References

Attride-Stirling J Thematic networks: an analytic tool for qualitative research. Qual Res. 2001; 1:(3)385-405 https://doi.org/10.1177/146879410100100307

Improving Maternity Services in Australia: The report of the maternity services review.Barton, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia; 2009

National Maternity Services Plan.Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia; 2011

Beeckman K, Louckx F, Masuy-Stroobant G, Downe S, Putman K The development and application of a new tool to assess the adequacy of the content and timing of antenatal care. BMC Health Serv Res. 2011; 11:(1) https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-11-213

Buultjens M, Robinson P, Murphy G The range and accessibility of maternity models of care and allied health service delivery across public hospitals within Victoria, Australia. GSTF Journal of Nursing and Health Care. 2013; 2:(1)21-28

Buultjens M, Murphy G, Robinson P, Milgrom J, Monfries M Women's experiences of, and attitudes to, maternity education across the perinatal period in Victoria, Australia: A mixed-methods approach. Women Birth. 2017; 30:(5)406-414 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2017.03.005

Buultjens M, Murphy G, Milgrom J, Taket A, Poinen D Supporting the transition to parenthood: development of a group health-promoting programme. Br J Midwifery. 2018; 26:(6)387-397 https://doi.org/10.12968/bjom.2018.26.6.387

Colorafi KJ, Evans B Qualitative descriptive methods in health science research. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal. 2016; 9:(4)16-25 https://doi.org/10.1177/1937586715614171

Daly J, Willis K, Small R A hierarchy of evidence for assessing qualitative health research. J Clin Epidemiol. 2007; 60:(1)43-49 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2006.03.014

Darvill R, Skirton H, Farrand P Psychological factors that impact on women's experiences of first-time motherhood: a qualitative study of the transition. Midwifery. 2010; 26:(3)357-366 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2008.07.006

Duncan LG, Bardacke N Mindfulness-based childbirth and parenting education: promoting family mindfulness during the perinatal period. J Child Fam Stud. 2010; 19:(2)190-202 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-009-9313-7

Gaudion A, Bick D, Menka Y Adapting the CenteringPregnancy® model for a UK feasibility study. Br J Midwifery. 2011; 19:(7)433-438 https://doi.org/10.12968/bjom.2011.19.7.433

Gavin NI, Gaynes BN, Lohr KN, Meltzer-Brody S, Gartlehner G, Swinson T Perinatal depression: a systematic review of prevalence and incidence. Obstet Gynecol. 2005; 106:(5 Pt 1)1071-1083 https://doi.org/10.1097/01.AOG.0000183597.31630.db

Graham WJ, McCaw-Binns A, Munjanja S Translating coverage gains into health gains for all women and children: the quality care opportunity. PLoS Med. 2013; 10:(1) https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001368

Halcomb EJ, Davidson PM Is verbatim transcription of interview data always necessary?. Appl Nurs Res. 2006; 19:(1)38-42 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2005.06.001

Homer CSE, Davis GK, Cooke M, Barclay LM Women's experiences of continuity of midwifery care in a randomised controlled trial in Australia. Midwifery. 2002; 18:(2)102-112 https://doi.org/10.1054/midw.2002.0298

Ickovics JR, Kershaw TS, Westdahl C Group prenatal care and perinatal outcomes: a randomized controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol. 2007; 110:(2)330-339 https://doi.org/10.1097/01.AOG.0000275284.24298.23

Jenkins MG, Ford JB, Morris JM, Roberts CL Women's expectations and experiences of maternity care in NSW–what women highlight as most important. Women Birth. 2014; 27:(3)214-219 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2014.03.002

Kennedy HP, Farrell T, Paden R ‘I wasn't alone’--a study of group prenatal care in the military. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2009; 54:(3)176-183 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmwh.2008.11.004

Kruske S, Barclay L, Schmied V Primary health care, partnership and polemic: child and family health nursing support in early parenting. Aust J Prim Health. 2006; 12:(2)57-65 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY06023

Leahy-Warren P, McCarthy G, Corcoran P Postnatal depression in first-time mothers: prevalence and relationships between functional and structural social support at 6 and 12 weeks postpartum. Arch Psychiatr Nurs. 2011; 25:(3)174-184 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2010.08.005

Leahy-Warren P, McCarthy G, Corcoran P First-time mothers: social support, maternal parental self-efficacy and postnatal depression. J Clin Nurs. 2012; 21:(3-4)388-397 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2011.03701.x

