Midwifery workforce challenges in Victoria, Australia. A cross-sectional study of maternity managers.

BACKGROUND: In Australia, there is a lack of accurate data on midwifery workforce staffing and skill mix, which in turn hinders workforce policy and planning. AIM: To describe the current staffing levels of the midwifery workforce in Victoria, Australia, explore workforce challenges and assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on staffing. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. METHODS: Midwifery managers in all public and private maternity services in Victoria, Australia were invited to complete a survey exploring midwifery staffing numbers and adequacy. Topics explored included midwifery turnover, recruitment, and skill mix. Descriptive statistics were used. FINDINGS: The survey was open March to October 2021, and 56 % (38/68) of managers responded. Of these, 76 % reported inadequate midwifery staff levels, with deficits ranging from one to 19 estimated Full-Time Equivalent (EFT) midwives, with a combined total deficit of 135 EFT. In the 12 months prior to the survey, 73 % of services had found it difficult to recruit midwives, with increased difficulty during the COVID-19 pandemic. Managers were concerned about retaining and recruiting 'experienced' midwives due to an ageing workforce and high turnover due to work/life imbalance and job dissatisfaction. These issues have led to a predominantly early career midwifery workforce and created concern about skill mix. CONCLUSION: Victorian maternity services have a midwifery workforce shortage and are experiencing significant skill mix issues. The pandemic has exacerbated these considerable gaps in the workforce. Urgent implementation of retention and recruitment schemes are needed, along with strategies to improve the working conditions for the current workforce.

Comparing the views of caseload midwives working with First Nations families in an all-risk, culturally responsive model with midwives working in standard caseload models, using a cross-sectional survey design.

PROBLEM: Little is known about midwives' views and wellbeing when working in an all-risk caseload model. BACKGROUND: Between March 2017 and December 2020 three maternity services in Victoria, Australia implemented culturally responsive caseload models for women having a First Nations baby. AIM: Explore the views, experiences and wellbeing of midwives working in an all-risk culturally responsive model for First Nations families compared to midwives in standard caseload models in the same services. METHODS: A survey was sent to all midwives in the culturally responsive (CR) model six-months and two years after commencement (or on exit), and to standard caseload (SC) midwives two years after the culturally responsive model commenced. Measures used included the Midwifery Process Questionnaire and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). FINDINGS: 35 caseload midwives (19 CR, 16 SC) participated. Both groups reported positive attitudes towards their professional role, trending towards higher median levels of satisfaction for the culturally responsive midwives. Midwives valued building close relationships with women and providing continuity of care. Around half reported difficulty maintaining work-life balance, however almost all preferred the flexible hours to shift work. All agreed that a reduced caseload is needed for an all-risk model and that supports around the model (e.g. nominated social workers, obstetricians) are important. Mean CBI scores showed no burnout in either group, with small numbers of individuals having burnout in both groups. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Midwives were highly satisfied working in both caseload models, but decreased caseloads and more organisational supports are needed in all-risk models.

Who is at risk of burnout? A cross-sectional survey of midwives in a tertiary maternity hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

BACKGROUND: Burnout is an occupational phenomenon with the potential to affect a person's physical and mental health, job satisfaction and quality of work. There is evidence of burnout occurring in the midwifery profession, but inadequate data on the prevalence of, and the factors associated with, burnout. AIM: Identify the prevalence of burnout in a population of midwives and explore what individual and workforce characteristics, and what occupational stressors, were associated with burnout. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of permanently employed midwives was conducted in a tertiary maternity service in Melbourne, Australia in 2017. Data collected included individual and workforce-related characteristics and occupational stressors. Burnout was explored using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to ascertain associations between respondents' characteristics, stressors, and burnout levels. FINDINGS: A total of 257/266 midwives (97%) responded. There were significant levels of exhaustion and fatigue among respondents; 68% of midwives were experiencing personal burnout, 51% work-related burnout, and 10% were experiencing client-related burnout. Being aged ≤ 35 years, and/or having inadequate support was associated with personal and work-related burnout. Having inadequate acknowledgement was associated with client-related burnout. CONCLUSION: Health services need to understand the risk factors for burnout among midwives, identify and support groups that are most vulnerable, and address areas that are amenable to intervention. In our context this means ensuring midwives receive adequate acknowledgement and support, particularly younger midwives. These findings need to be tested in other settings to help inform a broader understanding and ensure the sustainability of the midwifery profession.

