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School of Nursing & Midwifery

MW7034 Core Midwifery Practice and Adaptation in Pregnancy (10 ECTS)

 

Learning Outcomes

Unit 1

Following completion of this module, midwifery students will be able to:

    • Discuss the role of the midwife in the normal processes of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium;
    • Describe accurately the factual theoretical knowledge underpinning practice;
    • Discuss the assessment of the needs of individual women, their babies and their families;
    • Discuss the assessment of the needs of individual women with special needs, for example a learning disability, visual, hearing impairment;
    • Demonstrate the ability to plan, implement and evaluate care to meet women’s identified individual needs;
    • Critically discuss the concepts of core midwifery care provided to women and their families in all midwifery practice settings;
    • Discuss the advice on healthy behaviour offered women planning a pregnancy including advice on good nutrition;
    • Discuss antenatal, intranatal and postnatal assessment of maternal and fetal/baby well-being;
    • Discuss the discharge advice necessary to promote well-being for the mother and baby;
    • Discuss the key components of a comprehensive drug history and the assessment and evaluation of a woman/baby in relation to the use of a drug(s);
    • Discuss the role and responsibility of the midwife in relation to the use of common pharmacological preparations pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy, labour and the puerperium;
    • Discuss the range of non-pharmacological approaches (to include alternative and complementary therapies) used in midwifery practice and relate these to the role and responsibilities of the midwife;
    • Critically examine ways in which a midwife can influence the health and well-being of women, their babies and families;
    • Demonstrate a respect for individual needs when identifying appropriate ways of influencing an individual’s health;
    • Recognise the issues, which increase risk factors among the childbearing population;
    • Demonstrate that midwifery practice is based on relevant, recent research where available.

Unit 2

    • Identify the determinants of fertility in male and female reproduction;
    • Describe fertilisation, implantation and placental development and function;
    • Discuss the importance of nutrition and the lifestyle choices on health and optimal reproductive functioning;
    • Describe adaptations that occur in all other systems during pregnancy, labour, childbirth, puerperium and lactation;
    • Acknowledge the range of social issues that impact upon and influence a woman’s or family’s adaptation to pregnancy and parenthood.
    • Discuss the psychological adaptations which a woman may experience during her pregnancy, labour and childbirth and postnatal experiences;
    • Discuss factors that help (hinder) individual women’s adaptation to pregnancy, taking physiological and psychological issues into account;
    • Demonstrate accurate and factual knowledge of all anatomical and physiological changes that occur during pregnancy, labour, childbirth, puerperium and lactation;
    • Relate confidently the anatomical, physiological and psychological changes that occur during pregnancy, labour, childbirth, puerperium and lactation to the information and education needs of individual women;
    • Identify the main developmental stages of the embryo and fetus;
    • Outline the normal physiology of the fetus and neonate including adaptations to extra uterine life;
    • Describe the psychological adaptations that occur during pregnancy;

Module Learning Aims & Rationale

Module Learning aims and objectives
The philosophy of the curriculum recognises the midwife as the expert in normal pregnancy and birth. While, inevitably, midwifery students will be exposed to pathophysiologies, the emphasis is placed on understanding and practising within the paradigm of normal pregnancy and childbirth. Midwifery practice in the 1st half of the programme places an emphasis on the underpinning philosophies of delivering midwifery care and demands that the student begins to take cognisance of the impact of their practice on women, families and others. During the latter half of the programme, midwifery students are expected to rationalise practice, display an understanding of theory underpinning practice as well as begin to appraise their practice in a critical manner. This module consists of two units.

Unit 1: Core Midwifery Practice enables students to acquire the knowledge and skills and approach to practice to be able to practise in a supervised environment, displaying an ability to rationalise that practice. It also aims to immerse midwifery students in all aspects relating to the promotion of health with particular reference to recognition of the issues, which increase risk factors among the childbearing population.

Unit 2: Adaptation in Pregnancy focuses on how a woman adapts to pregnancy and parenthood from a physiological and a psychological viewpoint. The aim of this module is to aid midwifery students in understanding the physiological and psychological adaptations that occur during pregnancy, labour childbirth, puerperium, lactation and the baby’s adaptation to extra-uterine life. Midwifery students will be facilitated in acquiring knowledge that permits them to identify normal physiological and psychological processes so that they can confidently recognize individual and differing adaptations.

Recommended Reading List

Indicative Resources

  • An Bord Altranais (2010) Practice Standards for Midwives. An Bord Altranais, Dublin.
  • An Bord Altranais (2007) Guidance to Nurses and Midwives on Medication Management. An Bord Altranais, Dublin.
  • Banister C. (2004) The Midwife's Pocket Formulary, 2nd edn. Books for Midwives, Edinburgh.
  • Coad J. & Dunstall M. (2005) Anatomy and Physiology for Midwives, 2nd edn. Mosby, Edinburgh.
  • Downe S. (ed.) (2008) Normal Childbirth: Evidence and Debate, 2nd edn. Churchill Livingstone, London.
  • Fraser D.M. & Cooper M.A. (eds.) (2009) Myles Textbook for Midwives, 15th edn. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh.
  • Henderson C. & Magill-Cuerden J., (eds.) (2011) Mayes’ Midwifery.  A Textbook for Midwives, 14th edn. Balliere Tindall, London.
  • Henderson C. & Jones K. (eds.) (1997) Essential Midwifery. Mosby, London.
  • Jordan S. (2010) Pharmacology for Midwives: the Evidence Base for Safe Practice, 2nd edn. Palgrave, Basingstoke.
  • Moore K. L. & Persaud T. N. (2007) The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology, 8th edn. Saunders, London.
  • National Institute for Clinical Excellence (2008) Antenatal Care: Routine care for the healthy pregnant woman. Modified 2014. National Institute for Clinical Excellence, London.
  • National Institute for Clinical Excellence (2014) Postnatal Care. National Institute for Clinical Excellence, London.
  • Page L. & McCandish, R. (eds.) (2006) The New Midwifery: Science and Sensitivity in Practice, 2nd edn. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh.
  • Raphael-Leff J. (2005) Psychological Processes of Childbearing, 4th edn. Karnac, London.
  • Stables D. & Rankin, J. (eds) (2010) Physiology in Childbearing: With Anatomy and Related Biosciences, 3rd edn. Bailliere Tindall, Edinburgh.
  • Tortora, G. J. (2001) Introduction to the Human Body: The Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology, 5th edn. Wiley, Chichester.
  • Verralls S. (2002) Anatomy and Physiology Applied to Obstetrics, 3rd edn. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh.
  • Wylie L. (2005) Essential Anatomy and Physiology in Maternity Care, 2nd edn. Churchill Livingstone, London.

Additional Reading

  • Bick D., Macarthur C. & Winter H. (2009) Postnatal Care: Evidence and Guidelines for Management, 2nd edn. Churchill Livingstone, London.
  • Levy V. (1997) Midwifery Practice: Core Topics. MacMillan Press Ltd., Hampshire.
  • Mander R. (2011) Pain in Childbearing And Its Control: Key Issues For Midwives And Women. Blackwell Science, Oxford.
  • RCM Brown Study Series (2004) Midwifery Clinical Practice: Antenatal Care. Number 5. Royal College of Midwives, London.
  • Tiran D. & Mack S. (eds.) (2000) Complementary Therapies for Pregnancy and Childbirth. Harcourt Press, London.
  • WHO (2014) WHO recommendations on Postnatal Care of the Mother and Newborn. WHO, Geneva.


* Additional readings will be given for each unit of learning.