A substantial proportion of Dutch women looked back negatively on their birth experience 3 years postpartum. Further research needs to be undertaken to understand women's expectations and experiences of birth within the Dutch maternity system and an examination of maternity care changes designed to reduce or modify controllable factors that are associated with negative recall.

Objective To examine how breast feeding and bottle feeding are represented by the British media. Design Content analysis. Subjects Television programmes and newspaper articles that made reference to infant feeding during March 1999. Setting UK mass media. Main outcome measures Visual and verbal references to breast or bottle feeding in newspapers and television programmes. Results Overall, 235 references to infant feeding were identified in the television sample and 38 in the newspaper sample. Bottle feeding was shown more often than breast feeding and was presented as less problematic. Bottle feeding was associated with "ordinary" families whereas breast feeding was associated with middle class or celebrity women. The health risks of formula milk and the health benefits of breast feeding were rarely mentioned. Conclusions The media rarely present positive information on breast feeding, even though this feeding practice is associated with the most health benefits. Health professionals and policy makers should be aware of patterns in media coverage and the cultural background within which women make decisions about infant feeding.

This study employed the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and additional variables (descriptive norm, moral norm, self-identity) to investigate the factors underlying breastfeeding intention and subsequent breastfeeding at four time points (during hospital stay, at hospital discharge, 10 days postpartum and 6 weeks postpartum) in a sample of women selected from defined areas of economic hardship (N = 248). A model containing the TPB, additional variables and demographic factors provided a good prediction of both intention (R (2) = 0.72; attitude, perceived behavioural control, moral norm and self-identity significant predictors) and behaviour - breastfeeding at birth (88.6% correctly classified; household deprivation, intention, attitude significant), at discharge from hospital (87.3% correctly classified; intention, attitude significant), 10 days after discharge (83.1% correctly classified; education, intention, attitude, descriptive norm significant) and 6 weeks after discharge (78.0% correctly classified; age, household deprivation, ethnicity, moral norm significant). Implications for interventions are discussed, such as the potential usefulness of targeting descriptive norms, moral norms and perceived behavioural control (PBC) when attempting to increase breastfeeding uptake.

6Disadvantaged childbearing women experience barriers to accessing health and social care 7 services and face greater risk of adverse medical, social and emotional outcomes. Support 8 from doulas (trained lay women) has been identified as a way to improve outcomes; however 9 in the UK doula support is usually paid-for privately by the individual, limiting access among 10 disadvantaged groups. As part of an independent multi-site evaluation of a volunteer doula 11 service this study examined women's experiences of one-to-one support from a trained 12 volunteer doula during pregnancy, labour and the postnatal period among women living in 13 five low-income communities in England. 15A mixed methods multi-site evaluation was conducted with women (total n=137) who 16 received the service before December 2012, using a combination of questionnaires (n=136), 17and individual or group interviews (n=12). In the UK, most women access maternity care through the National Health Service; this is 56 free at the point of access. Midwives work across hospital and community settings, 57 coordinate the care provided during pregnancy, birth and the early postnatal period and are 58 the lead healthcare professionals for women whose pregnancies are considered low risk. 59Women may also receive other statutory services e.g. from General Practitioners, health 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 In common with models of doula support in previously published research (Hodnett et al., attended by the doula. Secondly, the support offered is more diverse and seeks to optimise

In familial breast/ovarian cancer, the information that the proband is able to supply about other family members is of critical importance for genetic counseling. This frequently requires family communication. Forty-six women attending a cancer genetics clinic were interviewed as part of a longitudinal study. Nearly all reported affected maternal, rather than paternal relatives, which may indicate lack of awareness by women with paternal histories. There was also much more communication among female relatives. Mothers, where they were still alive, were key figures in supplying family information. Although the majority of the sample contacted at least one relative regarding counseling, most named a relative with whom they did not feel able to communicate on this subject. Probands balanced the perceived obligation of passing on information with that of not causing alarm. Communication, both obtaining and giving information, was impeded by adoption, divorce and remarriage, family rifts, and large age gaps between siblings.

The findings emphasise the importance of recognising diversity within different faith groups and moving away from stereotypical views based on people's ethnicity or religion, and to consider the beliefs and preferences of individuals.

The TPB provided a useful framework with which to examine the factors underlying breastfeeding intentions and behaviour amongst primiparas. A grouping system based on the congruence between intentions and subsequent behaviour revealed important differences between beliefs of the three groups. Further research might usefully test the effectiveness of interventions targeting the beliefs identified here in increasing breastfeeding uptake and duration.

No abstract