Factors associated with midwives' job satisfaction and experience of work: a cross-sectional survey of midwives in a tertiary maternity hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

BACKGROUND: Significant factors affecting the Australian maternity care context include an ageing, predominantly part-time midwifery workforce, increasingly medicalised maternity care, and women with more complex health/social needs. This results in challenges for the maternity care system. There is a lack of understanding of midwives' experiences and job satisfaction in this context. AIM: To explore factors affecting Australian midwives' job satisfaction and experience of work. METHODS: In 2017 an online cross-sectional questionnaire was used to survey midwives employed in a tertiary hospital. Data collected included characteristics, work roles, hours, midwives' views and experiences of their job. The Midwifery Process Questionnaire was used to measure midwives' satisfaction in four domains: Professional Satisfaction, Professional Support, Client Interaction and Professional Development. Data were analysed as a whole, then univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses conducted to explore any associations between each domain, participant characteristics and other relevant factors. FINDINGS: The overall survey response rate was 73% (302/411), with 96% (255/266) of permanently employed midwives responding. About half (53%) had a negative attitude about their Professional Support and Client Interaction (49%), and 21% felt negatively about Professional Development. The majority felt positively regarding Professional Satisfaction (85%). The main factors that impacted midwives' satisfaction was inadequate acknowledgment from the organisation and needing more support to fulfil their current role. CONCLUSION: Focus on leadership and mentorship around appropriate acknowledgement and support may impact positively on midwives' satisfaction and experiences of work. A larger study could explore how widespread these findings are in the Australian maternity care setting.

Women's views and experiences of publicly-funded homebirth programs in Victoria, Australia: A cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: It is critical women's voices are heard if there is to be more widespread implementation of midwifery-led continuity models. Publicly-funded homebirth is one such model, yet there has been limited systematic evaluation from the women's perspective. AIM: Examine women's experiences of and views about the two publicly-funded homebirth programs in Victoria, Australia. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used. All eligible women enrolled in the two pilot homebirth programs in metropolitan Melbourne whose infants were eight weeks of age or more during the evaluation period were invited to participate in a postal survey. A structured questionnaire was used, with some open-ended questions to enable extra comments. We explored women's reasons for choosing homebirth; views of care; experience of labour and birth; views on transfer; and overall experience of the homebirth program. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Simple thematic analysis was used for open-ended questions. FINDINGS: The survey response rate was 71% (96/136). A high percentage of women rated their care as 'Very good': pregnancy 81%; labour and birth 90%; and the early postpartum period 83%. Women reported low levels of anxiety during labour and birth, were able to express their feelings, felt in control, and coped physically and emotionally better than they had expected. They felt well supported by midwives and overall reported very positive experiences of the homebirth programs. CONCLUSIONS: These two publicly-funded homebirth pilot programs demonstrated very positive care ratings by women. These findings, along with the clinical outcomes (reported separately), support the continuation and expansion of the program.

Operationalising caseload midwifery in the Australian public maternity system: Findings from a national cross-sectional survey of maternity managers.

BACKGROUND: Despite high-level evidence of the benefits of caseload midwifery for women and babies, little is known about specific practice arrangements, organisational barriers and facilitators, nor about workforce requirements of caseload. This paper explores how caseload models across Australia operate. METHODS: A national cross-sectional, online survey of maternity managers in public maternity hospitals with birthing services was undertaken. Only services with a caseload model are included in the analysis. FINDINGS: Of 253 eligible hospitals, 149 (63%) responded, of whom 44 (31%) had a caseload model. Operationalisation of caseload varied across the country. Most commonly, caseload midwives were required to work more than 0.5 EFT, have more than one year of experience and have the skills across the whole scope of practice. On average, midwives took a caseload of 35-40 women when full time, with reduced caseloads if caring for women at higher risk. Leave coverage was complex and often ad-hoc. Duration of home-based postnatal care varied and most commonly provided to six weeks. Women's access to caseload care was impacted by many factors with geographical location and obstetric risk being most common. CONCLUSION: Introducing, managing and operationalising caseload midwifery care is complex. Factors which may affect the expansion and availability of the model are multi-faceted and include staffing and model inclusion guidelines. Coverage of leave is a factor which appears particularly challenging and needs more focus.

