BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure is an important modifiable cause of adverse fetal outcomes during and following pregnancy. Midwives are key providers of antenatal care, and it is important to understand the factors which influence their ability to provide appropriate advice and support to women about alcohol use in pregnancy. The main aim of this study was to develop a psychometrically val...

BACKGROUND A major change in the organisation of maternity care in the Netherlands is under consideration, going from an echelon system where midwives provide primary care in the community and refer to obstetricians for secondary and tertiary care, to a more integrated maternity care system involving midwives and obstetricians at all care levels. Student midwives are the future maternity care p...

BACKGROUND The 14 countries that are scaling up voluntary male medical circumcision (VMMC) for HIV prevention are also considering early infant male circumcision (EIMC) to ensure longer-term reductions in HIV incidence. The cost of implementing EIMC is an important factor in scale-up decisions. We conducted a comparative cost analysis of EIMC performed by nurse-midwives and doctors using the Ac...

BACKGROUND The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and complementary and alternative therapies (CAT) during pregnancy is increasing. Scientific evidence for CAM and CAT in the field of obstetrics mainly covers pain relief in labor. Midwives are responsible for labor and delivery care: hence, their knowledge of CAM and CAT is important. The aims of this study are to describe the ...

OBJECTIVES Weight-related stereotypes may have a detrimental impact on interactions between midwives and pregnant women with a body mass index (BMI) outside the recommended range of 18-30kg/m2. This paper explores the reciprocal construal of midwives and pregnant women with a raised BMI and considers the clinical implications of these constructs. PARTICIPANTS Ten pregnant women with a BMI≥30k...

We read with interest McCance and Cameron’s article reporting the experiences and views of qualified midwives on giving postpartum contraceptive advice in the July 2014 issue of the Journal. We would like to draw readers’ attention to a complementary study that we carried out with final-year student midwives on a 3-year midwifery programme in a UK university. 3 This study reflects McCance and C...

pillow. Her countenance indicated exhaustion, and she did not wish to be disturbed ; preferring, as she said, death to any further interference. Her friends stated that labour pains set in four days before, and that the membranes broke and the waters were discharged thirty hours previous to my visit. The pains having been slight, and the labour having made no advance, midwives of repute were se...

Prior to 2006 Irish midwifery education was available only in the form of postgraduate inhospital training to registered nurses. Since 2006 midwifery education continues to be offered as a postgraduate course but it is also available as a direct entry undergraduate programme in a number of Irish third level institutions. In line with these changes in Irish midwifery education, the National Coun...

OBJECTIVE To learn lessons from a traditional midwifery workforce in Western Kenya. DESIGN With the assistance of an interpreter, qualitative data was collected during in-depth individual and group interviews with traditional midwives. English components of the interviews were transcribed verbatim and the data thematically analysed. SETTING A rural, economically disadvantaged area of Wester...