Midwife, midwifery

BACKGROUND: Midwives provide counselling for birth plans (BPs) to women during prenatal care; however, the impact of individualised BP counselling interventions based on shared decision-making (SDM) regarding women's preferences is unknown. METHODS: This randomised cluster trial included four primary healthcare units. Midwives provided BP counselling based on SDM to women in the intervention group (IG) during prenatal care along with a handout about evidence-based recommendations...

BACKGROUND: Learning is a lifelong process and the workplace is an essential arena for professional learning. Workplace learning is particularly relevant for midwives as essential knowledge and skills are gained through clinical work. A clinical practice known as 'Collegial Midwifery Assistance' (CMA), which involves two midwives being present during the active second stage of labour, was found to reduce severe perineal trauma by 30% in the Oneplus trial. Research regarding learning associated with CMA, however, is lacking...

BACKGROUND: Midwifery specialisation was introduced in 1993 as a response to escalating maternal and neonatal mortalities and shortage of physicians in rural parts of South Africa. Basic midwives enrolled into a postgraduate midwifery qualification to extend their knowledge and skills which enabled them to manage complicated obstetric conditions. The postgraduate midwifery qualification rendered them midwife specialists upon completion of the course. Yet, MS remain underutilised in clinical facilities due to limiting practice regulations and fear of medico-legal litigations, leading to forfeiture of skills...

OBJECTIVE: This research aims to develop a nursing assessment tool, based on Gordon's Health Functional Patterns, through a content validation by a committee of experts, applying a Delphi technique. DESIGN: An assessment instrument with 53 items has been designed. SITE: It is carried out within the framework of a doctoral thesis, for its implementation by midwives of Primary Health Care. PARTICIPANTS: The committee was made up of 16 professionals with a hide clinical, teaching and research experience who all participated in the entire validation process...

PROBLEM: Burnout and the psychological co-morbidities stress, anxiety and depression have a significant impact on healthcare providers, including midwives. These conditions impact the quality of care provided to women, and midwives' ability to remain in the profession. BACKGROUND: There is growing concern regarding the retention of maternity care providers in Canada, particularly midwives. Nationally, 33% of Canadian midwives are seriously considering leaving practice; impacts of the profession on work-life-balance and mental health being commonly cited reasons...

BACKGROUND: Midwife-led birth centres (MLBCs) are associated with reduced childbirth interventions, higher satisfaction rates, and improved birth outcomes. The evidence on quality of care in MLBCs from low and middle-income countries (LMIC) is limited. AIM: This study aimed to explore the perceptions of women and midwives regarding the quality of care in four MLBCs in Uganda. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted in four MLBCs in Uganda...

PURPOSE: As the largest profession within the health care workforce, nurses and midwives play a critical role in the health and wellness of families especially children and infants. This study suggests those countries with higher nurse and midwife densities (NMD) had lower infant mortality rates (IMR). DESIGN AND METHODS: With affluence, low birthweight and urbanization incorporated as potential confounders, this ecological study analyzed the correlations between NMD and IMR with scatterplots, Pearson r correlation, partial correlation and multiple linear regression models...

There are numerous recognized benefits of breastfeeding; however, sociocultural, individual, and environmental factors influence its initiation and continuation, sometimes leading to breastfeeding rates that are lower than recommended by international guidelines. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a group intervention led by midwives supporting breastfeeding during the postpartum period in promoting exclusive breastfeeding, as well as to assess the impact of this intervention on perceived self-efficacy...

BACKGROUND: Midwives are primary providers of care for childbearing women globally and there is a need to establish whether there are differences in effectiveness between midwife continuity of care models and other models of care. This is an update of a review published in 2016. OBJECTIVES: To compare the effects of midwife continuity of care models with other models of care for childbearing women and their infants. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Trials Register, ClinicalTrials...

BACKGROUND: Maternity care increasingly aims to achieve Shared Decision-making (SDM), yet seemingly not to the benefit of clients with low health literacy (HL). We developed an SDM training for healthcare professionals (HCPs) and a conversation aid to support HL-sensitive SDM in maternity care. METHODS: The training and conversation aid were based on previous needs assessments and expert consultation, and were developed in co-creation with clients ( n  = 15) and HCPs ( n  = 7)...

