How midwives’ discursive practices contribute to the maintenance of the status quo in English maternity care

Interprofessional cooperation by midwives in the field of out-of-hospital obstetrical care: an integrative review / Interprofessionelle Kooperation von Hebammen im Handlungsfeld der ambulanten geburtshilflichen Versorgung: ein integratives Review

“…This is confirmed by 1,418 members of health and social services who took part in a cross-sectional study, giving leadership and formalised structures a lower ranking than interprofessional relational factors (Clancy et al, 2013). Working relationships between midwives and physicians are the subject of other studies (Murray-Davis et al, 2011;Pollard, 2011;Skinner & Foureur, 2010). In a quantitative survey (Skinner & Foureur, 2010), midwives rated these as being excellent, but a qualitative study indicated that midwives experience their working relationships to physicians diversely (Pollard, 2011).…”

“…Three studies examine the introduction of child or family health promotion programmes involving various groups of professions (Edvardsson et al, 2011;Edvardsson et al, 2012;Schmied et al, 2015), while four studies focus on the cooperation between professions in the health and social service sectors (Ayerle et al, 2014;Clancy, Gressnes, & Svensson, 2013;Miers & Pollard, 2009;While, Murgatroyd, Ullman, & Forbes, 2006). The collaboration between professional groups supporting women with complex physical and social needs is the subject of further studies (Fontein-Kuipers et al, 2014;Nagel-Brotzler et al, 2005), as is the cooperation between the various health professions involved in maternity care (Munro, Kornelsen, & Grzybowski, 2013;Murray-Davis et al, 2011;Peterson, Medves, Davies, & Graham, 2007;Pollard, 2011).…”

“…Working relationships between midwives and physicians are the subject of other studies (Murray-Davis et al, 2011;Pollard, 2011;Skinner & Foureur, 2010). In a quantitative survey (Skinner & Foureur, 2010), midwives rated these as being excellent, but a qualitative study indicated that midwives experience their working relationships to physicians diversely (Pollard, 2011). On the one hand, they perceive their own profession on an equal footing with that of obstetricians in the health care system, describing their relationships as equitable; on the other hand, they endeavour to attain professional recognition in a hierarchical system.…”

“…On the one hand, they perceive their own profession on an equal footing with that of obstetricians in the health care system, describing their relationships as equitable; on the other hand, they endeavour to attain professional recognition in a hierarchical system. This can lead to friction, for instance, when midwives are obliged to observe certain paediatric guidelines that they deem inappropriate (Pollard, 2011).…”

Women׳s views on partnership working with midwives during pregnancy and childbirth

“…In contrast, the midwifery model assumes that birth is a normal, physiological process and that the midwife should work in partnership with the woman in a continuous relationship, providing advocacy and supporting autonomy (Bryers et al, 2010;Pollard, 2011;Soltani et al, 2012). Midwives caring for women in the community and birth centre settings more closely align with the social model, whereas doctors and midwives caring for women in obstetric units frequently subscribe to a medical model (Van Teijlingen, 2005).…”