Examining the validity and reliability of the COMcareSS (Continuity of Midwifery Care Satisfaction Survey).

Background: Continuity of midwifery care has been proven to show an improvement in clinical outcomes for women and greater maternal satisfaction with maternity care. Several questionnaires have been developed to measure satisfaction with maternity services although few are suitable for continuity of midwifery maternity care models, and many have not been validated.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the newly developed Continuity of Midwifery Care Satisfaction Survey (COMcareSS) with a cohort of women who have recently experienced continuity of midwifery care.

Raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus) use in pregnancy: a prospective observational study.

Background: Raspberry leaf use during pregnancy in Australia is widespread. There has been little research exploring the potential beneficial or harmful effects of raspberry leaf on pregnancy, labour, and birth. More research is needed to appropriately inform childbearing women and maternity healthcare professionals on the effects of raspberry leaf so that women can make informed choices.

Is carbon monoxide testing in pregnancy an acceptable and effective smoking cessation initiative? An integrative systematic review of evidence.

Problem: Over 25000 Australian women smoke during pregnancy each year, with risks to mother and baby including miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, placental issues, premature birth, and stillbirth.

Background: Carbon Monoxide testing has been introduced in antenatal care settings to help identify smokers and motivate them to quit.

Aim: This integrative systematic review aims to take a holistic look at Carbon Monoxide (CO) testing to understand how effective and acceptable this practice is in antenatal care.

Parity, mode of birth, and long-term gynecological health: A follow-up study of parous and nonparous women in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health cohort.

Background: Although gynecological health issues are common and cause considerable distress, little is known about their causes. We examined how birth history is associated with urinary incontinence (UI), severe period pain, heavy periods, and endometriosis.

Methods: We studied 7700 women in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health with an average follow-up of 10.

Heatwaves and wildfires suffocate our healthy start to life: time to assess impact and take action.

Adverse environmental exposures in utero and early childhood are known to programme long-term health. Climate change, by contributing to severe heatwaves, wildfires, and other natural disasters, is plausibly associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and an increase in the future burden of chronic diseases in both mothers and their babies. In this Personal View, we highlight the limitations of existing evidence, specifically on the effects of severe heatwave and wildfire events, and compounding syndemic events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, on the short-term and long-term physical and mental health of pregnant women and their babies, taking into account the interactions with individual and community vulnerabilities.

Parity and mode of birth and their relationships with quality of life: A longitudinal study.

Objective: To examine how (a) parity and (b) mode of birth were associated with later Quality of Life (QOL) in young adult women, with a mean follow-up of 11.0 years.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Birth Outcomes, Health, and Health Care Needs of Childbearing Women following Wildfire Disasters: An Integrative, State-of-the-Science Review.

Background: The frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as wildfires are expected to increase due to climate change. Childbearing women, that is, women who are pregnant, soon to be pregnant, or have recently given birth, may be particularly vulnerable to the effect of wildfire exposure.

Objectives: This review sought to systematically assess what is known about birth outcomes, health, and health care needs of childbearing women during and after exposure to wildfires.

Birth plans: A systematic, integrative review into their purpose, process, and impact.

Background: The birth plan was introduced in the 1980s to facilitate communication between maternity care providers and women and increase agency for childbearing women in the face of medicalised birth. Forty years on, the birth plan is a heterogeneous document with uncertainty surrounding its purpose, process, and impact. The aim of this review was to synthesise the evidence and improve understanding of the purpose, process and impact of the birth plan on childbearing women's experiences and outcomes.

Development of the Woman-Centred Care Scale- Midwife Self Report (WCCS-MSR).

Background: Woman-centred care is recognised as a fundamental construct of midwifery practice yet to date, there has been no validated tool available to measure it. This study aims to develop and test a self-report tool to measure woman-centred care in midwives.

Methods: A staged approach was used for tool development including deductive methods to generate items, testing content validity with a group of experts, and psychometrically testing the instrument with a sample drawn from the target audience.

Midwifery continuity of care and vaginal birth after caesarean section: A randomised controlled trial.

Problem And Background: Caesarean section (CS) rates in Australia and many countries worldwide are high and increasing, with elective repeat caesarean section a significant contributor.

Aim: To determine whether midwifery continuity of care for women with a previous CS increases the proportion of women who plan to attempt a vaginal birth in their current pregnancy.

Methods: A randomised controlled design was undertaken.

Trends and characteristics of women undergoing induction of labour in a tertiary hospital setting: A cross-sectional study.

Background: In many well-resourced countries, rising rates of intervention are being observed during pregnancy, labour and childbirth with induction of labour (IOL) fast becoming one of the most common. In Australia, the rate of induction of labour has increased by over 30% since 2007, and today one in three women have their labours induced. We do not however have a good understanding of the contribution of specific obstetric populations to this trend.

Developing an instrument to measure satisfaction with continuity of midwifery care drawing on the Delphi technique.

