having COVID-19 at the time of childbirth makes birthing women even more vulnerable. PPE has been shown to impact the ability of providing support to birthing women...

BACKGROUND: To reduce transmission risk during the COVID-19 pandemic, 'telehealth' (health care delivered via telephone/video-conferencing) was implemented into Australian maternity services. Whilst some reports on telehealth implementation ensued, there was scant evidence on women and midwives' perspectives regarding telehealth use. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted in Australia during 2020-2021 using two data sources from the Birth in the Time of COVID-19 (BITTOC) study: i) interviews and ii) surveys (open-text responses)...

PURPOSE: Common mental disorders (non-psychotic mental health conditions which impact on day-to-day functioning) are increasingly common in childbearing women and may impact significantly on both maternal and neonatal outcomes. Our study examines the associations between common mental disorders and perinatal outcomes. METHODS: We used routinely collected perinatal data (2009-2016) for this population-based retrospective cohort study (n = 597,522 singleton births)...

PROBLEM: Behaviours, such as smoking, alcohol use, unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity and vaccination non-adherence may lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes. BACKGROUND: Pregnancy has been identified as an opportune time for midwives to support women to make health behaviour changes. AIM: To synthesise existing qualitative research exploring midwives' experiences of discussing health behaviour change with women within routine care. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted across: Maternity and Infant Care, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts...

PROBLEM: Early pregnancy losses [EPL] are common, varied, and require different courses of management and care. BACKGROUND: In the UK, women who suspect or suffer a pregnancy loss are usually provided specialist care in early pregnancy assessment units [EPAUs]. Their configuration has recently been evaluated, but recommendations for change in-line with best practice for optimum outcomes were unable to be implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic health system shock...

BACKGROUND: Working with bereaved parents in co-designed stillbirth research, policy and practice is essential to improving care and outcomes. PROBLEM: Effective parent engagement is often lacking. This may be due to bereaved parents not feeling adequately and appropriately supported to be involved. AIM: To consult bereaved parents with the aim to understand their experiences, attitudes, and needs around involvement in stillbirth research and gain feedback about the usefulness and appropriateness of a proposed co-designed guide to support their involvement, including content and design aspects of this resource...

BACKGROUND: Just over 300,000 women give birth in Australia each year. It is important for health care providers, managers, and policy makers know what women want from their care so services can be provided appropriately. This review is a part of the Midwifery Futures Project, which aims to prepare the midwifery workforce to best address the needs of women. The aim of this review was to describe and analyse current literature on the maternity care needs of women in Australia. METHODS: A scoping review methodology was used, guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute framework...