Set Your Mind. Set Your Goals: Delaware's Reproductive Life Plan for Young Women

Evolutionary Concept Analysis of Reproductive Life Planning

“…If individuals intend to become pregnant in the next 12 months or sooner, RLP may help them optimize their health, including prevention of chronic conditions or management of extant health problems such as high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. These strategies represent RLP's health promotion focus (ACOG, 2005(ACOG, , 2016Bello, Adkins, Stulberg, & Rao, 2013;Johnson et al, 2006;Kransdorf et al, 2016;Lu, 2007;Mittal, Dandekar, & Hessler, 2014;Moos et al, 2008;Nobles-Botkin, Lincoln, & Cline, 2016;Noyes & Savin, 2012;Sanders, 2009).…”

“…According to Hatcher, planned pregnancies reduce stress for parents and families (Hatcher, 1980). If more babies are planned and their mothers therefore improve their health preconception, authors predicted a decrease in adverse birth outcomes (ACOG, 2016;Dunlop et al, 2008;Dunlop et al, 2010;Files et al, 2011;Liu, Parmerter, & Straughn, 2015;Malnory & Johnson, 2011;Nypaver et al, 2016), including neural tube defects (Files et al, 2011), birth defects from exposures to teratogens (Berghella et al, 2010;Files et al, 2011), low birth weight (Files et al, 2011;Moos et al, 2008), preterm birth (Files et al, 2011;Lu, 2007;Noyes & Savin, 2012), and a decrease in infant mortality rates (Clark, 2014). The Institute of Medicine cited studies in which authors found associations between unwanted and mistimed pregnancies and child abuse and neglect and childhood…”

Reproductive Life Planning: A Concept Analysis

“…Individuals may not have access to appropriate contraception, however, for financial or social reasons. Regardless of the life situation of a woman, the provision of reproductive life planning‐based information can increase knowledge of a woman's choices and how to achieve them (Noyes & Savin, , ; Stern, Larsson, Kristiansson, & Tyden, ). As such, reproductive life planning is a precursor to preconception care, a framework in which risks and behaviors that are potentially harmful to the mother or infant are addressed, which guides the individual to optimal pregnancy outcomes (Biermann, Dunlop, Brady, Dubin, & Brann, ; Files et al., ; Witt & Kelly, ).…”

“…In cases in which reproductive coercion occurs with partner violence, the nurse should work with the prescriber to select contraceptive methods that cannot be tampered with or sabotaged, such as subdermal implants (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, ; Secura, Allsworth, Madden, Mullersman, & Peipert, ). Nurses should also take an active role in statewide initiatives related to preconception care and reproductive life planning (Noyes & Savin, , ). Finally, nurse leaders, educators, and researchers can promote the use of reproductive life planning as a necessary and integral component of the individual's health continuum (Steiner, Finocchario‐Kessler, & Dariotis, ; Witt & Kelly, ).…”