AIM: This study explores the experiences of interprofessional collaboration of Canadian midwives and obstetricians from midwives' perspective. DESIGN: A concurrent mixed-methods approach that combined a small validation study and qualitative thematic analysis was used to provide evidence of the nature and importance of collaboration between Registered Midwives (RMs) and obstetricians. METHOD: Eighteen RMs across Canada completed a demographic survey and the Midwifery-Obstetrician Collaboration (MOC) scale in 2023...

BACKGROUND: Preventing readmission to hospital after giving birth is a key priority, as rates have been rising along with associated costs. There are many contributing factors to readmission, and some are thought to be preventable. Nurse and midwife understaffing has been linked to deficits in care quality. This study explores the relationship between staffing levels and readmission rates in maternity settings. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective longitudinal study using routinely collected individual patient data in three maternity services in England from 2015 to 2020...

INTRODUCTION: Besides the well-known negative effects on physical and psychological well-being, burnout has been associated with high attrition and absenteeism in the midwifery profession. This study explores whether burnout in midwifery can be explained by the midwives' type of personality and the sense of empowerment they experience at work. Moreover, the study identifies areas of improvement in relation to these topics and elements that can be conducive to strengthening the midwifery workforce...

BACKGROUND: Despite the prominent role of midwives in improving the health of women and families, limited studies have been conducted in the occupational and organizational field and their role on the performance of this group. The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between organizational health, burnout, and job stress among midwives working in hospitals affiliated to Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study is a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study, which was conducted with available sampling method on 159 midwives working in hospitals affiliated to Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences in 2020...

BACKGROUND: The purpose of cardiotocograph (CTG) usage is to detect any alterations in fetal heart rate (FHR) early before they are prolonged and profound. However, the use of CTG machines on a routine basis is not an evidence-supported practice. There is no Jordanian study that assesses the midwives' attitudes toward this machine. This study aimed to identify Jordanian midwives' attitudes towards the use of cardiotocograph (CTG) machines in labor units, alongside examining the relationships between midwives' personal sociodemographic characteristics and such attitudes...

OBJECTIVE: At St. Olav's University Hospital in Trondheim, Norway, "Midwife Home" (MH) is an integrated home-based postnatal service for mothers who want early discharge (i.e. 6-24 h) after giving birth. The purpose of our study was to evaluate MH by (1) describing the characteristics of mother-newborn pairs followed up by MH to investigate whether the service has an appropriate target group; (2) describing the number and causes of possible readmissions for safety; (3) investigating whether MH follows the criteria set for the service; and (4) exploring whether the service facilitates continuity of care...

BACKGROUND: Independent inquiries have identified that appropriate staffing in maternity units is key to enabling quality care and minimising harm, but optimal staffing levels can be difficult to achieve when there is a shortage of midwives. The services provided and how they are staffed (total staffing, skill-mix and deployment) have been changing, and the effects of workforce changes on care quality and outcomes have not been assessed. This study aims to explore the association between daily midwifery staffing levels and the rate of reported harmful incidents affecting mothers and babies...

PROBLEM: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a complication of pregnancy which may exclude women from midwife-led models of care. BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of research evaluating the safety and feasibility of continuity of midwifery care (CoMC) for women with GDM. AIM: To investigate the impact of CoMC on maternal and neonatal outcomes, for otherwise low-risk women with GDM. METHODS: This exploratory cross-sectional study observed maternal and neonatal outcomes including onset of labour, augmentation, labour analgesia, mode of birth, perineal trauma, gestation at birth, shoulder dystocia, infant birth weight, neonatal feeding at discharge...

BACKGROUND: Maternal pushing during the second stage of labor could influence labor progress and maternal-neonatal outcomes. Although the image of health care providers directing the laboring women to push during the second stage of labor could be commonly observed globally, this practice is not sufficiently researched and is questioned regarding its effectiveness and outcomes on the mother and baby. Meanwhile, a strategy referred to as "spontaneous pushing," which supports women to push by following their bodily urges, has been evaluated in several trials...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge and perceptions of midwifery students regarding a midwifery-led model of care. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: A nursing college in North Karnataka, India. The midwifery-led care model is a relatively new concept in India. In 2018, guidelines on midwifery services in India were released during the Partners Forum held in New Delhi as the initiation of the model and with the support of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare...