A metasynthesis of midwife-led care

Midwife-led continuity models versus other models of care for childbearing women

BACKGROUND

Midwives are primary providers of care for childbearing women around the world. However, there is a lack of synthesised information to establish whether there are differences in morbidity and mortality, effectiveness and psychosocial outcomes between midwife-led continuity models and other models of care.

OBJECTIVES

To compare midwife-led continuity models of care with other models of care for childbearing women and their infants.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (31 May 2015) and reference lists of retrieved studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

All published and unpublished trials in which pregnant women are randomly allocated to midwife-led continuity models of care or other models of care during pregnancy and birth.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion and risk of bias, extracted data and checked them for accuracy.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 15 trials involving 17,674 women. We assessed the quality of the trial evidence for all primary outcomes (i.e., regional analgesia (epidural/spinal), caesarean birth, instrumental vaginal birth (forceps/vacuum), spontaneous vaginal birth, intact perineum, preterm birth (less than 37 weeks) and overall fetal loss and neonatal death (fetal loss was assessed by gestation using 24 weeks as the cut-off for viability in many countries) using the GRADE methodology: All primary outcomes were graded as of high quality.For the primary outcomes, women who had midwife-led continuity models of care were less likely to experience regional analgesia (average risk ratio (RR) 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78 to 0.92; participants = 17,674; studies = 14; high quality), instrumental vaginal birth (average RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.97; participants = 17,501; studies = 13; high quality), preterm birth less than 37 weeks (average RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.91; participants = 13,238; studies = 8; high quality) and less overall fetal/neonatal death (average RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.99; participants = 17,561; studies = 13; high quality evidence). Women who had midwife-led continuity models of care were more likely to experience spontaneous vaginal birth (average RR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.07; participants = 16,687; studies = 12; high quality). There were no differences between groups for caesarean births or intact perineum.For the secondary outcomes, women who had midwife-led continuity models of care were less likely to experience amniotomy (average RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.98; participants = 3253; studies = 4), episiotomy (average RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.92; participants = 17,674; studies = 14) and fetal loss/neonatal death before 24 weeks (average RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.98; participants = 15,645; studies = 11). Women who had midwife-led continuity models of care were more likely to experience no intrapartum analgesia/anaesthesia (average RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.37; participants = 10,499; studies = 7), have a longer mean length of labour (hours) (mean difference (MD) 0.50, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.74; participants = 3328; studies = 3) and more likely to be attended at birth by a known midwife (average RR 7.04, 95% CI 4.48 to 11.08; participants = 6917; studies = 7). There were no differences between groups for fetal loss or neonatal death more than or equal to 24 weeks, induction of labour, antenatal hospitalisation, antepartum haemorrhage, augmentation/artificial oxytocin during labour, opiate analgesia, perineal laceration requiring suturing, postpartum haemorrhage, breastfeeding initiation, low birthweight infant, five-minute Apgar score less than or equal to seven, neonatal convulsions, admission of infant to special care or neonatal intensive care unit(s) or in mean length of neonatal hospital stay (days).Due to a lack of consistency in measuring women's satisfaction and assessing the cost of various maternity models, these outcomes were reported narratively. The majority of included studies reported a higher rate of maternal satisfaction in midwife-led continuity models of care. Similarly, there was a trend towards a cost-saving effect for midwife-led continuity care compared to other care models.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

This review suggests that women who received midwife-led continuity models of care were less likely to experience intervention and more likely to be satisfied with their care with at least comparable adverse outcomes for women or their infants than women who received other models of care.Further research is needed to explore findings of fewer preterm births and fewer fetal deaths less than 24 weeks, and overall fetal loss/neonatal death associated with midwife-led continuity models of care.

A systematic review and critical appraisal of qualitative metasynthetic practice in public health to develop a taxonomy of operations of reciprocal translation

INTRODUCTION

Reciprocal translation, the understanding of one study's findings in terms of another's, is the foundation of most qualitative metasynthetic methods. In light of the proliferation of metasynthesis methods, the current review sought to create a taxonomy of operations of reciprocal translation using recently published qualitative metasyntheses.

METHODS

On 19 August 2013, MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO were searched. Included articles were full reports of metasyntheses of qualitative studies published in 2012 in English-language peer-reviewed journals. Two reviewers, working independently, screened records, assessed full texts for inclusion and extracted data on methods from each included metasynthesis. Systematic review methods used were summarised, and metasynthetic methods were inductively analysed to develop the taxonomy.

