Speaker: Susana Ku
Facilitator: Paola Wilkin
We are a growing transnational collective consisting of members from the Global South and North, including midwives, doulas, scholars, educators, and mothers calling for an expansion of midwifery research to include what we coin “Critical Midwifery Studies”. We envision a Critical Midwifery Studies that uses three principles: 1.engagement and collaboration with rapidly developing fields within critical theory, 2.midwifery-led, 3. self-critical (developing ways to implement critical theory into practice). Systemic injustice is a threat to sexual, reproductive, maternal, and newborn health, hence the application of the art and science of midwifery. The effects of this injustice are reflected in the high maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality rates in formerly colonized countries of the Global South, in marginalized communities of the Global North, and in underprivileged classes around the world. We aim for an open discussion about midwifery research, education, practice, policy, and regulations, that are largely White and Western-centric, using positivistic and universalist principles of biomedical research. Although we recognize the global struggle for legitimacy that midwives face as they work to make their models of care more accessible, this coincides with pressure to engage with dominant and dominating paradigms, using language and approaches that are valued by regimes of power.
Our presentation will include a summary of our experience launching the first bilingual summer school for Critical Midwifery Studies held on July 2022, with delegates around the world. We will explain how our collective planned this activity including principles of equity and accessibility https://tinyurl.com/yc55dbw6.
Recording: https://youtu.be/TKrSfdmC9nM
Speaker: Jialu Qian
Facilitator: Heather Brigance
Purpose: The psychological outcomes for many parents who experience perinatal loss depend on nurses’ and midwives’ ability to provide effective bereavement support. However, most nurses and midwives lack the ability in this field. The aim of the study was to explore obstetric nurses and midwifery professionals’ experiences with the Perinatal Bereavement Care Training Programme (PBCTP) after implementation.
Method: This qualitative study was conducted at a tertiary level maternity hospital in China. The PBCTP was implemented from March to May 2022. A total of 127 nurses and 44 midwives were invited to participate in the training. Obstetric nurses and midwives studied a 5-module training programme comprised of 8 online theoretical courses. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 12 obstetric nurses and 4 midwives from May to July 2022 as a post-intervention evaluation. Thematic analysis was used in the data analysis.
Results: Six main themes within participants’ experiences of PBCTP intervention were identified: aims of the training; personal growth and practice changes after training; the most valuable training content; suggestions for training improvement; directions for practice improvement; influencing factors of practice optimisation.
Conclusion: Nursing and midwifery professionals described the PBCTP as satisfying their learning and skills enhancement needs and supporting positive changes in their care providing for bereaved families. The optimised training programme should be widely applied in the future. More efforts from the hospitals, managers, obstetric nurses and midwives are needed to contribute to forming a uniform care pathway and promoting a supportive perinatal bereavement care practice.
Recording: https://youtu.be/sx7DJdpik9I
Speaker: Tracy Donegan
Facilitator: Portia Shanduka
80 – 90% of women who stop breastfeeding in the first six weeks are not ready to do so. Initiatives to improve breastfeeding rates have traditionally focused mainly on social policies, support and health promotion activities. In recent years therapeutic interventions such as mindfulness and self-compassion practices are emerging as an effective tool to increase breastfeeding self-efficacy while reducing mental health complications. Traditional antenatal breastfeeding preparation overlooks the influence of a dysregulated emotional state on breastfeeding outcomes. Antenatal breastfeeding classes are a prime opportunity for midwives to provide parents with evidence-based tools to manage psychological distress during this intense transition.
Mindfulness practices support parents to manage emotional turmoil and overwhelm including those who may experience breastfeeding grief. A mindful breastfeeding class can prepare parents with more than position, latch and newborn nursing information. This hybrid approach facilitates the development of cognitive skills to cultivate mental flexibility and emotional resilience to meet common challenges of early breastfeeding with self-compassion and self-kindness. This is critically important for parents with a baby in NICU who are at increased risk of developing mental health complications due to high stress levels. Recent primary evidence suggests that a mindfulness based approach to breastfeeding and postpartum is associated with an increase in breastfeeding initiation, duration, self-efficacy, parenting confidence and improved relationship quality. Infant mental health is also impacted positively.
Recording – https://youtu.be/X_5TJjN7PR0
Speaker: Patricia Marianella
Facilitator: Paloma Terra
El objetivo fue comparar los resultados materno-neonatales y costos de la resolución de embarazos, en mujeres obesas y con peso normal pregestacional.
