Australian midwives' experience of delivering a counselling intervention for women reporting a traumatic birth

this paper describes midwives' experiences of learning new counselling skills and delivering a counselling intervention entitled 'Promoting Resilience on Mothers Emotions' (PRIME).

a descriptive exploratory approach was used. Data collected included semi-structured interviews (n=42), midwife diary entries (18 pages) and web based postings (169 pages). Data were analysed using manual thematic method.

the intervention study was conducted in two tertiary maternity hospitals in the Australian states of Queensland (QLD) and Western Australia (WA) during a 17 month period, from August 2008 to December 2009.

midwives were employed as research assistants and trained to deliver a counselling intervention to women reporting a traumatic birth experience. Eighteen of a possible 20 Australian midwives participated in this study.

PRIME is a midwife-led counselling intervention based on cognitive-behavioural principles and designed to ameliorate trauma symptoms. It is offered face-to-face within 72 hours of childbirth and by phone around six weeks post partum.

participating midwives felt confronted by the level of emotional distress some women suffered as a consequence of their birth experience. Four major themes were extracted: The challenges of learning to change; Working with women in a different way; Making a difference to women and me; and A challenge not about to be overcome.

the advanced counselling skills the midwives acquired improved their confidence to care for women distressed by their birthing experience and to personally manage stressful situations they encountered in practice.