RESULTS

Of 61 included metasyntheses, 21 (34%) reported fully replicable search strategies and 51 (84%) critically appraised included studies. Based on methods in these metasyntheses, we developed a taxonomy of reciprocal translation with four overlapping categories: visual representation; key paper integration; data reduction and thematic extraction; and line-by-line coding.

DISCUSSION

This systematic review presents an update on methods and reporting currently used in qualitative metasynthesis. It also goes beyond the proliferation of approaches to offer a parsimonious approach to understanding how reciprocal translations are accomplished across metasynthetis methods.

What value is the CINAHL database when searching for systematic reviews of qualitative studies?

BACKGROUND

The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) is generally thought to be a good source to search when conducting a review of qualitative evidence. Case studies have suggested that using CINAHL could be essential for reviews of qualitative studies covering topics in the nursing field, but it is unclear whether this can be extended more generally to reviews of qualitative studies in other topic areas.

METHODS

We carried out a retrospective analysis of a sample of systematic reviews of qualitative studies to investigate CINAHL's potential contribution to identifying the evidence. In particular, we planned to identify the percentage of included studies available in CINAHL and the percentage of the included studies unique to the CINAHL database. After screening 58 qualitative systematic reviews identified from the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), we created a sample set of 43 reviews covering a range of topics including patient experience of both illnesses and interventions.

RESULTS

For all 43 reviews (21 %) in our sample, we found that some of the included studies were available in CINAHL. For nine of these reviews, all the studies that had been included in the final synthesis were available in the CINAHL database, so it could have been possible to identify all the included studies using just this one database, while for an additional 21 reviews (49 %), 80 % or more of the included studies were available in CINAHL. Consequently, for a total of 30 reviews, or 70 % of our sample, 80 % or more of the studies could be identified using CINAHL alone. 11 reviews, where we were able to recheck all the databases used by the original review authors, had included a study that was uniquely identified from the CINAHL database. The median % of unique studies was 9.09%; while the range had a lowest value of 5.0% to the highest value of 33.0%. [corrected].

CONCLUSIONS

Assuming a rigorous search strategy was used and the records sought were accurately indexed, we could expect CINAHL to be a good source of primary studies for qualitative evidence syntheses. While we found some indication that CINAHL had the potential to provide unique studies for systematic reviews, we could only fully test this on a limited number of reviews, so we are less confident about this finding.

Midwives' experiences of labour care in midwifery units. A qualitative interview study in a Norwegian setting

OBJECTIVE

In some economically developed countries, women's choice of birth care and birth place is encouraged. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of midwives who started working in alongside/free-standing midwifery units (AMU/FMU) and their experiences with labour care in this setting.

METHODS

A qualitative explorative design using a phenomenographic approach was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten strategically sampled midwives working in midwifery units.

RESULTS

The analysis revealed the following five categories of experiences noted by the midwives: mixed emotions and de-learning obstetric unit habits, revitalising midwifery philosophy, alertness and preparedness, presence and patience, and coping with time.

CONCLUSIONS

Starting to work in an AMU/FMU can be a distressing period for a midwife. First, it may require de-learning the medical approach to birth, and, second, it may entail a revitalisation (and re-learning) of birth care that promotes physiological birth. Midwifery, particularly in FMUs, requires an especially careful assessment of the labouring process, the ability to be foresighted, and capability in emergencies. The autonomy of midwives may be constrained also in AMUs/FMUs. However, working in these settings is also viewed as experiencing "the art of midwifery" and enables revitalisation of the midwifery philosophy.

Exploration of preterm birth rates associated with different models of antenatal midwifery care in Scotland: Unmatched retrospective cohort analysis

OBJECTIVES

preterm birth represents a significant personal, clinical, organisational and financial burden. Strategies to reduce the preterm birth rate have had limited success. Limited evidence indicates that certain antenatal care models may offer some protection, although the causal mechanism is not understood. We sought to compare preterm birth rates for mixed-risk pregnant women accessing antenatal care organised at a freestanding midwifery unit (FMU) and mixed-risk pregnant women attending an obstetric unit (OU) with related community-based antenatal care.

