Protecting And Supporting The Birth Process Holistically.

It relies on persuasive tactics to ensure compliance. Being medical-based, it aims to reduce morbidity and reduce premature mortality and is conceptualised around the absence of disease. As midwives do not regard pregnancy and child-birth as states of ill-health, its validity in midwifery care must be questioned (Dunkley, 2000a). The benefits of breastfeeding are well-documented (Appendix Two), however difficulties arise in making this information relevant and personal to each woman. Often, simply giving women ‘information’ makes little difference to them (Dunkley, 2000b).

Continuity of care may have different meanings, ranging from continuity of caregivers, to a shared philosophy of care by large numbers of caregivers with different professional backgrounds or ideally one-to-one care (Waldenstrom et al. 2000). The purpose of midwifery continuity of care is to allow women and their midwives to get to know each other over time. This involves not only a personal knowledge of each other, but also the ability to be able to work out, investigate, talk about and consider the complex decisions, bearing in mind the woman’s needs and expectations. The relationship has a professional purpose, which is the provision of safe and effective midwifery care (Homer, Brodie & Leap, 2008).

Mothers and newborns have a physiologic need to be together during the first moment of birth. Interrupted skin-to-skin attachment between mothers and babies can be harmful and can negatively impact short and long term health outcomes and breastfeeding success. Evidence supports instant skin-to-skin care after the birth, vaginally and C-section, during and after cesarean surgery for all stable mothers and newborns will enhance limitless opportunities for care and breastfeeding. Skin-to-skin contact after delivery is golden opportunity. Many studies validate that mothers and babies should be skin-to-skin promptly after birth. Not only promotes healthier baby and successful breastfeeding outcome, it is also

Skin to skin contact in the delivery room and breastfeeding are best for mothers and infant. Skin to skin contact helps mothers become confident with their infants, decreases the mother’s anxiety toward motherhood, helps produce more breast milk, and helps them become aware of their infant’s cues, not to mention an incredible lifelong bonding experience. As for the infant’s benefits of skin to skin contact, it helps with temperature regulation, stabilization of the heart rate, control of the infant’s blood sugar, and helps with weight gain. When initiating immediate skin to skin contact, infants should be placed on their mother’s chest for instinctive skills. The infant begins to smell their mother’s breast and look at their mother, which

Being a midwife refers to a profession where the midwife would work in partnership with the women throughout her pregnancy, labour and the postpartum period. Not only is being a midwife women-centred, however, their role also includes ensuring the partner and family members are prepared and aware of the process. Within a women’s health, the midwife should focus on health, family planning, nutrition, domestic and other health issues as the main priority is the

Therefore, this will include to ensure adequate open spaces for the woman to move around with a toilet close by, low or adjustable lighting, comfortable bedding and support people for the woman to feel self-determination for her to birth her baby (pairman). To ensure the woman feels safe in the environment, the midwife will need to incorporate both physical and psychosocial/spiritual safety that cannot be compromised. Most women birth effectively in a calm environment, this includes soft music, dim lights and calming voices from all support person’s around them (pairman). There are four of the major hormonal systems play a major role during labour and birth. These involve endorphins, oxytocin, adrenaline and noradrenaline (epinephrine and norepinephrine), and prolactin (in

The assignment will be written in the style of the British Journal of Midwifery (BJM), the abstract is incorporated into this introduction and Harvard 2014 will be used for the referencing style.

In the past, in the United States the majority of women delivered at home with no anesthetics; women might have received assistance through a family doctor, including midwife care (Thomas, 2011). A radical change happened by the 1960s, when hospital childbirths had become the norm, the pain of the experience was reduced by epidural anesthesia controlled by a physician. Pregnant women received education on breastfeeding and other topics during their medical visits (Thomas, 2011).

Public health is defined by the World Health Organisation as ‘all organised measures to prevent disease, promote health, and prolong life among the population as a whole’ (WHO, 2015). Within this role of public health, the midwife has an essential role. They are in the best position to be able to guide

When a woman gives birth there is a massive change in her hormones, and these changes evoke maternal behavior [2]. For example, oxytocin also known as the “bonding hormone or the love hormone” is a chemical messenger that is released into the brain in response to social contact, it’s especially noticeable with skin-to skin contact such as breast-feeding [2]. Oxytocin not only provides health benefits, but it also promotes bonding, such as between a breast feeding mother and her infant, and creates a desire for more contact with the individual evoking the release [2]. However, it’s not necessary for maternal behavior

The important attachment factor is oxytocin between mother and baby. The nipple stimulation that happens when baby causes a hormone called oxytocin to be free in the mother, which in turns trigger milk let-down. The oxytocin makes mother to become intimate with her newborn baby and makes them to attach to each other. Babies can similarly imprint on their mother, deriving feelings of peace and pain reduction along with mother.

Midwives assist women with a majority of their reproductive needs, and midwifery is becoming more prominent in the United States. Midwives provide a variety of cares in a variety of settings. They assist women with individualized and evidence-based care; similar to nurses. Obstetric nurses and midwives preform a lot of the same skills for a pregnant or postpartum woman. It is important for nurses to recognize and respect midwifery because it is the woman’s right to choose her provider and plan of care. Obstetric nurses will possibly have to work with a midwife and support them in the hospital setting. Midwives are educated and have a scope of practice that can easily overlap with nursing practice, so

Obstetricians and midwives both have a standard that they all need to be aware of and know when working with women in antenatal, birth and post natal. They need to both be able to help assist the women in choosing a mode of care that is suitable for her needs. (Ranzcog.edu.au, 2011)

The second section focused on the act of labor and delivery, including first three hours of infant birth, followed by postpartum care and breastfeeding. The speaker spoke about the current practices that occur within the hospital's labor and delivery department. When speaking about delayed cord clamping, she discussed why this is important and even mentioned the volume of blood an infant lacks when the umbilical cord is clammed or cut too soon after birth. While discussing breastfeeding, she briefly mentioned infant blood glucose screenings, and the evidence that is published regarding encouraging breastfeeding within the first hour of

This is the beginning of the mother’s involvement with the midwife. This is an opportunity for both parties to establish a personal relationship, partnership. This is where education exchange can occur, recognition of responsibilities, options and choices are determined which are supported and discussed with the mother and her supporters. (Pairman, 2010, pg. 431-432)