Louise Hunter

• Professor (Associate) at Oxford Brookes University

Background There is growing interest in the benefits of group models of antenatal care. Although clinical reviews exist, there have been few reviews that focus on the mechanisms of effect of this model. Methods We conducted a realist review using a systematic approach incorporating all data types (including non-research and audiovisual media), wit...

Background: There is growing interest in the benefits of group models of antenatal care. Although clinical reviews exist, there have been few reviews that focus on the mechanisms of effect of this model. Methods: We conducted a realist review using a systematic approach incorporating all data types (including non-research and audiovisual media), wi...

Objective The principal objective was to test the effectiveness of an online learning tool to improve midwives’ accuracy of blood loss estimations in a birthing pool environment. The secondary objective was to assess the acceptability of the online learning tool to the midwives using it. Design A one group pre-test, post-test experiment with immed...

Problem: Childbearing women from socio-economically disadvantaged communities and minority ethnic groups are less likely to access antenatal care and experience more adverse pregnancy outcomes. Background: Group antenatal care aims to facilitate information sharing and social support. It is associated with higher rates of attendance and improved...

Aim: To test the feasibility of introducing a group antenatal care initiative (Pregnancy Circles) in an area with high levels of social deprivation and cultural diversity by exploring the views and experiences of midwives and other maternity care providers in the locality before and after the implementation of a test run of the group model. Desig...

“I don't need supporting, me, I just do it.” A qualitative study of the social influences in male weight loss behaviours - Volume 76 Issue OCE4 - K.A. Harcourt, M.E. Clegg, J.V. Appleton, L. Hunter

Objective: To ascertain how midwives perceived attending a mindfulness course impacted on their professional practice, particularly in regard to any stress they experienced at work. Design: A qualitative study using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine midwives. Setting: A large maternity...

This article outlines the principles and evidence behind group antenatal care and explores how developing group facilitation skills can enhance midwifery practice. The authors discuss the impact of different training models developed by the REACH Pregnancy Programme to support the implementation of 'Pregnancy Circles' as part of a randomised contro...

Background: Group antenatal care (gANC) has been proposed as an alternative to standard appointments, integrating clinical care with information-sharing and opportunities for peer support. gANC employs a partnership approach and aims to improve continuity, normalise pregnancy and increase women’s sense of agency. gANC has been successfully implemen...

Oral presentation at ’The Maternity & the Newborn Forum at the Royal Society of Medicine - A risky business? Exploring risk perception and care provision during pregnancy and birth’

Commentary on : Guillaumie L, Boiral O, Champagne J. A mixed-methods systematic review of the effects of mindfulness on nurses. J Adv Nurs 2016. Published Online First. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jan.13176 Work-related stress is now the most common occupational health problem among nurses after musculoskeletal disorders.1 Its impact on the workplac...

Creating a workplace environment/culture that provides a positive working experience for midwives can be challenging in an era of increasing demand on an over-stretched service. Midwives report having little control over their time or space at work, and there is evidence that some attempt to manage their resulting stress levels by reducing their wo...

Stress and burnout are endemic in the NHS and the midwifery profession, having a negative impact on the health and wellbeing of individual midwives and on retention and recruitment for the profession as a whole. Stress can also have a negative impact on the care of women as midwives seek to manage their stress levels by employing strategies such as...

Aims and objectivesTo explore qualitative literature to ascertain whether and how nurses and midwives perceive that mindfulness impacts on their practice, particularly their interactions with patients. Background Stress and burnout, which negatively impact patient care, are widely reported among nurses and midwives, who face unique stressors as pro...

Being 'with woman' is characterised as presence, a spiritual concept which is nevertheless bound up with physical space. In this article, the work of the American philosopher Judith Butler is used to explore the interplay between space and relationships in midwifery practice. Butler argues that relationships based on mutual recognition and respect...

to identify elements in the environment of a postnatal ward which impacted on the introduction of a breast-feeding support intervention. a concurrent, realist evaluation including practice observations and semi-structured interviews. a typical British maternity ward. five midwives and two maternity support workers were observed. Seven midwives and...

Teenage mothers in the UK and other developed English-speaking nations are among those least likely to breastfeed. Evidence suggests more young mothers intend to breastfeed than actually start, indicating that their post-birth experiences militate against initiating breastfeeding. We aimed to explore how the inpatient experiences of a group of youn...

Background. In the UK and other developed nations, adolescent mothers are among those least likely to breastfeed, yet they and their children would potentially benefit more from breastfeeding than advantaged groups. Aim. To explore the ways in which a small group of UK adolescent mothers conceptualise their decisions to breastfeed and experience br...

To review the advantages and disadvantages of e-questionnaires, and question whether or not reported disadvantages remain valid or can be limited or circumvented. The internet is likely to become the dominant medium for survey distribution, yet nurses and midwives have been slow to use online technology for research involving questionnaires. Relati...

This book, written by a ‘busy, work-from-home mother’, offers women a ten-step countdown which they are invited to follow in order to achieve an ‘optimal’, or entirely physiological, birth. The central message of the book is that in order for women to tap into their inner resources and enable their bodies to birth effectively, they should aim to la...

This audit explores young women's views and experiences of in-patient and community postnatal care in Oxford, UK. Twenty-nine teenage mothers responded to a postal questionnaire received between one and four months postpartum. Their responses indicate a requirement for more proactive help and support with basic babycare tasks, and are discussed in...