METHODS

unmatched retrospective 4-year Scottish cohort analysis (2008-2011) of mixed-risk pregnant women accessing (i) FMU antenatal care (n=1107); (ii) combined community-based and OU antenatal care (n=7567). Data were accessed via the Information and Statistics Division of the NHS in Scotland. Aggregates analysis and binary logistic regression were used to compare the cohorts׳ rates of preterm birth; and of spontaneous labour onset, use of pharmacological analgesia, unassisted vertex birth, and low birth weight. Odds ratios were adjusted for age, parity, deprivation score and smoking status in pregnancy.

FINDINGS

after adjustment the 'mixed risk' FMU cohort had a statistically significantly reduced risk of preterm birth (5.1% [n=57] versus 7.7% [n=583]; AOR 0.73 [95% CI 0.55-0.98]; p=0.034). Differences in these secondary outcome measures were also statistically significant: spontaneous labour onset (FMU 83.9% versus OU 74.6%; AOR 1.74 [95% CI 1.46-2.08]; p<0.001); minimal intrapartum analgesia (FMU 53.7% versus OU 34.4%; AOR 2.17 [95% CI 1.90-2.49]; p<0.001); spontaneous vertex delivery (FMU 71.9% versus OU 63.5%; AOR 1.46 [95% CI 1.32-1.78]; p<0.001). Incidence of low birth weight was not statistically significant after adjustment for other variables. There was no significant difference in the rate of perinatal or neonatal death.

CONCLUSIONS

given this study׳s methodological limitations, we can only claim associations between the care model and or chosen outcomes. Although both cohorts were mixed risk, differences in risk levels could have contributed to these findings. Nevertheless, the significant difference in preterm birth rates in this study resonates with other research, including the recent Cochrane review of midwife-led continuity models. Because of the multiplicity of risk factors for preterm birth we need to explore the salient features of the FMU model which may be contributing to this apparent protective effect. Because a randomised controlled trial would necessarily restrict choice to pregnant women, we feel that this option is problematic in exploring this further. We therefore plan to conduct a prospective matched cohort analysis together with a survey of unit practices and experiences.

How does group antenatal care function within a caseload midwifery model? A critical ethnographic analysis

BACKGROUND

caseload midwifery and CenteringPregnancy™ (a form of group antenatal care) are two models of maternity care that are separately associated with better clinical outcomes, maternal satisfaction scores and positive experiences compared to standard care. One study reported exclusively on younger women׳s experiences of caseload midwifery; none described younger women׳s experiences of group antenatal care. We retrieved no studies on the experiences of women who received a combination of caseload midwifery and group antenatal care.

OBJECTIVE

examine younger women׳s experiences of caseload midwifery in a setting that incorporates group antenatal care.

DESIGN

a critical, focused ethnographic approach.

SETTING

the study was conducted in an Australian hospital and its associated community venue from 2011 to 2013.

PARTICIPANTS

purposive sampling of younger (19-22 years) pregnant and postnatal women (n=10) and the caseload midwives (n=4) who provided group antenatal care within one midwifery group practice.

METHODS

separate focus group interviews with women and caseload midwives, observations of the setting and delivery of group antenatal care, and examination of selected documents. Thematic analyses of the women׳s accounts have been given primary significance. Coded segments of the midwives interview data, field notes and documents were used to compare and contrast within these themes.

FINDINGS

we report on women׳s first encounters with the group, and their interactions with peers and midwives. The group setting minimised the opportunity for the women and midwives to get to know each other.

CONCLUSIONS

this study challenges the practice of combining group antenatal care with caseload midwifery and recommends further research.

Dutch Midwives’ Behavior and Determinants in Promoting Healthy Gestational Weight Gain, Phase 1: A Qualitative Approach

BACKGROUND: A significant contributor to the global threat of obesity is excessive gestational weight gain (GWG). The aim of this article is to explore Dutch primary care midwives’ behaviors in promoting healthy GWG.

METHODS: We used the attitude–social influence–self-efficacy (ASE) model to guide interviews with a purposive sample of 6 midwives working in primary care.

RESULTS: Midwives reported activities in 3 areas related to GWG: GWG monitoring (weighing and discussing GWG), diet education, and to a lesser degree physical activity education. The determinants from the ASE model were confirmed and other relevant determinants, including midwives’ perception of their role in health promotion, were added.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The identified determinants can be used for quantitative research. Quantitative research is necessary to identify the magnitude of the determinants associated with midwives’ behavior in promoting healthy GWG.

