Women’s attitudes, experiences and compliance concerning the use of Mindfetalness- a method for systematic observation of fetal movements in late pregnancy

Abstract

BackgroundMaternal perception of decreased fetal movements and low awareness of fetal movements are associated with a negative birth outcome. Mindfetalness is a method developed for women to facilitate systematic observations of the intensity, character and frequency of fetal movements in late pregnancy. We sought to explore women’s attitudes, experiences and compliance in using Mindfetalness.MethodsWe enrolled 104 pregnant women treated at three maternity clinics in Stockholm, Sweden, from February to July of 2016. We educated 104 women in gestational week 28–32 by providing information about fetal movements and how to practice Mindfetalness. Each was instructed to perform the assessment daily for 15 min. At each subsequent follow-up, the midwife collected information regarding their perceptions of Mindfetalness, and their compliance. Content analyses, descriptive and analytic statistics were used in the analysis of data.ResultsOf the women, 93 (89%) were positive towards Mindfetalness and compliance was high 78 (75%). Subjective responses could be binned into one of five categories: Decreased worry, relaxing, creating a relationship, more knowledge about the unborn baby and awareness of the unborn baby. Eleven (11%) women had negative perceptions of Mindfetalness, citing time, and the lack of need for a method to observe fetal movements as the most common reasons.ConclusionWomen in late pregnancy are generally positive about Mindfetalness and their compliance with daily use is high. The technique helped them to be more aware of, and create a relationship with, their unborn baby. Mindfetalness can be a useful tool in antenatal care. However, further study is necessary in order to determine whether the technique is able to reduce the incidence of negative birth outcome.

Pregnancy outcomes among women born in Somalia and Sweden giving birth in the Stockholm area – a population-based study

“…Data were obtained from a population-based quality register [ 22 ] and the planning of the study included two pilot studies [ 23 , 24 ]. The study was registered on 12 August 2016 at www.ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT02865759.…”

Assessing fetal movements in pregnancy: A qualitative evidence synthesis of women’s views, perspectives and experiences

“…Table 1 presents the summary characteristics of the included studies. Three studies (four reports) were conducted in Sweden [ 28 , 32 , 33 , 36 ], three in Australia [ 34 , 35 , 37 ], two in the UK [ 31 , 38 ] and one (two reports) in New Zealand [ 29 , 30 ]. The majority of the studies ( n = 6) were conducted from 2011 onwards, with one conducted in 1986 [ 31 ], and for two, the study dates were not provided [ 29 , 30 , 36 ].…”

“…Two studies respectively met nine and eight of the 12 quality criteria [ 35 , 36 ]. Of the remaining two studies, one met five [ 28 ] and the second met three of the 12 criteria only [ 31 ].…”

A decrease in cesarean sections and labor inductions among Swedish women by awareness of fetal movements with the Mindfetalness method

“…All information was reported to a population-based quality register as part of routine care, regardless of the study [ 11 ]. The planning of the study includes two pilot studies [ 12 , 13 ] and the study is registered with www.ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT02865759. The study adheres to CONSORT guidelines.…”

“…Our effect measures are somewhat diluted because not all of the women randomly allocated to Mindfetalness practiced it. From the knowledge obtained from the original Mindfetalness trial and its pilot study [12], we know that approximately 78% of the leaflets were distributed (all languages included) and about 75% of the women practiced the method. Moreover, possible contamination between the two groups studied is an issue.…”