Journal of Perinatal Education (J Perinat Educ)

Publications in this journal

• Article: Factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding 2 to 4 weeks following discharge from a large, urban, academic medical center striving for baby-friendly designation.

  Eileen Difrisco, Karen E Goodman, Wendy C Budin, Marge W Lilienthal, Aviva Kleinman, Barbara Holmes
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  ABSTRACT: Substantial evidence documents the superiority of breastfeeding for mothers and breastmilk for babies. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Healthy People 2010 initiative promote breastfeeding, current breastfeeding rates often fall short of recommendations. This study determined factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding 2 to 4 weeks following discharge from a large, urban, academic medical center striving for Baby-Friendly designation. Results indicated that mothers who breastfed within the first hour of birth (61%) were significantly more likely to be exclusively breastfeeding 2 to 4 weeks after discharge. Incorporating care practices that include a number of the "Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding," as recommended by the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, may increase the duration of exclusive breastfeeding after discharge.
  Journal of Perinatal Education 01/2011; 20(1):28-35.
• Article: Answering questions about herpes in pregnancy.

  Stacey Wood
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  ABSTRACT: Herpes during pregnancy is a common concern. Because one in every five women is infected with the herpes virus, it is likely that herpes may be a topic that will be raised during a prenatal class, or afterward in private. An expectant mother who has a history of herpes may have concerns about protecting her baby from this virus. She may also have concerns about her own health, relationship issues including the support of her husband and family, or how to communicate with her health-care provider and make the best choices for a safe birth experience. Her childbirth educator can be a source of support and empowerment.
  Journal of Perinatal Education 01/2011; 20(1):61-4.
• Article: Teaching in a patient-centered medical home.

  Barbara A Hotelling
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  ABSTRACT: Teaching Lamaze International classes in a patient-centered medical home allows the childbirth educator the best environment for giving evidence-based information and empowering parents to give birth their way. Patient-centered medical home facilities and providers practice evidence-based care and adhere to the principles of family-centered maternity care. In patient-centered medical homes, women can expect to give birth using the Lamaze Healthy Birth Practices and to fully participate in their care with appropriate interventions and the right to informed consent and informed refusal.
  Journal of Perinatal Education 01/2011; 20(3):163-5.
• Article: Pain, suffering, and trauma in labor and prevention of subsequent posttraumatic stress disorder.

  Penny Simkin
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  ABSTRACT: In this column, Kimmelin Hull, community manager of Science & Sensibility, Lamaze International's research blog, reprints and discusses a recent blog post series by acclaimed writer, lecturer, doula, and normal birth advocate Penny Simkin. Examined here is the fruitful dialog that ensued-including testimonies from blog readers about their own experiences with traumatic birth and subsequent posttraumatic stress disorder. Hull further highlights the impact traumatic birth has not only on the birthing woman but also on the labor team-including doulas and childbirth educators-and the implied need for debriefing processes for birth workers. Succinct tools for assessing a laboring woman's experience of pain versus suffering are offered by Simkin, along with Hull's added suggestions for application during the labor and birth process.
  Journal of Perinatal Education 01/2011; 20(3):166-76.
• Article: Waiting to inhale: how to unhurry the moment of birth.

  Mary Esther Malloy
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  ABSTRACT: A doula and expectant mother's view of birth is forever changed when she sees a midwife simply place a newly born child below her mother at the moment of birth. The pause that the mother experiences in this moment as she studies, touches, and claims her child prompts the author to reflect in this guest editorial on ways we might be disturbing the natural sequence of birth as we deliver babies directly to their mothers' chests.
  Journal of Perinatal Education 01/2011; 20(1):8-13.
• Article: Dayton William Dix's Birth Story.

  Jill Hirschenfang
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  ABSTRACT: In this birth story, a young mother relates her experience of moving beyond fear of labor and birth and developing confidence in her ability to give birth without an epidural. Knowledge and support, including the support of a doula, during the last months of pregnancy helped this mother change her plans for the labor and birth. This story highlights the importance of continuous emotional and physical support and how knowledge and confidence set the stage for a satisfying, safe, and healthy birth.
  Journal of Perinatal Education 01/2011; 20(2):70-5.
• Article: Teaching and learning birth: "help all to know".

  Holly Powell Kennedy
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  ABSTRACT: This guest editorial explores the idea that our worldview, regardless of education, influences our childbirth practices, sometimes interfering with achieving the goals of our discipline. Over time, we have lost our ability to support women through the process of childbirth so that they emerge as strong, healthy women. The high road ahead is to teach everyone, including ourselves, that we need to provide optimal, evidence-based care. Pursuing this path will take courage and commitment.
  Journal of Perinatal Education 01/2011; 20(2):76-7.
• Article: Construct validity of the childbirth trauma index for adolescents.

