Women and birth : journal of the Australian College of Midwives
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The World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding to six months postpartum, but most women in developed countries do not breastfeed this long. Prior studies exploring the relationship between breastfeeding duration and maternal depression show ambiguous findings. ⋯ Women's decisions around infant-feeding are influenced by a range of psycho-social factors, and early postnatal depressive symptoms appear to be a significant part of this picture, as either a cause or consequence of decisions to cease breastfeeding.
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The pain experience associated with labour is complex. Literature indicates psychosocial and environmental determinants of labour pain, and yet methods to support women usually target physiological attributes via pharmacological interventions. ⋯ If a woman can sustain the belief that her pain is purposeful (i.e. her body working to birth her baby), if she interprets her pain as productive (i.e. taking her through a process to a desired goal) and the birthing environment is safe and supportive, it would be expected she would experience the pain as a non-threatening, transformative life event. Changing the conceptualisation of labour pain to a purposeful and productive pain may be one step to improving women's experiences of it, and reducing their need for pain interventions.
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The aim of this study was to investigate the maternity care factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding duration at three months and six months postpartum in a setting without BFHI accrediation. ⋯ Results suggest that both intrapartum and postpartum maternity care practices can predict long-term breastfeeding success.
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Vaginal birth is a safe mode of birth for most women who have had a prior caesarean with a transverse incision. Despite the evidence, most Taiwanese women who have had a previous caesarean are rarely offered the opportunity to consider any possibility other than a repeat caesarean. ⋯ Women who have had a previous caesarean section are prepared to have a vaginal birth but are not always supported to carry out this decision. Changing the models of antenatal care is recommended as a strategy to overcome this difficulty therefore empowering women to make a meaningful choice about VBAC after a CS.
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, hereafter called Indigenous women, can experience a lack of understanding of their cultural needs when accessing maternity care in the standard hospital care system. ⋯ Indigenous women in this study expressed and shared some of their cultural needs, identifying culturally unsafe practices. Recommendations to address these include the extension of current care planners to include cultural needs; Aboriginal Maternal Infant Care (AMIC) workers for women from rural and remote areas; AMIC workers on call to assist the women and midwives; increased education, employment and retention of Indigenous midwives; increased review into the women's experiences; removal of signs on the door restricting visitors in the birth suite; flexibility in the application of hospital rules and regulations; and changes to birthing services in rural and remote areas so women may not have to relocate for birth.