Midwifery
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Multicenter Study
Physical health after childbirth and maternal depression in the first 12 months post partum: results of an Australian nulliparous pregnancy cohort study.
to investigate the relationship between maternal physical health problems and depressive symptoms in the first year after childbirth. ⋯ poor physical health in the early postnatal period is associated with poorer mental health throughout the first 12 months post partum. Early intervention to promote maternal mental health should incorporate assessment and intervention to address common postnatal physical health problems.
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to describe the experiences of women, midwives and others during the establishment of a new model of maternity care for remote dwelling Aboriginal women transferred to a regional centre in northern Australia for maternity care and birth. ⋯ there was a dissonance between the previous culture of maternity services and the woman centred focus of the new model. Over 12 months initial resistance to the new model diminished and it became highly valued. The transfer of information between the regional service and remote community health centres improved as did the safety and quality of care. Aboriginal women can access continuity of carer in the regional centre for the first time and reported a more positive experience with maternity services. The new model appears to have changed the cultural responsiveness of the regional maternity service; and care provided for remote dwelling women within this service. The qualitative findings inform others seeking to implement a similar model of care for remote dwelling women transferred to a regional centre for birth.