Although medical and technological advances in maternity care have drastically reduced maternal and infant mortality, these interventions have become commonplace if not routine. Used appropriately, they can be life-saving procedures. Routine use, without valid indications, can transform childbirth from a normal physiologic process and family life event into a medical or surgical procedure. Every intervention presents the possibility of untoward effects and additional risks that engender the need for more interventions with their own inherent risks. Unintended consequences to intrapartum interventions make it imperative that nurse educators work with other professionals to promote natural childbirth processes and advocate for policies that focus on ensuring informed consent and alternative choices. Interdisciplinary collaboration can ensure that intrapartum caregivers "first do no harm."The Journal of Perinatal Education, 22(2),[83][84][85][86][87][88][89][90][91][92] http://dx

Lactation consultants (LC) often use fear appeals when providing anticipatory guidance to mothers about breastfeeding. We mention that improper positioning or latch-on can lead to sore nipples or fissures, or that inadequate or irregular emptying can lead to plugged ducts, mastitis, or a diminished milk supply. Instead of motivating the mother to practice the recommended preventive measures, fear appeals can lead to lack of confidence and fear of failure. Instead, lactation consultants can increase the mother’s confidence in her ability to breastfeed by helping her envision success, manage self-defeating thoughts, and solve problems. This article explores how the Extended Parallel Process Model can be applied to lactation consultation to increase the probability that the lactation consultant’s message will be heeded rather than rejected.

The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the perception of women regarding long-term effects of childbirth education on future health-care decision making. This qualitative study used a purposive sample of 10 women who participated in facilitated focus groups. Analysis of focus group narratives provided themes in order of prevalence: (a) self-advocacy, (b) new skills, (c) anticipatory guidance, (d) control, (e) informed consent, and (f) trust. This small exploratory study does not answer the question of whether childbirth education influences future health-care decision making, but it demonstrates that the themes and issues from participants who delivered 15–30 years ago were comparable to current findings in the literature.

On a medical mission into rural mountainous regions of Haiti, the authors were charged with teaching safer childbirth practices to untrained, mostly illiterate traditional birth attendants (TBA) who spoke HaitianCreole. In this isolated region with no physician or accessible hospital, almost all births occur at home. With no electricity, safe water supply, or sanitation facilities, childbirth education was a challenge. Accustomed to electronic, high-tech teaching aids, these childbirth educators had to modify educational strategies for these extraordinary circumstances. A successful solution was to revive decades-old teaching techniques and visual aids once used in Lamaze classes. The purpose of this article is to describe the teaching environment, the target audience, and the low-tech approach to childbirth education in Haiti.

Breast massage is not new. It is a "handy" technique that has been studied for decades and praised for its many uses in establishing and sustaining lactation, overcoming breastfeeding difficulties, and preventing or treating maternal and infant problems. This article reviews some of the studies examining various breast massage and breast-compression techniques, and proposes possible indications for their use.