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Dutch community midwives' views on preconception care
Peter N A C M van Heesch1, Sabina de Weerd, Sandra Kotey
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Division of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Midwifery
|August 30, 2005
Summary
Most community midwives are familiar with and willing to provide preconception care, but require more training and resources for successful implementation. This care is currently not structurally provided before pregnancy.
Area of Science:
- Maternal Health
- Public Health
- Midwifery Practice
Background:
- Preconception care is crucial for optimizing pregnancy outcomes.
- Community midwives play a vital role in maternal healthcare delivery.
- Understanding midwives' perspectives is essential for implementing new care models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore community midwives' views on the desirability of preconception care.
- To assess midwives' willingness to integrate preconception care into their practice.
- To identify necessary conditions for successful preconception care implementation.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire survey was distributed to community midwives in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
- 102 (79%) midwives returned the questionnaire.
- The study focused on midwives referring high-risk clients to a specific medical center.
Main Results:
- 93% of midwives were familiar with preconception care, and 70% already provided it to some extent.
- 83% expressed willingness to provide preconception care in the future.
- Midwives identified lack of time and knowledge as barriers, highlighting a need for postgraduate training.
Conclusions:
- Community midwives currently offer some counseling but not systematically before pregnancy.
- Midwives are receptive to expanding their role in preconception care.
- Enhanced postgraduate education and resources are critical for effective preconception care integration.