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Pregnancy

Recreational exercise during pregnancy: Attitudes and beliefs of midwives and physiotherapists

Many studies have confirmed the benefits of recreational exercise during pregnancy for both the mother and the fetus (Magro-Malosso 2017; Rogoziñska et al, 2017) Recreational exercise is defined by...

Caring for women with thyroid disorders in pregnancy

Thyroid disorders are prevalent in women of childbearing age and may therefore present during pregnancy Awareness of the implications of thyroid disorders in pregnancy is therefore essential to ensure...

Asthma in pregnancy: Physiology, management and recommendations for midwives

Midwives will be aware that pregnant women are reflective of the society in which they live This incudes the prevalence of medical conditions; therefore, it is useful to set the context for asthma as...

Are women empowered to make decisions about the use of antidepressants in pregnancy?

Depression and anxiety are two of the most common health problems in pregnancy in the UK, affecting 12% and 13% of women, respectively (Heron et al, 2004; Gavin et al, 2005; Vesga-Lopez et al, 2008)...

Women's experience of their sexual function during pregnancy and after childbirth: a qualitative survey

Women's sexual function is a multifaceted phenomenon that mirrors psychological, physiological, sociocultural, inter- and intra-personal influences, including the health of the whole body and internal...

Where are the consultant midwives?

Nearly two decades ago, the role of the consultant midwife was recognised at national level across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and more recently in Wales In England, the role was introduced by...

Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome during pregnancy, birth and beyond

The Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS) are a group of multisystemic, inherited conditions that affect connective tissue (Malfait et al, 2017)

Development of an alcohol liaison midwifery service in a health Trust in Northern Ireland

The global prevalence of alcohol use during pregnancy is estimated to be 98%, with an estimated prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome in the general population of 146 per 10 000 people (Popova et al,...

Pre-eclampsia: Praxis and application

Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy-specific disorder, characterised by hypertension and multi-organ system involvement, that occurs in approximately 2-8% of pregnancies worldwide Hypertensive disorders,...

The midwife's role in suicide prevention

Pregnancy and transition to motherhood is traditionally perceived as a happy event, yet 20% of mothers experience mental illness (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), 2015)

Are male partners of pregnant women treated negatively in maternity care?

There has been a significant cultural shift regarding the inclusion of male partners in childbirth in Western societies since the 1960s (Hildingsson et al, 2011) Male partners are no longer barred...

Influenza vaccination in pregnancy: A review

Influenza (or ‘flu’) is a highly infectious viral illness of the respiratory tract, with a usual incubation period of 1–3 days (Public Health England, 2013a) It can be spread by respiratory droplets,...

Bump Start: developing and piloting a healthy living group intervention for obese pregnant women

Maternal obesity (a body mass index (BMI) of 30kg/m2 or higher at the first antenatal consultation) is a key modifiable risk factor in pregnancy The health problems linked to maternal BMI for both...

Providing sun safety advice: The midwife's role

Of all the different types of cancer diagnosed globally, skin cancer is the most prolific (Nguyen et al, 2012), and melanoma remains the major cause of death from skin cancer (Trakatelli et al, 2012)...

Caring for pregnant women with long-term conditions: maternal and neonatal effects of epilepsy

Worldwide, epilepsy is thought to affect approximately 1% of people (Grant, 2016) Though subject to various methodological (definitions of disease) and clinical issues (diagnostic criteria) this...

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