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Background A midwife’s ability to fully support women’s autonomy and self-determination with respect to midwifery care is often challenging. This is particularly true of water immersion for labour and birth. However, the woman’s agency over what happens to her body and that of her unborn baby should be key considerations for maternity care provision. Objectives A three phased mixed-methods study was undertaken to examine how water immersion policies and guidelines are informed. Phase three of this study captured the knowledge and experiences of Australian midwives, their support for water immersion and their experiences of using policies and guidelines to inform and facilitate the practice. Methods Critical, post structural, interpretive interactionism was used to examine more than 300 responses to three open-ended questions included in a survey of 233 midwives. Comment data were analysed to provide further insight, context and meaning to previously reported results. Findings Findings demonstrated a complex, multidimensional interplay of factors that impacted on both the midwife’s ability to offer and the woman’s decision to use water immersion under the themes ‘the reality of the system’, ‘the authoritative ‘others’’ and ‘the pseudo decision-makers’. Multiple scaffolded levels were identified, each influenced by the wider macro-socio-political landscape of Australian midwifery care. Conclusions The insight gained from examining midwives’ views and opinions of water for labour and birth, has aided in contextualising previously reported results. Such insight highlights the importance of qualitative research in challenging the status quo and working towards woman-centred practice and policy.

Background The World Health Organization, and the 2011 and 2016 Lancet Stillbirth series as well as medical and scientific literature, have all called for stillbirth stigma to be reduced. However, few studies have explored or attempted to conceptualise the meaning of stigma in the context of stillbirth. Aim To explore the current knowledge surrounding stillbirth stigma, specifically the extent, type and experiences of bereaved parents. Methods A five-stage scoping review framework was utilised. A search of relevant databases (MedLine, EMBASE, PsychInfo, PsychArticles, and Ovid Emcare) was undertaken with several key words related to ‘stillbirth’ and ‘stigma.’ The reference lists of included studies were also searched. Findings A total of 23 resources met the inclusion criteria for this review. A thematic analysis regarding how stigma was conceptualised and/or experienced within results and/or discussion was employed on these studies. Five over-arching themes, with several sub-themes, were discovered: Type of stigma, identity, silence, bereaved mothers’ experiences of stigma in low-income countries and transformation. Discussion Stillbirth stigma remains an under-researched topic. Few articles conceptualised the experiences of the bereaved parent within a stigma framework. However, examples of bereaved parents enduring stigma were found within the literature. Common stigmatising experiences included, bereaved parents’ identities being challenged; and feelings of shame, guilt, and blame after their stillbirth. Stigmatising experiences could be different based on the bereaved parent’s cultural background. Conclusion Further research which attempts to conceptualise stillbirth stigma and explores those experiences from a bereaved parent perspective is needed to help inform stigma reduction strategies.

