Midwifery Care

Description

During pregnancy every woman can receive midwifery care and support from the midwives of Fainareti, including:

• Information and counselling on pregnancy, labour, postpartum, breast-feeding, newborn adaptation etc.
• Information and counselling on the development of labour.
• Information and counselling on feelings, needs, desires and expectations of the pregnant woman and her partner/husband regarding labour and breast-feeding (what does she imagine labour will be like, what are her experiences from her family environment and friends etc.) and the arrival of the baby (how does she imagine life with the baby, her relationship with the baby and her partner, what are her dreams etc.).
• Detection of risk factors for the mental health of the woman e.g. previous mental disorder, unwanted pregnancy, serious financial problems, mourning, lack of social support and marginalisation etc.
• Detection of physical and psycho-emotional symptoms resulting to pathological situations e.g. high-risk pregnancy, preterm birth, perinatal mental disorder and referral to specialist (obstetrician, psychologist, psychiatrist).
• Detection of abuse and domestic violence.

During postpartum women are physically and mentally vulnerable and need immediate support from a healthcare professional, such as a midwife. At the same time men experience new conditions and often have no idea of how to treat their partner. The newborn has special needs which are expressed by crying and being restless and result to stress and fear for parents, particularly if they have no previous experience. During postpartum and the first months after labour Fainareti’s midwives:

• monitor the physical and emotional changes experienced by the puerpera,
• monitor and take care of the newborn,
• provide help and guidance in order to begin and maintain breast-feeding, assess the development of breast-feeding and resolve possible problems,
• prevent pathological situations for the puerpera and the newborn, e.g. infections,
• detect pathological physical and psycho-emotional symptoms and provide referral to specialist (obstetrician, pediatrician, psychiatrist, psychologist),
• encourage and provide guidance to the couple,
• boost the couple’s confidence on their ability to fulfil their new duties,
• mitigate the fears and concerns of the parents as regards the normal reactions of the newborn which are not familiar to them,
• encourage both parents to participate in all activities of the child,
• promote the bonding between mother and child and father and child,
• promote the dialogue between the couple,
• create a supportive framework which allows parents to express and realise their emotions,
• detect signs of domestic violence and provide referral to specialist (psychologist, psychiatrist),
• assess family needs,
• look for supportive social services which are able to provide further or specialised social support to the family.