Programme

Individuals who do not identify as women may be challenged in a variety of ways throughout their childbearing journeys. For some trans individuals, childbearing can be very difficult, with the associated risk of worsening gender dysphoria and a profound sense of isolation. There is a lack of evidence of the quality of perinatal care for trans people. However, this presentation will explore the attitudes, knowledge, confidence, and experiences of maternity staff in relation to the birthing trans community and share their concerns and training needs in this context.

In the UK, about 30,000 women a year experience postnatal PTSD, but the condition is under-diagnosed, or sometimes misdiagnosed as PND. There are others who feel traumatised by birth, but don’t meet the criteria for a formal PTSD diagnosis.

Women with debilitating symptoms such as flashbacks and hyper-vigilance are often told by friends and family, and sometimes by health professionals, that they need to put the birth behind them or to be grateful for a healthy baby. Yet untreated, PTSD can last for many years.

Fortunately, good postnatal care, the use of a formal screening tool, peer support and trauma-based therapeutic treatments can all play a part in helping women recover.
For many women, having their trauma recognised and acknowledged is also important to the recovery process.

Drawing on women’s own words and experiences, the talk will focus on the most effective methods of supporting mothers with postnatal PTSD.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a medical disorder that occurs in approximately 2-8% of all pregnancies. It characterised by high blood pressure and proteinuria after 20 weeks gestation. PE has a wide spectrum of severity and can have serious consequences for both the mother and the fetus, especially in severe early onset cases. Early identification of women who are at risk of developing this condition is important as there is now evidence showing that the prevalence of PE can be halved by commencing pregnant women on low-dose Aspirin prior 16 weeks’ gestation.

Using Bayes theorem, a mathematical model that combines prior information from maternal characteristics, obstetric and medical history, uterine artery PI, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and maternal serum PAPP-A and PlGF, at 11-13 weeks’ gestation, can correctly identify a significant proportion of women who are at high-risk for preterm PE during pregnancy.

By identifying these patients at high risk for PE, appropriately tailored antenatal surveillance can be instigated and prophylactic pharmacological interventions can be prescribed to improve placentation and ultimately, the outcome for both the mother and fetus.

In 2018-2019 a midwifery-led research team from the University of Salford undertook a major research project into neonatal skin integrity, recruiting from three NHS Trusts in the Greater Manchester area. Over 700 pregnant women signed up to the study to test whether using different brands of baby wipe, all of which were specifically advertised as sensitive enough for newborns, can make a difference in incidence of nappy rash.

698 mother and baby pairs completed the ‘real world’ research study. Using the ‘mother-as-co-researcher’ model, mothers recorded daily observations of their infants’ skin integrity for 55 consecutive days. Data collection employed a custom designed smartphone application.

Analysis of daily survey data indicated that the brand of wipe containing the fewest ingredients was associated with the fewest days of nappy rash.

A final qualitative phase of the study explored women’s perceptions of participation and of accessing and using infant skincare advice.

Breast milk provides the optimal nutrition for infants. However, when infant formula is used, either in conjunction or in place of breast milk, it is important that families are supported in feeding their baby. The current market has an ever increasing range of available infant formulas. This presentation offers an overview of the types of formula milks that parents can buy and which are marketed as suitable from birth. The range of formula milks will be examined rather than individual brands, with the aim of increasing understanding so that parental questions can be answered and practical support offered effectively. This includes: hungry baby, organic, plant-based, goats’ milk, A2 and first formulas. There will also be an overview of formula used for special medical purposes such as comfort, anti-reflux and lactose free formulas.

This session will discuss the key findings from the above mentioned paper. With a focus on labour augmentation with oxytocin, it will consider why the Sustainable Development Goal aiming to achieve gender equality is not incorporated into UK maternity care. This session will give an overview of the associated risks of labour augmentation with oxytocin, and contemplate how women’s rights are potentially violated through lack of informed consent, with influence from the risk discourse, changing epidemiology and sociocultural norms.

The session aims to help midwives advise women on the importance of healthy eating during pregnancy. How a nutritious diet is especially important in pregnancy as the baby depends on mum to provide the right balance of nutrients to help grow and develop safely.

The presenter touches on Vitamin D advice in pregnancy and alcohol in pregnancy.

The advice for pregnant women on Physical Activity in pregnancy was launched in 2017 and updated in 2019 yet many midwives and doctors are unaware of the guidance.

During the session, the presenter hopes to enable midwives to better understand the UK Chief Medical Officer’s guidance on Physical Activity for pregnancy and post birth and highlight the advantages of physical activity in the pregnant population. In addition, she will discuss the types of moderate activity midwives can advise women to have.