Survey of women's experiences of care in a new freestanding midwifery unit in an inner city area of London, England: 2. Specific aspects of care

Objective

to describe and compare women׳s experiences of specific aspects of maternity care before and after the opening of the Barkantine Birth Centre, a new freestanding midwifery unit in an inner city area.

Design

telephone surveys undertaken in late pregnancy and about six weeks after birth. Two separate waves of interviews were conducted, Phase 1 before the birth centre opened and Phase 2 after it had opened.

Setting

Tower Hamlets, a deprived inner city borough in east London, 2007–2010.

Participants

620 women who were resident in Tower Hamlets and who satisfied the Barts and the London Trust’s eligibility criteria for using the birth centre. Of these, 259 women were recruited to Phase 1 and 361 to Phase 2.

Measurements and findings

the replies women gave show marked differences between the model of care in the birth centre and that at the obstetric unit at the Royal London Hospital with respect to experiences of care and specific practices. Women who initially booked for birth centre care were more likely to attend antenatal classes and find them useful and were less likely to be induced. Women who started labour care at the birth centre in spontaneous labour were more likely to use non-pharmacological methods of pain relief, most notably water and less likely to use pethidine than women who started care at the hospital. They were more likely to be able to move around in labour and less likely to have their membranes ruptured or have continuous CTG. They were more likely to be told to push spontaneously when they needed to rather than under directed pushing and more likely to report that they had been able to choose their position for birth and deliver in places other than the bed, in contrast to the situation at the hospital. The majority of women who had a spontaneous onset of labour delivered vaginally, with 28.6 per cent of women at the birth centre but no one at the hospital delivering in water. Primiparous women who delivered at the birth centre were less likely to have an episiotomy. Most women who delivered at the birth centre reported that they had chosen whether or not to have a physiological third stage, whereas a worrying proportion at the hospital reported that they had not had a choice. A higher proportion of women at the birth centre reported skin to skin contact with their baby in the first two hours after birth.

Key conclusions and implications for practice

significant differences were reported between the hospital and the birth centre in practices and information given to the women, with lower rates of intervention, more choice and significant differences in women’s experiences. This case study of a single inner-city freestanding midwifery unit, linked to the Birthplace in England Research Programme, indicates that this model of care also leads to greater choice and a better experience for women who opted for it.

•

Our study was a telephone survey of care for women with uncomplicated pregnancies.

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We compared care in a new freestanding midwifery unit in inner London with obstetric care.

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At the midwifery unit, women in labour were more likely to use a birthing pool for pain relief.

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They were more likely to be able to move around in labour and choose their position for birth.

•

They were more likely to deliver in places other than the bed and experienced less intervention.

The role of maternity care providers in promoting shared decision making regarding birthing positions during the second stage of labor

INTRODUCTION

Through the use of a variety of birthing positions during the second stage of labor, a woman can increase progress, improve outcomes, and have a positive birth experience. The role that a maternity care provider has in determining which position a woman uses during the second stage of labor has not been thoroughly explored. The purpose of this qualitative investigation was to explore how maternity care providers communicate with women during the second stage of labor regarding birthing position.

METHODS

A literature-informed framework was developed to conduct a process of deductive content analysis of communication patterns between nulliparous women and their maternity care providers during the second stage of labor. Literature discussing shared decision making, control, and predictors of positive birth experiences were reviewed to develop a coding framework. The framework included the following categories: listening to women, encouragement, information, offering choices, and style of support. Forty-one audiotapes of women and their maternity care providers during the second stage of labor were transcribed verbatim and analyzed.

RESULTS

Themes identified in the transcripts included all those in the analytic framework, plus 2 added categories of communication: empathy and interaction. Maternity care providers in this study enabled women to select various birthing positions using a dynamic process that moved between open, informative approaches and more closed, directive approaches, depending on the woman's needs and clinical condition. As clinical conditions unfolded, women became more actively involved in shared decision making regarding birthing positions, and maternity care providers found the right balance between being responsive to the woman's questions or directives.

DISCUSSION

Enabling shared decision making during birth is not a linear process using a single approach; it is dynamic process that requires a variety of approaches. Maternity care providers can support a woman to use different birthing positions during the second stage of labor by employing a flexible style that incorporates clinical assessment and the woman's responses.