Continuity of care by a primary midwife (caseload midwifery) increases women's satisfaction with antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care: results from the COSMOS randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Continuity of care by a primary midwife during the antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum periods has been recommended in Australia and many hospitals have introduced a caseload midwifery model of care. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effect of caseload midwifery on women's satisfaction with care across the maternity continuum. METHODS: Pregnant women at low risk of complications, booking for care at a tertiary hospital in Melbourne, Australia, were recruited to a randomised controlled trial between September 2007 and June 2010. Women were randomised to caseload midwifery or standard care. The caseload model included antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care from a primary midwife with back-up provided by another known midwife when necessary. Women allocated to standard care received midwife-led care with varying levels of continuity, junior obstetric care, or community-based general practitioner care. Data for this paper were collected by background questionnaire prior to randomisation and a follow-up questionnaire sent at two months postpartum. The primary analysis was by intention to treat. A secondary analysis explored the effect of intrapartum continuity of carer on overall satisfaction rating. RESULTS: Two thousand, three hundred fourteen women were randomised: 1,156 to caseload care and 1,158 to standard care. The response rate to the two month survey was 88% in the caseload group and 74% in the standard care group. Compared with standard care, caseload care was associated with higher overall ratings of satisfaction with antenatal care (OR 3.35; 95% CI 2.79, 4.03), intrapartum care (OR 2.14; 95% CI 1.78, 2.57), hospital postpartum care (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.32, 1.85) and home-based postpartum care (OR 3.19; 95% CI 2.64, 3.85). CONCLUSION: For women at low risk of medical complications, caseload midwifery increases women's satisfaction with antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN012607000073404 (registration complete 23rd January 2007).

Understanding the 'work' of caseload midwives: A mixed-methods exploration of two caseload midwifery models in Victoria, Australia.

BACKGROUND: Caseload midwifery models are becoming more common in Australian maternity care. Little is known about how caseload midwifery compares with mainstream models of midwifery care in terms of both the organisation of the work and the meaning of the work for caseload midwives. AIM: To explore caseload and standard care midwives' views and experiences of midwifery work in two new caseload models in Victoria, Australia. METHODS: A mixed-methods approach was used. Quantitative data were collected using two cross-sectional surveys of midwives at the two study sites at the commencement of the caseload model and after two years. Qualitative data were collected using in-depth interviews with caseload midwives six months and two years after commencing in the role. Content analysis was used to analyse open-ended survey questions, and interview data were analysed thematically. Themes arising from these data sources were then considered using Normalization Process Theory. FINDINGS: Two themes emerged from the data. Caseload midwifery was a 'different' way of working, involving activity-based work, working on-call, fluid navigation between work and personal time and avoiding burnout. Working in caseload was also perceived by caseload midwives to be 'real' midwifery, facilitating relationships with women, and requiring responsibility, accountability, autonomy and legitimacy in their practice. Perceptions of caseload work were influenced by understanding these differences in caseload work compared to mainstream maternity care. CONCLUSION: Increased understanding of the differences between caseload work and mainstream maternity models, and introducing opportunities to be exposed to caseload work may contribute to sustainability of caseload models.

