Robust midwifery workforce data are needed as well as a midwifery board which tracks availability and accessibility of midwives. Educators should consider training models promoting long-term service in underserved areas, and development of skills crucial for impacting health policy change.

About 12 000 women of childbearing age sustain spinal cord injuries each year in the United States. Around 2000 of these women become pregnant in a given year, yet few providers are aware of the interprofessional team approach needed to achieve a successful pregnancy with healthy outcomes for both mother and fetus. A family-centered approach by an experienced team can make the childbearing experience both safe and optimal for the maternal-fetal dyad. The challenges related to caring for women with spinal cord injury during pregnancy, including skin breakdown, urinary tract infections, respiratory compromise, bowel motility, depression/anxiety, preterm labor, and autonomic dysreflexia, are reviewed.

No abstract