Being safe practitioners and safe mothers: a critical ethnography of continuity of care midwifery in Australia

OBJECTIVE

To examine how midwives and women within a continuity of care midwifery programme in Australia conceptualised childbirth risk and the influences of these conceptualisations on women's choices and midwives' practice.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A critical ethnography within a community-based continuity of midwifery care programme, including semi-structured interviews and the observation of sequential antenatal appointments.

PARTICIPANTS

Eight midwives, an obstetrician and 17 women.

FINDINGS

The midwives assumed a risk-negotiator role in order to mediate relationships between women and hospital-based maternity staff. The role of risk-negotiator relied profoundly on the trust engendered in their relationships with women. Trust within the mother-midwife relationship furthermore acted as a catalyst for complex processes of identity work which, in turn, allowed midwives to manipulate existing obstetric risk hierarchies and effectively re-order risk conceptualisations. In establishing and maintaining identities of 'safe practitioner' and 'safe mother', greater scope for the negotiation of normal within a context of obstetric risk was achieved.

KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The effects of obstetric risk practices can be mitigated when trust within the mother-midwife relationship acts as a catalyst for identity work and supports the midwife's role as a risk-negotiator. The achievement of mutual identity-work through the midwives' role as risk-negotiator can contribute to improved outcomes for women receiving continuity of care. However, midwives needed to perform the role of risk-negotiator while simultaneously negotiating their professional credibility in a setting that construed their practice as risky.

An Exploratory Survey of Low-Risk Pregnant Women’s Perceptions of Antenatal Care and Services in Southern Ireland

Ireland currently has the highest birthrate of the 27 European Union countries which has led to an increase in demand for maternity services. In the Irish Republic, most maternity units have traditionally followed the medical-led model of care, which, as a result, has limited women’s choice for maternity care. Although various different midwifery-led schemes are available, concerns exist regarding the knowledge and accessibility of these schemes.

The aim of this descriptive, exploratory survey was to explore and determine the views of “low-risk” pregnant women (n= 394) regarding their antenatal care and services. A purposive homogeneous sample comprised the first phase of a mixed methods study and data were analyzed using Predictive Analytics Software. The findings identified a lack of awareness and understanding of the concept of a low-risk pregnancy. Consequently, women identified an overall lack of information and an inability to access available options for their care.

Dutch women in midwife-led care at the onset of labour: which pain relief do they prefer and what do they use?

Background

Pain experienced during labour is more extreme than many other types of physical pain. Many pregnant women are concerned about labour pain and about how they can deal with this pain effectively.

The aim of this study was to examine the associations among low risk pregnant women’s characteristics and their preferred use and actual use of pain medication during labour.

Methods

Our study is part of the DELIVER study: a dynamic prospective multi-centre cohort study. The data for this study were collected between September 2009 and March 2011, from women at 20 midwifery practices throughout the Netherlands. Inclusion criteria for women were: singleton pregnancies, in midwife–led care at the onset of labour and speaking Dutch, English, Turkish or Arabic. Our study sample consisted of 1511 women in primary care who completed both questionnaire two (from 34 weeks of pregnancy up to birth) and questionnaire three (around six week post partum). These questionnaires were presented either online or on paper.

Results

Fifteen hundred and eleven women participated. Prenatally, 15.9% of women preferred some method of medicinal pain relief. During labour 15.2% of the total sample used medicinal pain relief and 25.3% of the women who indicated a preference to use medicinal pain relief during pregnancy, used pain medication. Non-Dutch ethnic background and planned hospital birth were associated with indicating a preference for medicinal pain relief during pregnancy. Primiparous and planned hospital birth were associated with actual use of the preferred method of medicinal pain relief during labour. Furthermore, we found that 85.5% of women who indicated a preference not to use pain medication prenatally, did not use any medication.

Conclusions

Only a small minority of women had a preference for intrapartum pain medication prenatally. Most women did not receive medicinal pain relief during labour, even if they had indicated a preference for it.

Care providers should discuss the unpredictability of the labour process and the fact that actual use of pain medication often does not match with women’s preference prenatally.

The use of episiotomy in a low-risk population in the Netherlands: a secondary analysis

BACKGROUND

To examine the episiotomy incidence and determinants and outcomes associated with its use in primary care midwifery practices.

METHODS

Secondary analysis of two prospective cohort studies (n = 3,404).

