ABSTRACTS OF FEATURE ARTICLES

Educational Preferences in a Prenatal Clinic Population
by Patricia M. Risica and Maureen G. Phipps
Objective:
Patient education is an essential component of prenatal care. Preferences for receiving educational materials may make a critical difference in imparting information.
Study Design:
A paper survey was completed by 139 pregnant women, in Spanish or English, in an urban prenatal clinic. The study was conducted as a pilot project and was not powered to detect specific differences in subgroups of pregnant women.
Results:
Respondents had a median age of 23 years (range 15 to 40 years), a median gestational age of 28 weeks (range 4 to 41 weeks), and 60% were primigravida. Computer (p<0.05) and internet access (p<0.01) differed between primigravid and multigravid respondents. A majority of participants prefer to receive prenatal information from a provider compared with other media. Also, topics of interest for prenatal education differed by gestational experience.
Conclusion:
Understanding women's interests and communication preferences may improve the development of educational materials and the efficacy of prenatal communication.

Promotion of Breastfeeding -- Beyond the Benefits
by Claire Westdahl and Sallie Page-Goertz
Breastfeeding provides many health, social, and emotional benefits to both mother and infant. Increasing the initiation rate of breastfeeding to 75 percent and eliminating disparities among ethnic groups is an important public health goal. Childbirth educators can improve their effectiveness as promoters of breastfeeding by adopting social marketing communication strategies. This article presents The Best Start Three-Step Counseling Strategy adapted for use in group discussions. The use of this strategy offers unique opportunities to understand women's attitudes, needs, and the larger social issues that impact a woman's infant feeding decision and to improve effectiveness in promoting the decision to breastfeed.
To download and view this article (in pdf format), click here.

Focus on Pregnant Women's Physical and Psychological Needs to Enhance Learning in Childbirth Classes
by Trudy Keller
Pregnant women can be challenging to teach. They are often in a physically uncomfortable stage of pregnancy and somewhat emotionally volatile. Tending to their physical comfort and psychological security will help establish an environment for effective learning. Adult education research and our own experience and instincts provide childbirth educators with techniques for doing so.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: A Quality Resource for Perinatal Educators
by Carolyn M. Clancy

Meeting a Need: Preparing Couples for a Planned Cesarean
by Cindy Heffron
This article points out that the increase in the number of Cesarean births in the United States means that there is a growing need for childbirth education specifically designed for women who will be delivering their babies by this method. The recommendation for couples anticipating a planned Cesarean is a one-night class addressing the particular circumstances and concerns surrounding this type of birth. The reasons for developing such a class, as well as a brief description of the class content, are given.

Upgrading the Way I Teach
by Donyale Abe
As childbirth educators it is important to not only keep learning, and include current evidence-based research in our curriculum, but also to continue to keep our classes fresh. A seasoned childbirth educator shares her adventures in upgrading her class with high-tech tools.

Teaching (and Learning) as a Mentoring Instructor
by Barbara Buckner Suarez
Many "veteran" instructors have found themselves in the role of mentor to new instructors as they begin their careers as childbirth educators; but are they aware of the great potential for personal growth and learning that the opportunity of mentoring provides? This article provides one veteran instructor's perspective of her role as mentor and how teaching new instructors has also been a fulfilling learning experience.

COLUMNS

Statistics
by Dale King
Birth and Delivery Rates for 2004

Nutrition News
by Davorka Monti
Heartburn in Pregnancy -- No, your baby won't have more hair!

Birthing a Research Project
by Marcella Hart

Healthy Lifestyles
by Elizabeth Smith
Child Spacing for Healthy Mom and Healthy Baby

Political Issues
by Barbara Steppe
Preparation Revolution

Audio Visual Review
by Margery Simchak
The Stages of Labor: A Visual Guide, 2nd Edition

Certification Update