Background: Fetal movements are a key indicator of fetal health. Research has established significant correlations between altered fetal activity and stillbirth. However, women are generally unaware of this relationship. Providing pregnant women with information about the importance of fetal movements could improve stillbirth rates. However, there are no consistent fetal movements awareness messages globally for pregnant women. Aims: This study aimed to explore the antenatal care experiences of Australian mothers who had recently had a live birth to determine their knowledge of fetal movements, the nature and source of that information. Methods: An online survey method was used for 428 women who had a live birth and received antenatal care in Australia. Women’s knowledge of fetal movements, stillbirth risk, and the sources of this knowledge was explored. Findings: A large proportion of participants (84.6%; n = 362) stated they had been informed by health care professionals of the importance of fetal movements during pregnancy. Open-ended responses indicate that fetal movements messages are often myth based. Awareness that stillbirth occurs was high (95.2%;n = 398), although, 65% (n = 272) were unable to identify the current incidence of stillbirth in Australia. Conclusion: Women who received antenatal care have high-awareness of fetal movements, but the information they received was inconsistent. Participants knew stillbirth occurred but did not generally did not indicate they had obtained that knowledge from health care professionals. We recommend a consistent approach to fetal movements messaging throughout pregnancy which focuses on stillbirth prevention. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Refereed/Peer-reviewed Background: Some research attention has been paid to women's experiences of water immersion for labour and/or birth. Development of a psychometric scale specific to water immersion may provide further insight into women's experiences Aim: The objective of this paper is to share the development, and preliminary psychometric evaluation, of the Water immersion Agency plus Expectations and Relief (WA+ER) scale for assessing women's experiences of using water for labour and/or birth Methods: Items for the WA+ER scale were informed by a thorough literature review, and review by midwifery experts. An online survey was conducted, and 17 items were rated on a 7-point Likert scale (from entirely disagree to entirely agree) by 740 women who had used water immersion for labour and/or birth Results: An initial exploratory factor analysis was conducted to determine the initial structure of the scale. A confirmatory factor analysis showed that the initial 17-items were not a ‘good fit’ but with further statistical exploration, a good fit was achieved with 11-items. Results identified three factors with good reliability: Sense of Agency (4 items; α = 0.87;), Expectations (3 items; α = 0.83) and Relief (4 items α = 0.82). A confirmatory factor analysis confirmed good model fit (CFI=0.93; GFI=0.91; AGFI=0.85; TLI=0.90) Conclusions: The WA+ER scale is a statistically and theoretically sound tool for measuring women's experiences of labouring and/or birthing in water. Additional testing is required to further assess the validity and reliability of the scale and to determine the appropriateness of its use in other populations.

Clinical placement is a core feature of Australian midwifery education programs, with clinical supervision acknowledged as a key component for student success. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical facilitation models in South Australia, specifically the quality of clinical supervision to facilitate learning, and key stakeholder satisfaction. A mixed method evaluation research design was used to compare three models of clinical facilitation for midwifery students undertaking clinical placement across five venues. Midwifery students (n = 174), across two universities completed an anonymous e-survey utilising the validated Clinical Placement Experience Questionnaire. Midwives (n = 149) across five venues completed an anonymous purpose-designed questionnaire on their experience providing clinical supervision to midwifery students and Clinical Facilitators (n = 8) representing three facilitation models completed a self-report e-diary for two weeks and engaged in a focus group. Few differences were identified between the quality of student support and learning opportunities. Students in all models were well orientated and prepared for the clinical environment. Clinical Facilitators were supportive, educative and valuable for the students to achieve their learning objectives. One significant difference was that facilitators employed in the ‘Shared’ model were more able to provide support to midwives supervising students and maintain good liaison with the universities. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Background Accessibility of water immersion for labour and/or birth is often dependent on the care provider and also the policies/guidelines that underpin practice. With little high quality research about the safety and practicality of water immersion, particularly for birth, policies/guidelines informing the practice may lack the evidence necessary to ensure practitioner confidence surrounding the option thereby limiting accessibility and women’s autonomy. Aim The aims of the study were to determine how water immersion policies and/or guidelines are informed, who interprets the evidence to inform policies/guidelines and to what extent the policy/guideline facilitates the option for labour and birth. Method Phase one of a three-phase mixed-methods study critically analysed 25 Australian water immersion policies/guidelines using critical discourse analysis. Findings Policies/guidelines pertaining to the practice of water immersion reflect subjective opinions and views of the current literature base in favour of the risk-focused obstetric and biomedical discursive practices. Written with hegemonic influence, policies and guidelines impact on the autonomy of both women and practitioners. Conclusion Policies and guidelines pertaining to water immersion, particularly for birth reflect opinion and varied interpretations of the current literature base. A degree of hegemonic influence was noted prompting recommendations for future maternity care policy and guidelines’. Ethical considerations The Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of South Australia approved the research.

