Speaker: Jessica Brumley
Facilitator: Caitlin Goodwin
Midwifery has played a critical role in maternal and newborn care throughout our history, yet its integration into the healthcare system has been marked by challenges and transformation. This presentation explores the historical trajectory of midwifery. The current landscape highlights a growing recognition of midwifery’s benefits, including improved maternal outcomes, reduced interventions, and enhanced patient-centered care. Despite this progress, barriers such as restrictive regulations, inconsistent legislative policies, and disparities in access persist.
Looking ahead, the future of midwifery integration depends on policy reform, interprofessional collaboration, and public awareness to strengthen midwives’ role in addressing the maternal health crisis. A strong professional association is critical in advancing the midwifery agenda and strengthening the profession.
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Speaker: Roisin Lennon
Facilitator: Adebukunola Olajumoke Afolabi
Background: Labour hopscotch, a visual tool that encourages activity during pregnancy and childbirth, has been used in one advanced midwife practitioner (AMP) service since 2017 and in Ireland since 2020. A rise in caesarean births and birth weights over 4kg, prompted the introduction of targeted weight gain as per Institute of Medicines (IOM) guidelines in 2022. Conversations about healthy eating and exercise in pregnancy occur at each antenatal visit with the labour hopscotch being a visual prompt to facilitate fetal optimal positioning.
Findings: Annual retrospective audits of both interventions have demonstrated the benefits of using them. Body mass index (BMI) rates over 25 account for 61-63% of the AMP caseload. Excess weight gain was 24% (2023) and 29% (2024) with a resulting EMCS rate of 42% (2023) and 29% (2024) which is higher than the AMP 16% (2023) and 19% (2024). Before the interventions, there was a 57% spontaneous onset of labour (SOL) rate, with 33% birthing before 41 weeks. After the implementation, there was a 72% SOL rate 2023 and 73% 2024. In 2023 92% birthed before 41 weeks and 83% in 2024. IOL dropped from 43% to 28% (2023) and 27% (2024), with emergency caesarean section (EMCS) rates following induction dropping from 33% to 23% (2023) and 25% (2024).
Conclusions: Pregnancy is an opportunity to encourage healthy eating and exercise. These interventions should be viewed as a long-term investment by reducing maternal and childhood complications associated with excess pregnancy weight gain as demonstrated in these retrospective audits
Speaker: Jamie Hanson
Facilitator: Celine Lemay
Non-access to Perinatal mental health services for Black African Women can lead to increased perinatal morbidity and mortality in relation to mental health. Three quarters of Black and Brown Women’s morbidity is associated with suicide in the postnatal period, and they are more likely to experience adverse outcomes during pregnancy and the postnatal period compared to white women (MBRRACE, 2023). Health inequalities within maternity services also increase the risk of mental health challenges which is exacerbated by unemployment, poverty and homelessness which adds to the challenges of the women accessing perinatal mental health services (Rothman et al, 2020). There is also the associated stigma within the Black African community in declaring mental health challenges and it being viewed as ‘shameful’ and embarrassing to admit to feeling depression leading to alienation and preventing the women form seeking help from health professionals (Watson et al, 2019). The reluctance to access support is also compounded by negative experiences from health professionals and engagement with primary care (Edge and Mackian, 2010). What we don’t know is how the women can be supported in accessing services and what is required to be on place. The contribution to knowledge is exploring and describing attitudes to perinatal mental health, listening to the women’s voices and understanding the service and how it can be improved. Methods An Exploratory Descriptive Qualitative (EDQ) study design was employed which allows for a social constructivist and interpretivist approach (Reid and Happell, 2012).
