Midwifery

The lived experience of women with a high-risk pregnancy: A phenomenology investigation

Pregnancy is a time of transformation, hope, expectation, and worry for women and their families – none more so than when the pregnancy is at-risk. The objective of this study was to describe the lived experience of women during high-risk pregnancy.

Midwifery

Patterns of delivery assistance among adolescent mothers in Nigeria

This study examined the sociodemographic and sociocultural factors associated with the pattern of birth assistance used among adolescent mothers aged 15–19 in Nigeria.

Midwifery

“After having a waterbirth, I feel like it's the only way people should deliver babies”: The decision making process of women who plan a waterbirth

To explore the decision making process of women who seek to give birth in water

Midwifery

Evaluation of women's worries in different strategies for the prevention of early onset group B streptococcal disease in neonates

: Early onset group B streptococcal (EOGBS) disease is an important cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. EOGBS preventive strategies aim to reduce the risk of neonatal complications. Two new strategies to prevent EOGBS were implemented in two regions in the Netherlands: a risk-based and a combination strategy and were compared to the Dutch strategy in a third region. Little is known how women feel about preventive EOGBS strategies, the consequences for management during labour, side effects such as harm caused by over prescribing of antibiotics or anxiety caused by screening.

Midwifery

Exploring the validity of allostatic load in pregnant women

The theory of allostatic load has gained momentum in perinatal research to understand the biological pathways of the impact of maternal chronic stress on adverse perinatal outcomes. However, due to physiological changes of pregnancy, including large variations across gestation, the extent to which allostatic load measured in pregnancy is valid has not been queried in depth.

Midwifery

Breastfeeding support in low and middle-income countries: Secondary analysis of national survey data

Early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding can reduce infant mortality. Breastfeeding support interventions such as counselling may improve adherence to recommended practices. However, it is not known if these interventions work at the population level.

Midwifery

Dimensions in women's experience of the perinatal period

A positive experience of the perinatal period is significant for women in midwifery care. The literature on women's experiences of the care in this period is extensive. However, a clear overview of the dimensions important for women's experiences is lacking. Consequently, care providers and researchers may ignore aspects significant to women's experience. In this short communication, we present a framework identifying the dimensions relevant for women's experiences of the perinatal period.

Midwifery

Conceptualising women's perinatal well-being: A systematic review of theoretical discussions

Over the last two decades there has been an increasing interest in well-being as a focus of policy, practice and research. There is general agreement that well-being takes a more holistic approach and focuses not simply on the absence of illness. In its constitution, the World Health Organisation defines health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’. However, the concept of well-being still remains poorly defined and frequently appears to be used at a superficial level as ‘health and well-being’ to cover a wide range of concepts.

Midwifery

Barriers and facilitators in antenatal settings to screening and referral of pregnant women who use alcohol or other drugs: A qualitative study of midwives’ experience

Screening pregnant women for substance use is highly recommended in antenatal care settings. Although midwives provide routine screening for substance use and referral for treatment in pregnancy, little is known about the barriers and facilitators they experience.

Midwifery

The association between breastfeeding and attachment: A systematic review

Breastfeeding has multiple positive outcomes on child health, including benefits for the immune system, protection against sudden infant death, and prevention of early infections, diseases and obesity (Dieterich et al., 2013; Duijts et al., 2009; Hoddinott et al., 2008; Xanthou, 1998). The World Health Organization therefore recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life (World Health Organization, 2011). While the majority of research has focused on the physiological benefits of breastfeeding, potential psychological benefits have been studied less often (Else-Quest et al., 2003; Schmied et al., 2001).

Midwifery

Health professionals’ views of newborn pulse oximetry screening in a midwifery-led maternity setting. “It's a good thing to do, but fund it!”

Congenital heart defects in infants are the commonest congenital abnormality but even critical lesions can be difficult to identify clinically in the first days after birth during the period of physiological transition and while the ductus arteriosus remains patent (Wren et al., 2008). Accordingly, clinical assessment of newborns with congenital heart disease (CHD) within the first 24 h often yields normal findings (Abu-Harb et al., 1994; Saxena et al., 2015). Failure to make an early diagnosis of critical CHD leads to clinical compromise prior to infants receiving major surgery and is associated with increased infant mortality (Eckersley et al., 2016; Franklin et al., 2002).

Midwifery

Impact of parenting resources on breastfeeding, parenting confidence and relationships

Women's contact with health services during pregnancy and the postnatal period offer important opportunities to promote and support maternal wellbeing, breastfeeding and positive parenting practices. Breastfeeding supports the short and long-term health of both baby and mother (Victora et al., 2016). However, the decision to breastfeed is influenced by multiple complex factors at the individual, family, health system, and societal level (Dyson et al., 2009). Several studies have identified breastfeeding self-efficacy, defined as a mother's confidence in her ability to breastfeed her new infant, as an important factor in breastfeeding outcomes including duration and exclusivity (Blyth et al., 2008; Dennis, 2006).