Marmot M, Allen J, Bell R, Bloomer E, Goldblatt P WHO European review of social determinants of health and the health divide. Lancet. 2012; 380:(9846)1011-1029 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61228-8

McDonald SD, Sword W, Eryuzlu LE, Biringer AB A qualitative descriptive study of the group prenatal care experience: perceptions of women with low-risk pregnancies and their midwives. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2014; 14:(1) https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-14-334

McNeil DA, Vekved M, Dolan SM, Siever J, Horn S, Tough SC Getting more than they realized they needed: a qualitative study of women's experience of group prenatal care. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2012; 12:(1) https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-12-17

Moore GF, Audrey S, Barker M Process evaluation of complex interventions: Medical Research Council guidance. BMJ. 2015; 350 https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h1258

Mytton J, Ingram J, Manns S, Thomas J Facilitators and barriers to engagement in parenting programs: a qualitative systematic review. Health Educ Behav. 2014; 41:(2)127-137 https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198113485755

Novick G, Sadler LS, Kennedy HP, Cohen SS, Groce NE, Knafl KA Women's experience of group prenatal care. Qual Health Res. 2011; 21:(1)97-116 https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732310378655

Patton MQ Qualitative research and evaluation methods.Los Angeles: SAGE Publications; 2015

Picklesimer AH, Billings D, Hale N, Blackhurst D Covington-Kolb S. 2012. The effect of CenteringPregnancy group prenatal care on preterm birth in a low-income population. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2012; 206:(5)415.e1-7 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2012.01.040

Polit DF, Beck CT Essentials of nursing research: Appraising evidence for nursing practice.Philadelphia (PA): Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2010

Ruiz-Mirazo E, Lopez-Yarto M, McDonald SD Group prenatal care versus individual prenatal care: a systematic review and meta-analyses. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2012; 34:(3)223-229 https://doi.org/10.1016/S1701-2163(16)35182-9

Sandelowski M Whatever happened to qualitative description?. Res Nurs Health. 2000; 23:(4)334-340 https://doi.org/10.1002/1098-240X(200008)23:4<334::AID-NUR9>3.0.CO;2-G

Seefat-van Teeffelen A, Nieuwenhuijze M, Korstjens I Women want proactive psychosocial support from midwives during transition to motherhood: a qualitative study. Midwifery. 2011; 27:(1)e122-e127 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2009.09.006

Teate A, Leap N, Rising SS, Homer CSE Women's experiences of group antenatal care in Australia—the CenteringPregnancy Pilot Study. Midwifery. 2011; 27:(2)138-145 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2009.03.001

A qualitative study of women's experience of a perinatal group health-promoting programme

02 February 2019
Research
02 February 2019
Volume 27 · Issue 2

Abstract

Background

Antenatal and parenting programmes are a way of supporting and empowering parents. However, not all informational needs are being met, and nor are programmes equipping women with skills and confidence to meet the challenges of parenthood.

Aims

To explore women's experiences of participating in a group psycho-educational programme across their pregnancy and early postnatal period.

Methods

A qualitative descriptive design was applied, incorporating thematic analysis to identify themes in the data.

Findings

The programme demonstrated practical benefits such as dissemination of timely information, continuity of care and professional support. It enabled opportunities for mastering new tasks and increased a woman's social support network.

Conclusion

Focusing on the entire perinatal period can promote better perinatal health and psychosocial outcomes.

An investment in strategies to promote ‘a healthy start to life’ is thought to reduce health inequalities across the entire course of life (Marmot et al, 2012). Extensive research has been conducted examining various indices of maternity care to measure success across the perinatal period. For example, with respect to antenatal care, researchers have explored aspects of the content and timing of care, so as to promote healthy outcomes for women and their infants (Beeckman et al, 2011). Of equal importance is quality of care, although a major evidence gap exists with respect to our knowledge of how to implement care that is both clinically relevant and a positive experience for the woman, so that she is encouraged to seek assistance and timely care (Graham et al, 2013). Quality care is therefore an important aspect of the wider challenge towards effective programme implementation in perinatal health.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting British Journal of Midwifery and reading some of our peer-reviewed resources for midwives. To read more, please register today. You’ll enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included

  • Limited access to our clinical or professional articles

  • New content and clinical newsletter updates each month

Register
Or continue by

Signing in with your registered email address

Transition to parenthood
Maternity care
Perinatal
Health promotion
Group care
Psycho-educational