Introduction Because lifetime trauma exposure has been linked to multiple adverse pregnancy outcomes, there is a need for all perinatal care providers to be versed in trauma‐informed care practices. However, there are few data to guide trauma‐informed practice during the perinatal period. The objective of this study was to refine ongoing development of a trauma‐informed care framework for perinatal care by conducting a qualitative study of all trauma experiences and preferred screening practices of pregnant patients at an urban prenatal clinic. Methods In this qualitative study, we conducted semistructured interviews with 30 women receiving prenatal care at an urban clinic. Participants also completed a trauma history questionnaire. Inductive coding was used to generate themes and subthemes. Results Participants described multiple lifetime traumatic exposures as well as background exposure to community violence. Not all participants desired routine trauma screening; factors limiting disclosure included fear of retraumatization and belief that prior trauma is unrelated to the current pregnancy. Strong therapeutic relationships were identified as critical to any trauma history discussion. Discussion This study supports a trauma‐informed care approach to caring for pregnant women with prior traumatic exposures, including trauma screening without retraumatization and trusting patient‐provider relationships.

Background Given the growing burden of diabetes in underserved communities and the complexity of diabetes self-management during pregnancy, the development of interventions to support low-income pregnant women with diabetes is urgently needed. Objective This study aims to develop and pilot test a theory-driven curriculum of SMS text messaging for diabetes support and education during pregnancy. Methods This was a prospective pilot investigation of a novel SMS text messaging intervention offered to pregnant women with pregestational or gestational diabetes mellitus and publicly funded prenatal care. Prior work yielded a conceptual model of diabetes self-management barriers and support factors in this population, which was used to guide curriculum development along with health behavior theories. Participants received three supportive or educational one-way text messages per week during pregnancy. In-depth semistructured interviews were performed at study exit to solicit feedback on the program. Narrative data were analyzed using the constant comparative technique to identify themes and subthemes. Results Participants (N=31 enrolled and n=26 completed both interviews) consistently reported that SMS text messaging provided enhanced motivation for diabetes self-care, reduced diabetes-related social isolation, increased perceived diabetes-associated knowledge, enhanced comfort with the health care team, and reduced logistical burdens of diabetes during pregnancy. Participants requested enhanced interactive and customizable features in future intervention iterations. Conclusions Pregnant women with diabetes who were enrolled in this pilot study of an SMS text messaging curriculum for diabetes support described enhanced motivation, knowledge, and comfort with diabetes self-care activities as a result of the health education intervention. The next steps include enriching the interactive features of the intervention and investigating the effect of the intervention on perinatal outcomes.

BACKGROUND Given the growing burden of diabetes in underserved communities and the complexity of diabetes self-management during pregnancy, the development of interventions to support low-income pregnant women with diabetes is urgently needed. OBJECTIVE This study aims to develop and pilot test a theory-driven curriculum of SMS text messaging for diabetes support and education during pregnancy. METHODS This was a prospective pilot investigation of a novel SMS text messaging intervention offered to pregnant women with pregestational or gestational diabetes mellitus and publicly funded prenatal care. Prior work yielded a conceptual model of diabetes self-management barriers and support factors in this population, which was used to guide curriculum development along with health behavior theories. Participants received three supportive or educational one-way text messages per week during pregnancy. In-depth semistructured interviews were performed at study exit to solicit feedback on the program. Narrative data were analyzed using the constant comparative technique to identify themes and subthemes. RESULTS Participants (N=31 enrolled and n=26 completed both interviews) consistently reported that SMS text messaging provided enhanced motivation for diabetes self-care, reduced diabetes-related social isolation, increased perceived diabetes-associated knowledge, enhanced comfort with the health care team, and reduced logistical burdens of diabetes during pregnancy. Participants requested enhanced interactive and customizable features in future intervention iterations. CONCLUSIONS Pregnant women with diabetes who were enrolled in this pilot study of an SMS text messaging curriculum for diabetes support described enhanced motivation, knowledge, and comfort with diabetes self-care activities as a result of the health education intervention. The next steps include enriching the interactive features of the intervention and investigating the effect of the intervention on perinatal outcomes.