An evaluation of mindfulness-based childbirth and parenting courses for pregnant women and prospective fathers/partners within the UK NHS (MBCP-4-NHS).

Unlabelled: An evaluation of mindfulness-based childbirth and parenting courses for pregnant women and prospective fathers/partners within the UK NHS (MBCP-4-NHS).

Objective: To explore the usefulness within the National Health Service (NHS) of a brief (four week, ten hour) course based upon the Mindfulness Based Childbirth and Parenting (MBCP) programme (Duncan and Bardacke, 2010) described here as MBCP-4-NHS.

Background: The National Maternity Review (2016) and report of The Independent Mental Health Taskforce to the NHS (2016a, 2016b) in England highlight the need for significant investment into perinatal mental health services, with the Government pledging funding to improve such services through a range of measures.

Being there and reconnecting: Midwives' perceptions of the impact of Mindfulness training on their practice.

Objective: To ascertain how midwives perceived attending a mindfulness course impacted on their professional practice, particularly in regard to any stress they experienced at work.

Design: A qualitative study using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine midwives.

Women's attitude towards the use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) in pregnancy.

Background: the popularity of non-prescription, over-the counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins, minerals, homoeopathic remedies and herbal supplements (CAM) has grown significantly in recent years. However, we have limited knowledge relating to why pregnant women use CAM and how this may relate to the provision of maternity care. Using an interview approach this study explored the nature of over-the-counter and complementary medicines use in a sample of pregnant women.

Is preceptorship valuable?

Preceptorship programmes for newly-qualified practitioners have been advocated by the UKCC (1999), therefore a preceptorship programme for midwives was introduced in Oxfordshire in 2000. The programme consisted of a three-month placement in a delivery suite (DS) and a three-month placement in an antenatal/postnatal ward environment. In 2001, it was decided to offer newly-registered midwives the opportunity to work in a community setting, rotating between DS and community on a fortnightly basis.