The structure and organisation of home-based postnatal care in public hospitals in Victoria, Australia: A cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: There is limited evidence regarding the provision of home-based postnatal care, resulting in a weak evidence-base for policy formulation and the further development of home-based postnatal care services. AIM: To explore the structure and organisation of public hospital home-based postnatal care in Victoria, Australia. METHODS: An online survey including mostly closed-ended questions was sent to representatives of all public maternity providers in July 2011. FINDINGS: The response rate of 87% (67/77) included rural (70%; n=47), regional (15%; n=10) and metropolitan (15%; n=10) services. The majority (96%, 64/67) provided home-based postnatal care. The median number of visits for primiparous women was two and for multiparous women, one. The main reason for no visit was the woman declining. Two-thirds of services attempted to provide some continuity of carer for home-based postnatal care. Routine maternal and infant observations were broadly consistent across the services, and various systems were in place to protect the safety of staff members during home visits. Few services had a dedicated home-based postnatal care coordinator. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that the majority of women receive at least one home-based postnatal visit, and that service provision on the whole is similar across the state. Further work should explore the optimum number and timing of visits, what components of care are most valued by women, and what model best ensures the timely detection and prevention of postpartum complications, be they psychological or physiological.

Comparing satisfaction and burnout between caseload and standard care midwives: findings from two cross-sectional surveys conducted in Victoria, Australia.

BACKGROUND: Caseload midwifery reduces childbirth interventions and increases women's satisfaction with care. It is therefore important to understand the impact of caseload midwifery on midwives working in and alongside the model. While some studies have reported higher satisfaction for caseload compared with standard care midwives, others have suggested a need to explore midwives' work-life balance as well as potential for stress and burnout. This study explored midwives' attitudes to their professional role, and also measured burnout in caseload midwives compared to standard care midwives at two sites in Victoria, Australia with newly introduced caseload midwifery models. METHODS: All midwives providing maternity care at the study sites were sent questionnaires at the commencement of the caseload midwifery model and two years later. Data items included the Midwifery Process Questionnaire (MPQ) to examine midwives' attitude to their professional role, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) to measure burnout, and questions about midwives' views of caseload work. Data were pooled for the two sites and comparisons made between caseload and standard care midwives. The MPQ and CBI data were summarised as individual and group means. RESULTS: Twenty caseload midwives (88%) and 130 standard care midwives (41%) responded at baseline and 22 caseload midwives (95%) and 133 standard care midwives (45%) at two years. Caseload and standard care midwives were initially similar across all measures except client-related burnout, which was lower for caseload midwives (12.3 vs 22.4, p = 0.02). After two years, compared to midwives in standard care, caseload midwives had higher mean scores in professional satisfaction (1.08 vs 0.76, p = 0.01), professional support (1.06 vs 0.11, p <0.01) and client interaction (1.4 vs 0.09, p <0.01) and lower scores for personal burnout (35.7 vs 47.7, p < 0.01), work-related burnout (27.3 vs 42.7, p <0.01), and client-related burnout (11.3 vs 21.4, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Caseload midwifery was associated with lower burnout scores and higher professional satisfaction. Further research should focus on understanding the key features of the caseload model that are related to these outcomes to help build a picture of what is required to ensure the long-term sustainability of the model.

Antenatal breast milk expression by women with diabetes for improving infant outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Some women with diabetes in pregnancy are encouraged to express and store colostrum prior to birthing. Following birth, the breastfed infant may be given the stored colostrum to minimise the use of artificial formula or intravenous dextrose administration if correction of hypoglycaemia is required. However, findings from observational studies suggest that antenatal breast milk expression may stimulate labour earlier than expected and increase admissions to special care nurseries for correction of neonatal hypoglycaemia. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the benefits and harms of the expression and storage of breast milk during late pregnancy by women with diabetes. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (30 June 2014). SELECTION CRITERIA: All published and unpublished randomised controlled trials comparing antenatal breast milk expressing with not expressing, by pregnant women with diabetes (pre-existing or gestational) and a singleton pregnancy. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently evaluated reports identified by the search strategy. MAIN RESULTS: There were no published or unpublished randomised controlled trials comparing antenatal expressing with not expressing. One randomised trial is currently underway. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is no high level systematic evidence to inform the safety and efficacy of the practice of expressing and storing breast milk during pregnancy.

Sources of information used by women during pregnancy to meet their information needs.