Métodos: Estudio transversal realizado en 60 gestantes con obesidad y 120 con peso normal pregestacional atendidas en un hospital público de Lima durante el 2018, seleccionadas aleatoriamente. Se recolectaron datos sociodemográficos, indicadores maternos (índice de masa corporal pregestacional, controles prenatales, edad gestacional, días de hospitalización), neonatales (Apgar, peso, morbilidad, edad gestacional por examen físico, días de hospitalización) y datos de los costos (medicamentos, procedimientos e insumos). Se utilizó la prueba estadística U de Mann Whitney.
Resultados: Se encontraron diferencias entre mujeres obesas y con peso normal pregestacional en los días de hospitalización materna (3 ±1,2 días vs 2,0 ±1,2 días; p=0,000); en el peso del recién nacido (3 615 ± 518,03 gr vs 3 245 ± 426,25 gr; p=0,000), en el costo de medicamentos ($ 19,78 ±16,47 vs $ 3,21 ±15,57; p=0,000), en el costo de procedimientos ($ 40,65 ±46,78 vs $ 27,67 ±49,47; p=0,001), y en el costo de insumos ($ 54,08 ±29,02 vs $ 9,32 ±28,26; p=0,000).
Conclusión: Las mujeres obesas presentaron recién nacidos con mayor peso, contaron con más días de hospitalización y los costos de medicamentos, procedimientos e insumos fueron superiores en comparación con las mujeres de peso normal.
English:
The objective was to compare maternal-neonatal outcomes and costs of pregnancy resolution in obese women and women with normal pregestational weight. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in 60 pregnant women, randomly selected, with obesity and 120 with normal pregestational weight attended in a public hospital in Lima during 2018. Sociodemographic data, maternal indicators (pregestational body mass index, prenatal controls, gestational age, days of hospitalization), neonatal (Apgar, weight, morbidity, gestational age by physical examination, days of hospitalization) and cost data (drugs, procedures and supplies) were collected. The Mann Whitney U statistical test was used. Results: Differences were found between obese and pregestational normal weight women in maternal hospitalization days (3 ±1.2 days vs. 2.0 ±1.2 days; p=0.000); in newborn weight (3 615 ± 518.03 gr vs. 3 245 ± 426.25 gr; p=0.000), in the cost of medications ($ 19.78 ±16.47 vs $ 3.21 ±15.57; p=0.000), in the cost of procedures ($ 40.65 ±46.78 vs $ 27.67 ±49.47; p=0.001), and in the cost of supplies ($ 54.08 ±29.02 vs $ 9.32 ±28.26; p=0.000).Conclusion: Obese women had heavier newborns, more days of hospitalization and the costs of medications, procedures and supplies were higher compared to women of normal weight.
Recording: https://youtu.be/McAV7M1Ub4M
Speaker: Belle Bruce
Facilitator: Louela Cordova-Acedara
Abstract:
Background: There is a major research gap relating to the impact of intravenous (IV) fluids administration during labour on maternal and neonatal outcomes. It is biologically plausible that a relationship between volume of IV fluids and primary postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) exists. Aim: To investigate the relationship between intrapartum IV fluids and PPH. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in a tertiary hospital from September 2021 to September 2022. Inclusion criteria were singleton pregnancy, planning a vaginal birth, and admitted for labour and birth care between 37-42 weeks gestation. The study factor was IV fluids during labour. The primary outcome was primary PPH. Birth and postnatal data were obtained from the electronic medical records and paper fluid order documentation. Secondary outcomes included caesarean section and neonatal weight loss following birth. Results: 1023 participants were included of which 339 had a PPH (33.1%). Our main finding was that there was no association between high-volume IV fluids (≥2.5L) and PPH after adjusting for demographic and clinical factors (ORadj1.02 CI: 0.72, 1.44). However, there was a positive association between high-volume IV fluids and caesarean section (ORadj 1.99; CI: 1.4, 2.8) and neonatal weight loss (ORadj 1.8; CI: 1.09, 2.0). Conclusions: These findings are important to further knowledge relating to the administration of IV fluids in labour and the potential impact of this common practice. It identifies future research priorities around documentation of IV fluids and their relationship with pregnancy and perinatal outcomes.
Recording: https://youtu.be/sjOijsnYkWM
