Maternal positions during labor: Midwives’ knowledge and educational needs in northern Italy

Laura Garbelli, Laura Garbelli and Viviana Lira, Viviana Lira (2021) Maternal positions during labor: Midwives’ knowledge and educational needs in northern Italy. European Journal of Midwifery, 5 (2). pp. 1-9. ISSN 2585-2906

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Abstract

INTRODUCTION Maternal positions and mobility during childbirth can have different and specific effects on labor and affect some birth outcomes. The aim of the survey is to
investigate the knowledge and skills regarding maternal positions in labor among midwives and to consider the need of training.
METHODS A semi-structured questionnaire was distributed in August and September 2020 among midwives working in eight hospitals of Brescia, Northern Italy. The sample consisted of 115 midwives and data were analyzed using a quantitative, descriptive approach.
RESULTS The majority of the sample identified the general and specific benefits of maternal positions. Factors limiting the proposal of maternal positions were the context, the relationships with healthcare providers, the woman features, the fetal heart rate registration, continuous cardiotocography, amniotomy, episiotomy, operative vaginal birth, and epidural analgesia. Vaginal examination, the detection of uterine contractions,
intrapartum ultrasounds, and ‘hands-on’ perineum technique were considered irrelevant by the participating midwives. The promoting factors were the presence of the partner, the
telemetry, and the partogram with a section dedicated to positions. Nearly the totality of the sample considered appropriate to deepen the topic with training.
CONCLUSIONS Post-graduate courses are desirable to improve midwives’ skills. An educational toolkit is proposed to make the promotion of maternal positions more effective
and appropriate. In order to improve midwifery intrapartum care, further research addressed to midwives of other settings appears essential to compare different training contexts, to expand the proposed toolkit, and to invest on midwifery practice and education.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	mobility, labor, midwifery education, midwifery practice, maternal positions
Subjects:	R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
Divisions:	Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences > School of Medicine
Depositing User:	Mrs Ni Made Yunia Dwi Savitri
Date Deposited:	04 Jul 2022 00:43
Last Modified:	04 Jul 2022 00:43
URI:	http://eprints.triatmamulya.ac.id/id/eprint/1229

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