AIM OF THE STUDY: to explore the information sources used by women during pregnancy to meet their information needs regarding pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. DESIGN: a cross-sectional postal survey of all eligible women who birthed at the Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia between November 2010 and January 2011. Surveys were sent at four months post partum. FINDINGS: forty-seven per cent (350/752) of eligible women returned the surveys, of whom 62% were primiparous. 'Discussion with a midwife' was the source of information used by the greatest number of women during pregnancy (246/350, 70%). Less than half of the women used the internet to access information (154/350, 44%), and group information sessions were the least preferred information format (8/330, 2.4%). Women from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) were less likely to use written and online resources. One-third of the women had unmet learning needs, particularly in relation to breast feeding and postnatal recovery. Overall, women rated books as the most useful source of information (57/332, 17.2%). The model of pregnancy care influenced the source women rated as most useful. Women who received most of their pregnancy care from a midwife described discussion with a midwife as their most useful source of information (42/150, 28%). In contrast, of the group who received most of their care from a doctor in antenatal clinic, the largest proportion reported that the internet was their most useful source of information (10/57, 28%). CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: discussion with midwives is an important source of information for women. The internet did not play a significant role in information seeking for more than half of the women in the study. Existing sources of information may not meet the needs of women from NESB, either because women do not access the multilingual resources currently available or because resources may only be provided in English or a few other common languages.

Care providers' views and experiences of postnatal care in private hospitals in Victoria, Australia.

OBJECTIVE: in Australia, as in other developed countries, women have consistently reported lower levels of satisfaction with postnatal care compared with antenatal and intrapartum care. However, in Victoria Australia, women who receive private hospital postnatal care have rated their care more favourably than women who received public hospital care. This study aimed to gain a further understanding of this by exploring care providers' views and experiences of postnatal care in private hospitals. DESIGN: qualitative design using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. SETTING: private maternity hospitals in Victoria, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: eleven health-care providers from three metropolitan and one regional private hospital including eight midwives (two maternity unit managers and six clinical midwives) and three obstetricians. FINDINGS: two global themes were identified: 'Constrained Care' and 'Consumer Care'. 'Constrained care' demonstrates the complexity of the provision of postnatal care and encompasses midwives' feelings of frustration with the provision of postnatal care in a busy environment complicated by staffing difficulties, a lack of continuity and the impact of key players in postnatal care (including visitors, management and obstetricians). 'Consumer care' describes care providers' views that women often approach private postnatal care as a consumer, which can impact on their expectations and satisfaction with postnatal care. Despite these challenges, care providers, particularly midwives, highly valued (and generally enjoyed working in) postnatal care. KEY CONCLUSIONS: this study, along with other Australian and international studies, has identified that hospital postnatal care is complex and characterised by multiple barriers which impact on the provision of quality postnatal care. Further research is needed to evaluate routine postnatal practices and continuity of care within the postnatal period. In-depth qualitative studies investigating women's expectations and experiences of postnatal care in both the public and private sector are also needed.

Exploring implementation and sustainability of models of care: can theory help?

OBJECTIVE: Research on new models of care in health service provision is complex, as is the introduction and embedding of such models, and positive research findings are only one factor in whether a new model of care will be implemented. In order to understand why this is the case, research design must not only take account of proposed changes in the clinical encounter, but the organisational context that must sustain and normalise any changed practices. We use two case studies where new models of maternity care were implemented and evaluated via randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to discuss how (or whether) the use of theory might inform implementation and sustainability strategies. The Normalisation Process Model is proposed as a suitable theoretical framework, and a comparison made using the two case studies - one where a theoretical framework was used, the other where it was not. CONTEXT AND APPROACH: In the maternity sector there is considerable debate about which model of care provides the best outcomes for women, while being sustainable in the organisational setting. We explore why a model of maternity care--team midwifery (where women have a small group of midwives providing their care)-- that was implemented and tested in an RCT was not continued after the RCT's conclusion, despite showing the same or better outcomes for women in the intervention group compared with women allocated to usual care. We then discuss the conceptualisation and rationale leading to the use of the 'Normalisation Process Model' as an aid to exploring aspects of implementation of a caseload midwifery model (where women are allocated a primary midwife for their care) that has recently been evaluated by RCT. DISCUSSION: We demonstrate how the Normalisation Process Model was applied in planning of the evaluation phases of the RCT as a means of exploring the implementation of the caseload model of care. We argue that a theoretical understanding of issues related to implementation and sustainability can make a valuable contribution when researching complex interventions in complex settings such as hospitals. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Application of a theoretical model in the research of a complex intervention enables a greater understanding of the organisational context into which new models of care are introduced and identification of factors that promote or challenge implementation of these models of care.