  Cheryl Anderson
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  ABSTRACT: The potentially traumatic nature of childbirth for adult mothers has been confirmed in research; however, adolescent childbirth trauma is unexplored. This article presents research on the construct validity of the Childbirth Trauma Index by providing a conceptual analysis of psychological childbirth trauma, factor validity of the Childbirth Trauma Index, and discussion of testing the Childbirth Trauma Index via contrasted-groups approach. Childbirth trauma can result in an acute stress reaction or actual posttraumatic stress disorder. Using subjective reports, the Impact of Event Scale, and the Childbirth Trauma Index, an appraisal of birth trauma, trauma impact, and indicators associated with childbirth trauma were revealed among 112 adolescents. Clinical implications and research recommendations are offered.
  Journal of Perinatal Education 01/2011; 20(2):78-90.
• Article: Comparisons in perceived importance of and needs for maternal gestational weight information between african american and caucasian pregnant women.

  Carol Shieh, Michael T Weaver
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  ABSTRACT: This study compared the perceived importance of and needs for maternal gestational weight information between African American and Caucasian pregnant women. A secondary analysis of data from 113 pregnant women (82 African Americans and 31 Caucasians) attending an inner-city prenatal clinic was conducted for this study. Perceived importance of and needs for information were measured in five areas: (1) nutrition, (2) prenatal vitamins, (3) rest/activity balance, (4) exercise, and (5) appropriate weight gain. African American women demonstrated significantly higher perceived importance of and needs for information on rest/activity balance and appropriate weight gain than Caucasian women. Exercise information was rated lower in importance but was most needed by both African American and Caucasian women. Education programs about maternal gestational weight need to be cognizant of ethnic women's needs.
  Journal of Perinatal Education 01/2011; 20(2):100-7.
• Article: African American Women's Preparation for Childbirth From the Perspective of African American Health-Care Providers.

  Christine Abbyad, Trina Reed Robertson
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  ABSTRACT: Preparation for birthing has focused primarily on Caucasian women. No studies have explored African American women's birth preparation. From the perceptions of 12 African American maternity health-care providers, this study elicited perceptions of the ways in which pregnant African American women prepare for childbirth. Focus group participants answered seven semistructured questions. Four themes emerged: connecting with nurturers, traversing an unresponsive system, the need to be strong, and childbirth classes not a priority. Recommendations for nurses and childbirth educators include: (a) self-awareness of attitudes toward African Americans, (b) empowering of clients for birthing, (c) recognition of the role that pregnant women's mothers play, (d) tailoring of childbirth classes for African American women, and (e) research on how racism influences pregnant African American women's preparation for birthing.
  Journal of Perinatal Education 01/2011; 20(1):45-53.
• Article: Umbilical cord blood: information for childbirth educators.

  Renece Waller-Wise
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  ABSTRACT: Umbilical cord blood was once thought of as a waste product. Now, years after the first successful umbilical cord blood transplant, more families seek information about whether or not to save their newborn's cord blood. Childbirth educators may be one of the main sources that an expectant family depends on to gain more knowledge about cord blood banking in order to make an informed decision. Preserving umbilical cord blood in public banks is advisable for any family; however, it is recommended that expectant families only consider private cord blood banking when they have a relative with a known disorder that is treatable by stem cell transplants. The childbirth educator is encouraged to be well versed on the topic of cord blood banking, so that as questions from class participants arise, the topic can be explored and addressed appropriately.
  Journal of Perinatal Education 01/2011; 20(1):54-60.
• Article: Finding our way.

  Amy Bauer
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  ABSTRACT: LONG BEFORE I GOT PREGNANT, MY HUSBAND AND I BEGAN TO PREPARE FOR THE KIND OF BIRTH I HAD ALWAYS IMAGINED FOR MYSELF: peaceful, normal, and without medication or unnecessary medical intervention. In the fall of 2008, I got pregnant. At that same time, I started a new career as a labor and delivery nurse in a hospital that specializes in high-risk labor and birth. My daughter's journey into this world turned out to be the beautiful normal experience we had always imagined. This special experience also helped shape the kind of care I offer as a new labor and delivery nurse.
  Journal of Perinatal Education 01/2011; 20(1):6-7.
• Article: Evoking the power of learners.

  Barbara A Hotelling
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  ABSTRACT: Our mandate, as Lamaze International childbirth educators, is to assist women in making healthy pregnancy, birth, and parenting choices. Being mindful of health promotion theory and using learning tasks and dialogue education to provide information creates a collaborative Lamaze class where the teacher is the facilitator and the learners are accountable for their learning. This column offers Lamaze educators a deeper understanding of adult learners and our roles in their birth education.
  Journal of Perinatal Education 01/2011; 20(4):221-5.
• Article: Japanese Translation and Cultural Adaptation of the Listening to Mothers II Questionnaire.

