The role of midwives in supporting the development of the mother-infant relationship: a scoping review

Abstract

Background The mother-infant relationship is complex and dynamic, informing the psychological development of the infant through bonding and attachment. Positive early interactions influence the quality of this relationship. Midwives are well placed to support the developing relationship between the mother and baby, yet there has been limited research exploring the role of the midwife in this context. Aim To explore interventions that have been provided by the midwife which support the development of the maternal-fetal or mother-infant relationship amongst a low-risk population from pregnancy, and up to six weeks postnatal. The review also sought to understand the types of interventions developed, format and delivery, outcomes measured and if cultural considerations had been incorporated. Methods A scoping review of the research literature was undertaken using the Joanna Briggs Institute framework. Five online databases were searched for relevant articles published in English from 2000 to 2021. Findings Sixteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Three themes emerged: (1) viewing the fetus as separate from the mother, (2) focused activities on the maternal-infant relationship and (3) targeted educational interventions. Discussion Providing focused activities and targeted education during the pre and postnatal periods support the development of the mother-infant relationship. Significantly, there was insufficient research that considered the influence of culture in supporting the mother-infant relationship. Conclusion Further research is required to develop interventions that include a diverse sample to ensure culturally appropriate activities can be integrated into care during pregnancy and/or the postnatal period provided by midwives.

The midwife's support during transition to motherhood: A modified Delphi study among care providers and childbearing women

“…This, however, being a single item among many other elements of transitional support -emphasising that transitional support entails more than the topic of bonding and attachment as currently recommended, suggesting that revision of existing guidelines is needed. Our findings show that transitional support goes beyond the current reports and observations of providing parent education and asking closed questions during key care activities such as ultrasound, abdominal palpation, foetal auscultation, discharge from hospital after birth, and baby care [8,18,22,40,41]. Additionally, the domains Note: Explanation domains.Attributes: quality, prerequisites, character, or characteristic ascribed to the midwife/midwifery care.…”

“…Women benefit from emotional, practical, and informational support [17], from being validated, appraised, and encouraged in the mothering role during the postpartum period, and from being invited to reflect on their mothering [5,8,20,21]. Amidst the various maternity care providers [8,22], women appoint the midwife as the most appropriate professional in maternity services to provide transitional support [23]. Current antenatal and postnatal guidelines include the recommendation to promote and to inform the woman about emotional attachment and bonding [24,25].…”

Maternal Emotional Well-Being: A Scale Development and Psychometric Testing Study

“…Considering the problems that can be encountered in the postpartum period, it is crucially important to prevent complications, improve health, and provide the mother with the necessary advice in terms of maternal and neonatal health, and important responsibilities fall upon healthcare professionals in this vital process. 11,37,38 According to the deck-chair theory, the emotional well-being of a mother can be ensured if a shortcoming in one factor is balanced with the reinforcement of another factor. In this sense, negative personality traits and experiences of the mother and insufficient social support can be compensated by postpartum healthcare, and this will be effective in ensuring the comfort of the mother and her emotional response to postpartum changes.…”