http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10866 Sat, 11 Apr 2026 21:06:50 GMT 2026-04-11T21:06:50Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10978 Title: ‘What do I do?’ A study to inform development of an e-resource for maternity healthcare professionals and students caring for people with lived experience of childhood sexual abuse Authors: Montgomery, Elsa; Chang, Yan-Shing Abstract: Background: The impact of childhood sexual abuse can last a lifetime. It is more prevalent than many common complexities that require additional care during the childbirth cycle but is rarely part of the education of healthcare professionals and students. This study informed the development of an e-resource to support maternity healthcare professionals and students caring for people with lived experience of childhood sexual abuse. Objectives: To identify any previous learning of pre-registration students and healthcare professionals in relation to care of survivors of childhood sexual abuse, explore their clinical experience in caring for survivors, identify related learning needs, explore what survivors of childhood sexual abuse would like healthcare professionals to know about their maternity care needs. Design: A qualitative descriptive study using focus groups and interviews. Data derived qualitative content analysis was employed to address the objectives. Setting: The study was designed in consultation with The Survivors Trust and took place in South London, UK Participants: Thirty seven health care professionals and students participated, comprising 25 students of midwifery, health visiting and medicine; 9 midwives, health visitors and doctors with specialist obstetric training. Eight women with lived experience took part in focus groups. Findings: Care of women and birthing people who have experienced childhood sexual abuse had not been part of the undergraduate/pre-registration curricula, nor in specialist training for obstetricians. Many practitioners felt unprepared to care for those with lived experience of abuse and their learning needs were wide-ranging. The need for a learning resource was acknowledged and the outline plan that had been produced following the focus groups was endorsed by participants with lived experience. Conclusion: Care for women and birthing people with lived experience of childhood sexual abuse can be challenging for both personal and professional reasons. This study confirmed the need for a resource that could facilitate the classroom teaching of students and be used for the Continuous Professional Development of qualified practitioners. Tue, 01 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10978 2023-08-01T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10975 Title: Understanding the relationship between maternity care providers and middle-class Chinese migrant women in the Netherlands: A qualitative study Authors: Shan, Haiyue; Saharso, Sawitri; Nandy van, Kroonenburg; Henrichs, Jens Abstract: Objective: This study aims to provide insights into the formation and the quality of the maternity care providerwoman relationship between midwives, maternity care assistants and middle-class Chinese migrant women in the Netherlands. Design: online in-depth interviews addressing interpersonal trust, women’s autonomy in shared decision making and culturally sensitive care Participants: 46 middle-class Chinese migrant women, 13 midwives and 12 maternity care assistants in the Netherlands Findings: Midwives and maternity care assistants reported challenges interpreting the needs of middle-class Chinese migrant women in care practices while Chinese migrant women experienced receiving insufficient emotional support. Midwives and maternity care assistant tended to attribute women’s different preferences for care to culture which reinforced difficulties of addressing women’s needs. Middle-class Chinese migrant women experienced a lack of responsive care, feelings of being overlooked, being uncomfortable to express different opinions and challenges in developing autonomy in the shared decision-making process. Conclusions: A trusting relationship, effective communication with maternity care providers, and a culturally sensitive and safe environment could be beneficial for middle-class migrant mothers. Chinese migrant women held ambivalent attitudes towards both traditional Chinese health beliefs and Dutch maternity care values. Each individual woman adopted the practice of the “doing the month” tradition to a different extent. This indicated the need for maternity care providers to recognize women’s various needs for more responsive and individualized care, especially for first-time migrant mothers to negotiate their ways through the new healthcare system. Implications for practice: We suggest a more proactive role for maternity care providers addressing the individual’s subjectivity and preferences. Our findings are relevant and applicable for maternity care professionals conducting shared decision making with middle-class and highly educated migrant women living in Western contexts. Sat, 01 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10975 2023-07-01T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10972 Title: The influence of the attending midwife on the occurrence of episiotomy: A retrospective cohort study Authors: Simmelink, Renate; Moll, Etelka; Verhoeven, Corine Abstract: Background: Episiotomy at the time of vaginal birth can result in short- and long-term complications for women. Therefore, it is important to study factors that influence the occurrence of episiotomy. Aim: To examine to what extent the individual factors of clinical midwives in the same working conditions contribute to variations in episiotomy. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed at a secondary care hospital in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, using data from women who were assisted by a clinical midwife during birth in 2016. The clinical midwives filled out a questionnaire to determine individual factors. The predictive value of the individual factors of the clinical midwives was examined in a multiple logistic regression model on episiotomy. Results: A total of 1302 births attended by 27 midwives were included. The mean episiotomy rate was 12.7%, with a range from 3.2% to 30.8% among midwives (p = 0.001). When stratified for parity, within the primipara group there was a significant variation in episiotomy among midwives with a range from 7.9% to 47.8% (p = 0.006). No significant variation was found in the occurrence of third/fourth degree tears or intact perineum. There was a significant difference in episiotomy for maternal indication among midwives (p = 0.041). Predictors for an episiotomy were number of years since graduation and place of bachelor education of the clinical midwife. Conclusion: This study shows that individual factors of clinical midwives influence the rate of episiotomy. Predictors for an episiotomy were the number of years since graduation and place of bachelor education. This shows that continuous training of clinical midwives could contribute to reducing the number of unnecessary episiotomies. Since suspected fetal distress is the only evidence based indication to perform an episiotomy, there is room for improvement given the variation in the number of episiotomies performed for maternal indication. Sat, 01 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10972 2023-07-01T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10966 Title: Midwives’ occupational wellbeing and its determinants. A cross-sectional study among newly qualified and experienced Dutch midwives Authors: Liesbeth Kool; Jong, Esther I. Feijen-de; Mastenbroek, Nicole J.J.M.; Schellevis, François G.; Jaarsma, Debbie A.D.C. Abstract: Objective: Internationally, about 40 percent of midwives report symptoms of burnout, with young and inexperienced midwives being most vulnerable. There is a lack of recent research on burnout among Dutch midwives. The aim of this study was to examine the occupational wellbeing and its determinants of newly qualified and inexperienced midwives in the Netherlands. The majority of practicing Dutch midwives are aged under 40, which could lead to premature turnover. Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire that consisted of validated scales measuring job demands, job and personal resources, burnout symptoms and work engagement. The Job Demands-Resources model was used as a theoretical model. Setting and participants: We recruited Dutch midwives who were actually working in midwifery practice. A total of N=896 midwives participated in this study, representing 28 percent of practicing Dutch midwives. Measurements and Findings: Data were analysed using regression analysis. Seven percent of Dutch midwives reported burnout symptoms and 19 percent scored high on exhaustion. Determinants of burnout were all measured job demands, except for experience level. Almost 40 percent of midwives showed high work engagement; newly qualified midwives had the highest odds of high work engagement. Master’s or PhD-level qualifications and employment status were associated with high work engagement. All measured resources were associated with high work engagement. Key conclusions: A relatively small percentage of Dutch midwives reported burnout symptoms, the work engagement of Dutch midwives was very high. However, a relatively large number reported symptoms of exhaustion, which is concerning because of the risk of increasing cynicism levels leading to burnout. In contrast to previous international research findings, being young and having less working experience was not related to burnout symptoms of Dutch newly qualified midwives. Implications for practice: The recognition of job and personal resources for midwives’ occupational wellbeing must be considered for a sustainable midwifery workforce. Midwifery Academies need to develop personal resources of their students that will help them in future practice. Sat, 01 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10966 2023-07-01T00:00:00Z