Midwifery

Neonatal outcomes and its association among gestational diabetes mellitus with and without depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in Malaysia: A cross-sectional study

Prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in gestational diabetes mellitus ranges from 10.2% to 39.9% based on previous studies in Malaysia. Presence of depression, anxiety or stress in pregnancy may increase the risk of neonatal morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of neonatal outcomes and its association among mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus with and without the presence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in Malaysia.

Midwifery

Shared decision aids in pregnancy care: A scoping review

Decision aids (DAs), also known as client-centred decision tools (Vlemmix et al., 2013; Joseph-Williams et al., 2017; Stacey et al., 2017), clinical decision-making tools (Trevana et al., 2014), patient decision aids (Sepucha et al., 2018), shared decision-making tools (Elwyn et al., 2010), and decision support technologies (Elwyn et al., 2009), are interventions that support health consumers by making their decisions explicit, providing information about options and associated benefits/harms, and helping to clarify congruence between decisions and personal values (Stacey et al., 2017).

Midwifery

Development and psychometric properties of the maternal health needs scale in Chinese maternal women

There is very limited research on maternal health needs and no reliable validated research tools have been developed. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a Maternal Health Needs Scale (MHNS) in Chinese maternal women.

Midwifery

Health care providers’ perception of facilitators and barriers for the practice of skin-to-skin contact in Saudi Arabia: A qualitative study

To identify Health Care Providers’ (HCPs’) perceived facilitators, barriers and requirements for implementing the practice of Skin-to-Skin Contact (SSC) immediately after vaginal birth.

Midwifery

The Labour Progression Study (LaPS): Duration of labour following Zhang's guideline and the WHO partograph – A cluster randomised trial

To investigate labour duration in different phases of labour when adhering to Zhang's guideline for labour progression compared with the WHO partograph.

Archivos de la Memoria

El enfoque narrativo en el proceso terapéutico

La terapia ocupacional es una profesión en la que el enfoque centrado en la persona resulta esencial para el éxito del proceso terapéutico. El uso de la narrativa es una herramienta que favorece esta perspectiva ya que pone en valor la importancia de la identidad ocupacional de las personas y la búsqueda de significados. El propósito del presente artículo es reconocer el uso de la narrativa como parte del proceso de terapia ocupacional. A partir del análisis de fuentes bibliográficas profesionales y de fuentes orales se identifica el enfoque narrativo como un componente esencial en el proceso terapéutico que está ligado a los valores inherentes de la profesión. El uso de la narrativa aparece en tres momentos clave del proceso terapéutico: evaluación, plan de intervención y revisión de los resultados lo que resulta de utilidad para comprender la realidad de las personas y orientar eficazmente la intervención terapéutica. Concluimos que la aplicación de este enfoque plantea oportunidades y desafíos para la profesión que pueden constituir una interesante área de investigación.

Archivos de la Memoria

Con una teta menos y un corazón más

La salud y la enfermedad, la vida pero también la muerte, el dolor y la pérdida, momentos en los que los cuidados de una enfermera van más allá de lo que cualquier otro profesional podría dar. Transmitir apoyo, confianza y seguridad en este trance de la vida, pero sobre todo llegar al pacien-te y a su familia, las convierten en las profesionales más humanizadas de la sanidad. El brillo de cada una de ellas está en su interior, sólo hay que percibirlo.

Archivos de la Memoria

El enfoque narrativo en el proceso terapéutico

La terapia ocupacional es una profesión en la que el enfoque centrado en la persona resulta esencial para el éxito del proceso terapéutico. El uso de la narrativa es una herramienta que favorece esta perspectiva ya que pone en valor la importancia de la identidad ocupacional de las personas y la búsqueda de significados. El propósito del presente artículo es reconocer el uso de la narrativa como parte del proceso de terapia ocupacional. A partir del análisis de fuentes bibliográficas profesionales y de fuentes orales se identifica el enfoque narrativo como un componente esencial en el proceso terapéutico que está ligado a los valores inherentes de la profesión. El uso de la narrativa aparece en tres momentos clave del proceso terapéutico: evaluación, plan de intervención y revisión de los resultados lo que resulta de utilidad para comprender la realidad de las personas y orientar eficazmente la intervención terapéutica. Concluimos que la aplicación de este enfoque plantea oportunidades y desafíos para la profesión que pueden constituir una interesante área de investigación.