Addressing the midwifery workforce crisis: evaluating an employment model for undergraduate midwifery students at a tertiary maternity hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In Victoria, maternity services are under significant strain due to increased numbers of women giving birth and critical workforce shortages. Hospitals have experienced challenges in adequately staffing maternity units, particularly on postnatal wards. In 2008, a tertiary maternity hospital in Melbourne introduced a model where undergraduate midwifery students were employed as Division 2 nurses (SMW_Div2) (enrolled nurses), to work in the postnatal area only. This study explored the pilot employment model from the perspective of the SMW_Div2 and hospital midwives. METHODS: A web-based survey was administered to hospital midwives and the SMW_Div2s in the employment model in January 2010. The survey explored the views of midwives and SMW_Div2s regarding the perceived impact of the model on workforce readiness, recruitment and retention, and clinical competence and confidence. FINDINGS: Forty-seven of 158 midwives (30%) and five of nine SMW_Div2s employed in the model responded to the survey. Both groups considered the model to have benefits for the organisation, including increased: student workforce readiness; clinical confidence and competence; and organisational loyalty. Both groups also considered that the model would facilitate: workforce recruitment; a teaching and learning culture within the organisation; and enhanced partnerships between students, hospitals and universities. Caution was expressed regarding workload and the need for ongoing support for SMW_Div2s working in the model. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: SMW_Div2s and midwives were positive about the introduction of the paid employment model at the Women's. The findings are consistent with evaluations of similar programs in the nursing setting. The employment model has potential short and long term individual and organisational advantages, which is important in the context of increasing births and workforce shortages. Progression of such models will be contingent on the collaboration and cooperation of the various stakeholders involved in maternity workforce and education.

Identifying and supporting women with psychosocial issues during the postnatal period: evaluating an educational intervention for midwives using a before-and-after survey.

OBJECTIVE: women experience a range of psychosocial issues during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period. A review of hospital postnatal care in Australia found that many midwives who provide postnatal care find dealing with psychosocial issues a challenge, further complicated by heavy workloads that reduce the opportunity for quality interactions between midwives and women. This study aimed to evaluate an advanced communication skills education package for midwives caring for women during the postnatal period. DESIGN: a before-and-after survey design was used. Midwives attended seven sessions over a six-month period in 2006 and completed a survey before and after the sessions to evaluate the programme. Surveys included items about communication skills, willingness to change, learning style, and knowledge of and attitudes towards psychosocial issues. SETTING: the programme was implemented at two sites in Victoria, Australia: a tertiary metropolitan referral hospital and a regional hospital. PARTICIPANTS: 25 midwives participated in the study. FINDINGS: 21 of the 25 participating midwives (84%) completed both the pre and post survey. Following the educational intervention, participants were more likely to feel competent at identifying women in an abusive relationship (p = 0.002); encouraging women to talk about any psychosocial issues (p = 0.02); actively encouraging women to talk about things on their mind (p = 0.01); and encouraging women to talk about how they are really feeling (p = 0.02). Participants also felt more confident in their knowledge of psychosocial issues (p=0.01) and in supporting women experiencing psychosocial issues in the early postnatal period (p = 0.02). Participants were very positive about the programme. KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: the advanced communication programme, implemented for the first time in the postnatal setting, increased the self-reported comfort and competency of midwives to identify and care for women with psychosocial issues during the postnatal period. The effect of this approach should now be evaluated in terms of women's outcomes.