Preparing students for communication in clinical healthcare settings can be challenging, particularly given it may be the first time they have considered how and why they communicate. The challenge is to find an effective process for the development of clinical communication skills in a highly content-driven curriculum. The objective of this study was to empower first-year midwifery students to reflect on their experiences of communication to inform and expand their clinical communication by drawing on two distinct disciplines - midwifery and linguistics. This paper reports on the findings of a study that examined the implementation of innovative, preparatory workshops for first-year midwifery students. Data from quantitative and qualitative surveys were collected pre- and post-workshop, and post-clinical placement, and analysed using linguistic mapping and thematic analysis. Perceptible shifts in self-evaluation of competence were noted post the workshop and clinical placement. Students developed and used metalanguage appropriately to describe and evaluate communication while demonstrating increased awareness of the complexity of professional communication. They were able to find a balance between the vital technical information, and the interpersonal aspects of communication. This impacted positively on their perception of women as partners. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Objective The objective of this study was to explore the views, experiences, perceptions of and access to water immersion for labor and birth in Australia. Design A sequential exploratory mixed methods study commenced in 2016. The first phase involved an online survey. The second phase is due to commence in 2019 and will involve focus groups and interviews. This paper presents a subset of results from phase one that asked women to self-rate the benefits and risks associated with water use on Likert-scales and for those who had a previous birth not involving water, how the two experiences compared. Participants A total of 740 Australian women who had used water immersion for labor and/or birth rated the benefits against 7-point Likert scales and 736 responded to 5-point Likert scales relating to commonly cited concerns surrounding the option. Results Women highly rated water immersion against all benefits. Benefits that were most highly rated (by numbers of ‘entirely agree’ on 7-point Likert scales) included sense of safety (80.14%), an alert baby (75.00%), a positive birth experience (72.70%), water as soothing (72.03%) and freedom of movement (71.35%). Women were most concerned (by selecting ‘somewhat’ to ‘extremely concerned’ on 5-point Likert scales) about being told to get out of the water when they did not want to (n = 120/736, 16.30%), their contractions going away (n = 76/736, 10.33%) and unsupportive staff (n = 65/736, 8.83%). More than 90% (n = 682/740) of women mostly to entirely agreed that they would recommend water immersion to others. Women rated water immersion as more comfortable, more satisfying and more relaxing when compared to previous births that they had that did not involve water. Key conclusions Women value water immersion for labor and birth. They have very little to no concern for the most common adverse events as documented in the literature. Implications for practice The results add to the growing evidence base surrounding water immersion for labor and birth. Whilst there remains ongoing debate about the safety of water immersion, women's experiences should be considered alongside outcome data. The results of this study may assist policy makers and clinicians in their advocacy and support of women who choose water immersion. Ethical considerations The Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of South Australia approved the research.

Research question: To gain a better understanding of women's baseline level of knowledge of induction of labour (IOL) and determine whether giving written information at the time IOL is decided, results in significant differences in knowledge and understanding of the process. Methods: Fifty pregnant women undergoing antenatal care at a small maternity hospital were recruited. A quasi experimental trial was conducted with non random selection of participants, 25 selected to act as the control group and 25 selected as the intervention group. The study was conducted to determine women's knowledge of IOL both before (non-intervention) and after (intervention) the introduction of a written information brochure. Results: Statistically significant increases in knowledge were evident in the intervention group for knowledge about action ( p = 0.002) and timing of prostaglandins ( p = 0.03), the number of side effects known ( p < 0.0001) as well as time to birth ( p = 0.001) indicating an increased understanding of the process as a result of reading an information brochure. Discussion: These results suggest that those in the non-intervention group lacked knowledge pertinent to IOL, even though they have consented to and actually arrived at the hospital prepared to undergo the IOL procedure. The most significant disparity noted between the intervention and non-intervention groups was women's knowledge of side effects of prostaglandin. Further to this, many women in the non-intervention group had unrealistic expectations of both the time for drug action and likely time from prostaglandin administration to birth. In contrast women in the intervention group knew about the common side effects of prostaglandin and possessed a more realistic understanding of the likely time to birth following this procedure. Conclusions: The results indicate that a specifically designed information brochure explaining the process of IOL in plain language has the effect of enhancing women's knowledge. This area of study warrants further investigation, especially research into the role of written information to improve women's understanding across other areas of maternity care education provision. Refereed/Peer-reviewed