RESULTS

The episiotomy incidence was 10.8 percent (20.9% for nulliparous and 6.3% for parous women). Episiotomy was associated with prolonged second stage of labor (adj. OR 12.09 [95% CI 6.0-24.2] for nulliparous and adj. OR 2.79 [1.7-4.6] for parous women) and hospital birth (adj. OR 1.75 [1.2-2.5] for parous women). Compared with episiotomy, perineal tears were associated with a lower rate of postpartum hemorrhage in parous women (adj. OR 0.58 [0.4-0.9]). Fewer women with perineal tears reported perineal discomfort (adj. OR 0.35 [0.2-0.6] for nulliparous and adj. OR 0.22 [0.1-0.3] for parous women). Among nulliparous women episiotomy was performed most frequently for prolonged second stage of labor (38.8%) and among parous women for history of episiotomy or prevention of major perineal trauma (21.1%).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of episiotomy is high compared with some low-risk settings in other Western countries. Episiotomy was associated with higher rates of adverse maternal outcomes. Restricted use of episiotomy is likely to be beneficial for women.

Long-term psychosocial impact reported by childhood critical illness survivors: a systematic review

Aim

To undertake a qualitative systematic review that explores psychological and social impact, reported directly from children and adolescents at least 6 months after their critical illness.

Background

Significant advances in critical care have reduced mortality from childhood critical illness, with the majority of patients being discharged alive. However, it is widely reported that surviving critical illness can be traumatic for both children and their family. Despite a growing body of literature in this field, the psychological and social impact of life threatening critical illness on child and adolescent survivors, more than 6 months post event, remains under-reported.

Data sources

Searches of six online databases were conducted up to February 2012.

Review methods

Predetermined criteria were used to select studies. Methodological quality was assessed using a standardized checklist. An adapted version of the thematic synthesis approach was applied to extract, code and synthesize data.

Findings

Three studies met the inclusion criteria, which were all of moderate methodological quality. Initial coding and synthesis of data resulted in five descriptive themes: confusion and uncertainty, other people's narratives, focus on former self and normality, social isolation and loss of identity, and transition and transformation. Further synthesis culminated in three analytical themes that conceptualize the childhood survivors' psychological and social journey following critical illness.

Conclusions

Critical illness in childhood can expose survivors to a complex trajectory of recovery, with enduring psychosocial adversity manifesting in the long term. Nurses and other health professionals must be aware and support the potential multifaceted psychosocial needs that may arise. Parents and families are identified as fundamental in shaping psychological and social well-being of survivors. Therefore intensive care nurses must take opportunities to raise parents' awareness of the journey of survival and provide appropriate support. Further empirical research is warranted to explore the deficits identified with the existing literature.

Critical realism: an important theoretical perspective for midwifery research

BACKGROUND

there is a dearth of papers in midwifery journals exploring the philosophical underpinnings of various research methods. However, explaining and justifying particular ontological and epistemological positions gives coherence and credibility to chosen research methods.

OBJECTIVES

to explore and explain the philosophical underpinning of critical realism and argue for it to be more widely adopted by midwifery researchers, using the exemplar of dystocia research.

DISCUSSION

critical realism as originally espoused by Bhaskar sees reality as layered (realist ontology) and seeks to explore causative mechanisms for what is experienced and observed. In this way it illuminates the complexity of health care, though recognising that knowledge of this complexity is filtered through an interpretive lens (constructionist epistemology). Critical realism encourages a holistic exploration of phenomena, premised on multiple research questions that utilise multiple research methods.

IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH

critical realism as a philosophical underpinning is therefore particularly apposite for researching midwifery issues and concerns.

Midwife-led continuity models versus other models of care for childbearing women

BACKGROUND

Midwives are primary providers of care for childbearing women around the world. However, there is a lack of synthesised information to establish whether there are differences in morbidity and mortality, effectiveness and psychosocial outcomes between midwife-led continuity models and other models of care.