Neonatal and maternal outcomes following maternal use of buprenorphine or methadone during pregnancy: findings of a retrospective audit.

BACKGROUND: Substance use in pregnancy is potentially harmful to both the fetus and pregnant woman. At the Royal Women's Hospital, the Women's Alcohol and Drug Service (WADS) provides pregnancy care and counseling for women who have complex drug and/or alcohol issues and psychosocial needs. Women who are stable on pharmacotherapy attend the general pregnancy clinics. RESEARCH QUESTION: What are the maternal characteristics, pregnancy and neonatal outcomes for a group of women attending for pregnancy care who were on pharmacotherapy substitution treatment, being prescribed buprenorphine or methadone? PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: All women prescribed buprenorphine or methadone from September 2005 to December 2006 were identified by the hospital pharmacy department where prescribing permits are retained during the woman's pregnancy and postnatal period. Data were collected from medical records and a specific Drug and Alcohol Service database and analysed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Ninety-eight women were identified; 78 were prescribed methadone and 20 buprenorphine. Of these, 76 women also used other substances: tobacco (63%); cannabis (39%); and heroin (37%). Women who received no antenatal care had poorer outcomes overall. Twenty-four percent of live-born infants ≥33 weeks gestation (22/91) required medication for withdrawal. There was no difference in medication requirement where mothers were polysubstance users (18/70; 26%) compared with those who were not (2/21; 19%) (p=0.78), although these small numbers should be viewed with caution. The mean time until medication was required was 3.47 days. DISCUSSION: A significant proportion of infants whose mothers used buprenorphine or methadone in pregnancy displayed enough symptoms of withdrawal to require medication. This is therefore an important clinical issue of which care providers need to be aware. CONCLUSION: Further prospective research is required to explore whether factors such as specific substances are more likely to be associated with infant withdrawal.

Diabetes and antenatal milk expressing: a pilot project to inform the development of a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: infants of women with diabetes in pregnancy are at increased risk of hypoglycaemia. If the infant's blood glucose is low and the mother is unable to breast feed/provide sufficient expressed breast milk, infants are often given formula. Some hospitals encourage women with diabetes to express breast milk before birth. However, there is limited evidence for this practice, including its impact on labour and birth, e.g. causing premature birth may be a concern. A pilot study was undertaken to establish the feasibility of conducting an adequately powered randomised controlled trial to evaluate this practice. DESIGN: consecutive eligible women with pre-existing or gestational diabetes (requiring insulin), planning to breast feed and attending the study hospital were offered participation. INCLUSION CRITERIA: 34-36 weeks of gestation; singleton pregnancy; cephalic presentation; and able to speak, read and write in English. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: history of spontaneous preterm birth, antepartum haemorrhage, placenta praevia and suspected fetal compromise. Women were encouraged to express colostrum twice a day from 36 weeks of gestation, and advised how to store the colostrum, which was frozen for their infant's use after birth. They were asked to keep a diary documenting their expressing. DATA: demographic questionnaire, telephone interview at six and 12 weeks postpartum and medical record data. SETTING: a public, tertiary, women's hospital in Melbourne, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: 43 women with diabetes in pregnancy (requiring insulin). FINDINGS: cardiotocographs were undertaken after the first expressing episode and none of the infants showed any sign of fetal compromise. Forty per cent of infants received formula in the 24 hours postpartum. The proportion of infants receiving any breast milk at six weeks was 90%, and this decreased to 75% at 12 weeks. No women showed evidence of hypoglycaemia post expressing. The intervention was positively received by most women; 95% said that they would express antenatally again if the practice proved to be beneficial. The amount of colostrum varied according to the number of expressions, the length of time in the study and the time spent expressing, with a median of 14 days expressing and 39.6 ml of colostrum obtained. KEY CONCLUSIONS: the small number of women in this pilot was not an adequate number to examine safety or efficacy, but this study does provide evidence that it would be feasible and desirable to conduct a randomised controlled trial of antenatal milk expressing for women with diabetes requiring insulin in pregnancy. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: it is important that this widespread practice undergoes rigorous evaluation to assess both efficacy and safety. Until such evidence is available, the authors suggest that the routine encouragement of antenatal milk expressing in women with diabetes in pregnancy should cease.