  Rieko Kishi, Beverly McElmurry, Susan Vonderheid, Susan Altfeld, Barbara McFarlin, Junko Tashiro
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  ABSTRACT: The questionnaire used for the U.S. Listening to Mothers II survey was translated and culturally adapted to measure Japanese women's experience during the period of pregnancy planning through early postpartum. Methods included expert panels and two phases of cognitive interviews with 20 postpartum Japanese adult women. The number of problems with the translated questionnaire effectively decreased in the iterative process. Most problems were found in the question-interpretation stage of cognitive processing, such as wording/tone. Culture-specific concepts and unclear items were adapted to prevent erroneous interpretations in future studies. The future use of this questionnaire to generate data sets will be useful for professionals interested in developing evidence-based practices. The knowledge from this study can be helpful in improving health-care services and education for women with diverse languages and cultural backgrounds.
  Journal of Perinatal Education 01/2011; 20(1):14-27.
• Article: The evidence base for the cues program for mothers of very low birth weight infants: an innovative approach to reduce anxiety and support sensitive interaction.

  Nancy Feeley, Phyllis Zelkowitz, Ruta Westreich, David Dunkley
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  ABSTRACT: Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, born weighing less than 1,500 g, are at risk for several developmental problems. Consequently, there has been interest in developing intervention programs to prevent such problems. This article describes the empirical evidence that guided the development of an innovative, multicomponent intervention program for mothers of VLBW infants, as well as the program content and features. Based on the evidence, the program was designed to include six sessions and commence shortly after birth to reduce maternal psychological distress during the infant's hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit and to promote sensitive mother-infant interaction. The program incorporates various learning activities, including written materials, observational exercises, discussion, and video feedback.
  Journal of Perinatal Education 01/2011; 20(3):142-53.
• Article: Lamaze breathing: what every pregnant woman needs to know.

  Judith A Lothian
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  ABSTRACT: Lamaze breathing historically is considered the hallmark of Lamaze preparation for childbirth. This column discusses breathing in the larger context of contemporary Lamaze. Controlled breathing enhances relaxation and decreases perception of pain. It is one of many comfort strategies taught in Lamaze classes. In restricted birthing environments, breathing may be the only nonpharmacological comfort strategy available to women. Conscious breathing and relaxation, especially in combination with a wide variety of comfort strategies, can help women avoid unnecessary medical intervention and have a safe, healthy birth.
  Journal of Perinatal Education 01/2011; 20(2):118-20.
• Article: Grand Multiparous Women's Perceptions of Birthing, Nursing Care, and Childbirth Technology.

  Susan E Fleming, Denise Smart, Phyllis Eide
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  ABSTRACT: This qualitative descriptive study explored grand multiparous women's perceptions of the evolving changes in birthing, nursing care, and technology. A purposive sample of grand multiparous women (N = 13) from rural, eastern Washington State were interviewed as they shared their 105 birth stories. Eight themes were identified: (1) providing welcome care, (2) offering choices, (3) following birth plans, (4) establishing trust and rapport, (5) being an advocate, (6) providing reassurance and support, (7) relying on electronic fetal monitors and assessments versus nursing presence, and (8) having epidurals coupled with loss of bodily cues. Results from this study may be used to educate women, intrapartum nurses, and childbirth educators on nursing care and on the evolving use of technology to better manage intrapartum care in hospitals. The results can also add to the extant knowledge of childbirth nursing practices.
  Journal of Perinatal Education 01/2011; 20(2):108-17.
• Article: Predicting breastfeeding duration related to maternal attitudes in a taiwanese sample.

  Yen-Ju Ho, Jacqueline M McGrath
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  ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to examine maternal attitudes and sociodemographic variables associated with Taiwanese mothers' continuation of breastfeeding at 6 weeks postpartum. A sample of 140 in-hospital breastfeeding mothers was recruited in Taiwan. Participants completed the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS) in the hospital prior to discharge. Postdischarge participants were contacted by telephone at 3 and 6 weeks postpartum to obtain information regarding their feeding method and duration. Findings revealed that in-hospital maternal breastfeeding attitudes are predictive of breastfeeding duration. Insufficient milk supply was the reason most often given for discontinuing breastfeeding. Women's husband/partner was found to be the main source of breastfeeding support. We recommend health-care professionals add the IIFAS to their assessment to identify mothers at high risk for discontinuing breastfeeding and to develop and better evaluate breastfeeding promotion programs.
  Journal of Perinatal Education 01/2011; 20(4):188-99.