OBJECTIVES

To compare midwife-led continuity models of care with other models of care for childbearing women and their infants.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (28 January 2013) and reference lists of retrieved studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

All published and unpublished trials in which pregnant women are randomly allocated to midwife-led continuity models of care or other models of care during pregnancy and birth.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

All review authors evaluated methodological quality. Two review authors checked data extraction.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 13 trials involving 16,242 women. Women who had midwife-led continuity models of care were less likely to experience regional analgesia (average risk ratio (RR) 0.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.76 to 0.90), episiotomy (average RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.92), and instrumental birth (average RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.96), and were more likely to experience no intrapartum analgesia/anaesthesia (average RR 1.16, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.31), spontaneous vaginal birth (average RR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.08), attendance at birth by a known midwife (average RR 7.83, 95% CI 4.15 to 14.80), and a longer mean length of labour (hours) (mean difference (hours) 0.50, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.74). There were no differences between groups for caesarean births (average RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.84 to 1.02).Women who were randomised to receive midwife-led continuity models of care were less likely to experience preterm birth (average RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.94) and fetal loss before 24 weeks' gestation (average RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.99), although there were no differences in fetal loss/neonatal death of at least 24 weeks (average RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.51) or in overall fetal/neonatal death (average RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.00).Due to a lack of consistency in measuring women's satisfaction and assessing the cost of various maternity models, these outcomes were reported narratively. The majority of included studies reported a higher rate of maternal satisfaction in the midwifery-led continuity care model. Similarly there was a trend towards a cost-saving effect for midwife-led continuity care compared to other care models.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Most women should be offered midwife-led continuity models of care and women should be encouraged to ask for this option although caution should be exercised in applying this advice to women with substantial medical or obstetric complications.

What do midwives need to know about approaches of women towards labour pain management? A qualitative interview study into expectations of management of labour pain for pregnant women receiving midwife-led care in the Netherlands

OBJECTIVE

to investigate factors important to women receiving midwife-led care with regard to their expectations for management of labour pain.

DESIGN

semi-structured ante partum interviews and analyses using constant comparison method.

PARTICIPANTS

fifteen pregnant women between 36 and 40 weeks gestation receiving midwife-led care.

SETTING

five midwifery practices across the Netherlands between June 2009 and July 2010.

MAIN OUTCOME

women's expectations regarding management of labour pain.

RESULTS

we found three major themes to be important in women's expectations for management of labour pain: preparation, support and control and decision-making. In regards to all these themes, three distinct approaches towards women's planning for pain management in labour were identified: the 'pragmatic natural', the 'deliberately uninformed' and the 'planned pain relief' approach.

CONCLUSION

midwives need to recognise that women take different approaches to pain management in labour in order to adapt care to the individual woman.

Participant experiences of mindfulness-based childbirth education: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Childbirth is an important transitional life event, but one in which many women are dissatisfied stemming in part from a sense that labour is something that happens to them rather than with them. Promoting maternal satisfaction with childbirth means equipping women with communication and decision making skills that will enhance their ability to feel involved in their labour. Additionally, traditional antenatal education does not necessarily prepare expectant mothers and their birth support partner adequately for birth. Mindfulness-based interventions appear to hold promise in addressing these issues. Mindfulness-based Child Birth Education (MBCE) was a pilot intervention combining skills-based antenatal education and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. Participant experiences of MBCE, both of expectant mothers and their birth support partners are the focus of this article.

METHODS

A generic qualitative approach was utilised for this study. Pregnant women between 18 and 28 weeks gestation, over 18 years of age, nulliparous with singleton pregnancies and not taking medication for a diagnosed mental illness or taking illicit drugs were eligible to undertake the MBCE program which was run in a metropolitan city in Australia. Focus groups with 12 mothers and seven birth support partners were undertaken approximately four months after the completion of MBCE. Audio recordings of the groups were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically using the method of constant comparison by all four authors independently and consensus on analysis and interpretation arrived at through team meetings.

RESULTS

A sense of both 'empowerment' and 'community' were the essences of the experiences of MBCE both for mothers and their birth support partner and permeated the themes of 'awakening my existing potential' and 'being in a community of like-minded parents'. Participants suggested that mindfulness techniques learned during MBCE facilitated their sense of control during birth, and the content and pedagogical approach of MBCE enabled them to be involved in decision making during the birth. The pedagogical approach also fostered a sense of community among participants which extended into the postnatal period.

CONCLUSIONS

MBCE has the potential to empower women to become active participants in the birthing process, thus addressing common concerns regarding lack of control and satisfaction with labour and facilitate peer support into the postnatal period. Further education of health professionals may be needed to ensure that they respond positively to those women and birth support partners who remain active in decision making during birth.