Background: Maternal satisfaction with maternity care is an important indicator of quality maternity services. Continuity of midwifery models of care are increasing in Australia and while several instruments have been developed to measure satisfaction with maternity care most of these have not been validated and there are none that are appropriate to continuity of midwifery maternity care models.

Aim: To develop a questionnaire to measure women's satisfaction with maternity services provided in a continuity of midwifery care service model.

A Decision Aid for midwifery continuity of care: Development and pilot acceptability testing.

Background: Many maternity services in Australia offer women a variety of models of care including midwife led models. Childbearing women, however, need to understand the differences between these models if they are to make an informed decision about their choice of care. Decision Aids (DA) help people decide when there is not a single best option and the best decision will be based upon the values of the decision maker.

What women value in the midwifery continuity of care model: A systematic review with meta-synthesis.

Introduction: There are a number of qualitative studies indicating women are more satisfied with a continuity model of midwifery care however, their experiences have not been understood to gain an overall picture of what it is they value, appreciate and want in such a model. A metasynthesis was undertaken in order to examine the current qualitative literature to gain a deeper understanding of the woman's perspective as a consumer of maternity care in a continuity model.

Aim: To identify and synthesise research findings presenting childbearing women's perspectives on continuity of midwifery care.

Women's motivation, perception and experience of complementary and alternative medicine in pregnancy: A meta-synthesis.

Background: complementary and Alternative Medicine use during pregnancy is popular in many countries, including Australia. There is currently little evidence to support this practice, which raises the question of women's motivation for use of these therapies and the experiences they encounter.

Objective: this study aims to explore the perceptions, motivations and experiences of pregnant women with regard to their use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine during pregnancy.

Birthplace as the midwife's work place: How does place of birth impact on midwives?

Background: In, many high and middle-income countries, childbearing women have a variety of birthplaces available to them including home, birth centres and traditional labour wards. There is good evidence indicating that birthplace impacts on outcomes for women but less is known about the impact on midwives.

Aim: To explore the way that birthplace impacts on midwives in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Caring for women wanting a vaginal birth after previous caesarean section: A qualitative study of the experiences of midwives and obstetricians.

Problem: One of the greatest contributors to the overall caesarean section rate is elective repeat caesarean section.

Background: Decisions around mode of birth are often complex for women and influenced by the views of the doctors and midwives who care for and counsel women. Women may be more likely to choose a repeat elective caesarean section (CS) if their health care providers lack skills and confidence in supporting vaginal birth after caesarean section (VBAC).

Development and Pilot Testing of the Eating4two Mobile Phone App to Monitor Gestational Weight Gain.

Background: The number of pregnant women with a body mass index (BMI) of 30kg/m(2) or more is increasing, which has important implications for antenatal care. Various resource-intensive interventions have attempted to assist women in managing their weight gain during pregnancy with limited success. A mobile phone app has been proposed as a convenient and cost-effective alternative to face-to-face interventions.

Gestational weight change in women attending a group antenatal program aimed at addressing obesity in pregnancy in New South Wales, Australia.

Introduction: The prevalence of obesity in Australia among women of childbearing age has doubled over the past 2 decades. Obesity is associated with complications for women and their newborns during pregnancy and birth. Limiting gestational weight gain can reduce perinatal complications and postnatal weight retention, but evidence supporting interventions designed to assist obese pregnant women to manage their weight gain in pregnancy is inconclusive.

"Continuity of care" experiences in midwifery education: perspectives from diverse stakeholders.

At least 20 continuity-of-care experiences are compulsory for student midwives in Australia, but little is known about this learning component. This paper presents an analysis of continuity experiences in one Region, incorporating diverse stakeholder perspectives from student midwives, maternity managers and registered midwives, with the aim of better understanding and optimizing experiences. Qualitative methods were utilized, employing mainly focus groups.

Addressing obesity in pregnancy: the design and feasibility of an innovative intervention in NSW, Australia.

Objective: Obesity amongst women of child bearing age is increasing at an unprecedented, rate throughout the Western world. This paper describes the design of an innovative, collaborative, antenatal intervention that aims to assist women to manage their weight during pregnancy and, presents aspects of the programme evaluation.

Data Sources/study Setting: The programme was introduced at two sites, one in South East Sydney and, the other on the Central North Coast of NSW.

Testing the Birth Unit Design Spatial Evaluation Tool (BUDSET) in Australia: a pilot study.

Objective: To pilot test the Birth Unit Design Spatial Evaluation Tool (BUDSET) in an Australian maternity care setting to determine whether such an instrument can measure the optimality of different birth settings.

Background: Optimally designed spaces to give birth are likely to influence a woman's ability to experience physiologically normal labor and birth. This is important in the current industrialized environment, where increased caesarean section rates are causing concerns.

Developing the Birth Unit Design Spatial Evaluation Tool (BUDSET) in Australia: a qualitative study.

Objective: To develop a tool known as the Birth Unit Design Spatial Evaluation Tool (BUDSET), to assess the optimality of birth unit design.

Background: The space provided for childbirth influences the physiology of women in labor. Optimal birth spaces are likely to enable women to have physiologically normal labor and birth.