Weight management across pregnancy and postpartum care: The need for interprofessional education and collaboration

Ruth Walker; Ellinor K Olander; Briony Hill; Suzanne Willey; Helen Skouteris

doi:10.1016/j.nepr.2019.102651

Weight management across pregnancy and postpartum care: The need for interprofessional education and collaboration

Nurse Educ Pract. 2019 Nov:41:102651. doi: 10.1016/j.nepr.2019.102651. Epub 2019 Oct 31.

Authors

Ruth Walker¹, Ellinor K Olander², Briony Hill³, Suzanne Willey⁴, Helen Skouteris⁵

Affiliations

¹ Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 41-52 Kanooka Grove, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia. Electronic address: ruth.walker@monash.edu.
² Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research, School of Health Sciences, City, University of London, London, EC1V 0HB, United Kingdom. Electronic address: ellinor.olander.1@city.ac.uk.
³ Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 41-52 Kanooka Grove, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia. Electronic address: briony.hill@monash.edu.
⁴ Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 41-52 Kanooka Grove, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia. Electronic address: suzanne.willey@monash.edu.
⁵ Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 41-52 Kanooka Grove, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia. Electronic address: helen.skouteris@monash.edu.

PMID: 31704477
DOI: 10.1016/j.nepr.2019.102651

Abstract

The journey from pregnancy to caring for a new infant is a significant experience for many women and crucial period for obesity prevention. During this time, a large portion of care is allocated to midwives and maternal and child health nurses (MCHN). These professions have the potential to play a crucial role in supporting women with weight management across pregnancy and postpartum; however, both midwives and MCHNs report barriers to doing this. Upskilling achieved through midwifery and MCHN education that equips midwives and MCHNs with the skills and knowledge to provide evidence-based advice for weight management could assist in addressing some of these barriers. Interprofessional collaboration should be fostered so healthy lifestyle messages and support are reinforced consistently by midwives and MCHNs throughout pregnancy and postpartum.

Keywords: Education; Maternal and child health; Midwifery; Weight.

MeSH terms

Attitude of Health Personnel
Clinical Competence
Female
Humans
Interprofessional Relations*
Maternal-Child Nursing*
Midwifery / education*
Nurse Midwives*
Obesity / prevention & control*
Patient Education as Topic
Perinatal Care*
Pregnancy