Australian women's use of complementary and alternative medicines to enhance fertility: exploring the experiences of women and practitioners.

BACKGROUND: Studies exploring the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to enhance fertility are limited. While Australian trends indicate that women are using CAM during pregnancy, little is known about women's use of CAM for fertility enhancement. With the rising age of women at first birth, couples are increasingly seeking assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to achieve parenthood. It is likely that CAM use for fertility enhancement will also increase, however this is not known. This paper reports on an exploratory study of women's use of CAM for fertility enhancement. METHODS: Three focus groups were conducted in Melbourne, Australia in 2007; two with women who used CAM to enhance their fertility and one with CAM practitioners. Participants were recruited from five metropolitan Melbourne CAM practices that specialise in women's health. Women were asked to discuss their views and experiences of both CAM and ART, and practitioners were asked about their perceptions of why women consult them for fertility enhancement. Groups were digitally recorded (audio) and transcribed verbatim. The data were analysed thematically. RESULTS: Focus groups included eight CAM practitioners and seven women. Practitioners reported increasing numbers of women consulting them for fertility enhancement whilst also using ART. Women combined CAM with ART to maintain wellbeing and assist with fertility enhancement. Global themes emerging from the women's focus groups were: women being willing to 'try anything' to achieve a pregnancy; women's negative experiences of ART and a reluctance to inform their medical specialist of their CAM use; and conversely, women's experiences with CAM being affirming and empowering. CONCLUSIONS: The women in our study used CAM to optimise their chances of achieving a pregnancy. Emerging themes suggest the positive relationships achieved with CAM practitioners are not always attained with orthodox medical providers. Women's views and experiences need to be considered in the provision of fertility services, and strategies developed to enhance communication between women, medical practitioners and CAM practitioners. Further research is needed to investigate the extent of CAM use for fertility enhancement in Australia, and to explore the efficacy and safety of CAM use to enhance fertility, in isolation or with ART.

The use of folic acid and other vitamins before and during pregnancy in a group of women in Melbourne, Australia.

OBJECTIVE: to explore the use of folic acid and other vitamin supplements before and during pregnancy, including type, dosage and form; who recommended supplement use and for what reason; and women's understanding of why they took folic acid. DESIGN: cross-sectional survey. SETTING: a public tertiary referral hospital in Melbourne, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: consecutive pregnant women at 36-38-weeks gestation completed a self-administered survey (available in English, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Turkish and Arabic). MEASUREMENTS: a structured questionnaire was used. Descriptive statistics are presented, with stratified and regression analyses to compare sub-groups. FINDINGS: of 705 eligible women, 588 (83%) agreed to participate. Of these, 88 (15%) completed the questionnaire in a language other than English. Twenty-nine per cent (168/588) of women took pre-pregnancy folic acid supplements. Only 23% reported taking a folic acid supplement for at least 4 weeks before pregnancy. During pregnancy, 79% of women took folic acid, most of whom commenced before 13 weeks. Other vitamin supplements taken during pregnancy were iron (52%), calcium (24%), Vitamin B6 (14%), pregnancy multivitamins (35%) and zinc (7%). Only 8% took no supplements at all in pregnancy. Factors associated with an increased risk of not taking folic acid were income < or =$30,000 (AUD) (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.85, 95% CI 1.84, 4.40), smoking during pregnancy (adjusted OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.26, 4.48) and having other than a first baby (adjusted OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.22, 2.93). KEY CONCLUSIONS: uptake of folic acid supplementation in the periconceptional period was well below the target that all women planning pregnancy consume 0.4-0.5mg of folate per day. Less than one-third of this sample took a pre-pregnancy folic acid supplement, with differences in uptake by group. A large proportion of respondents also took a range of other vitamin supplements during pregnancy. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: it is important to target women who are less likely to take periconceptional folic acid as well as to increase awareness among women of childbearing age in general.