The Midwifery Subject Group (MSG) are an interdisciplinary team of highly experienced midwives, who work to produce evidence to underpin clinical midwifery practice. The evidence produced is generated from well-designed studies, with results disseminated through meaningful outputs that are readily accessible to practising midwives who work with women, partners, and families, who in turn can transfer findings into clinical application.
Learn more about research from our Midwifery Subject Group (MSG).
The Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R©)
Project lead: Prof Caroline J Hollins Martin
Problem: Every woman has the right to experience humane childbirth, which led to development of the internationally recommended BSS-R©.
How we try to help: Validated language specific versions of the BSS-R© are available to measure women’s experiences of labour and childbirth.
Impact: Women completing the BSS-R© survey tool provides evidence that can be used to improve contextualised care provided during labour and childbirth.
Learn more about the BSS-R©.
Women-centred Care
Project lead: Prof Yvonne Kuipers
Problem: Midwives need perspective and guidance on how to approach and realise woman centred care in daily practice.
How we try to help: Providing a guide for research and for development of professional conduct, socialization, and transformation of midwives as well as for midwifery education.
Impact: Meeting the needs of childbearing women and contributing to the quality of midwifery care.
Maternal Emotional Wellbeing
Project lead: Prof Yvonne Kuipers, Prof Lois McKellar, Dr Jenny Patterson
Problem: Many women struggle with their emotional wellbeing during and/or after pregnancy.
How we try to help: Finding ways to prevent and manage distress and trauma associated with childbirth and midwifery through collaboration with stakeholders.
Impact: Improved care policies for the wellbeing of women during the transition to parenthood and the development of healthy and resilient families.
Maternal Obesity
Project lead: Associate Prof Gail Norris, Dr Yvonne Greig
Problem: The rise in obesity in early pregnancy has health implications for both the mother and baby. Maternal obesity is linked with increased risks to the baby, which include pre-term birth, having an infant which is large–for-gestational age and at a greater risk of developing defects and congenital anomalies (e.g., spina bifida and heart defects).
How we try to help: Dr Gail Norris has explored childbearing women’s perception of these risks associated with pregnancy, with Dr Yvonne Greig exploring risk communication with women during consultation.
Impact: Both Dr Yvonne Greig and Dr Gail Norris are currently involved in the development of an obesity website (information hub) that contains educational information for midwives allied health care professionals and student midwives to support their clinical practice.
International Midwifery Practice
Project lead: Associate Prof Gail Norris
Problem: Globally every woman has a right to receive respectful midwifery care.
How we try to help: Dr Gail Norris, Head of International and Student Recruitment, is currently working with the UK charity Newborns Vietnam, exploring the training needs of Vietnamese midwives to enable them to deliver respectful midwifery care.
Impact: Completion of this training needs analysis will inform the development of an educational package on Respectful Midwifery Care for midwives in Vietnam.
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Problem: Scottish Government Best Start: Five Year Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Services(2017) policy document stipulates that all women will experience real continuity of care and carer, across the whole maternity journey. Continuity of care/carer now underpins the Scottish maternity services who are now in the transition stages of providing continuity of care/ carer models of midwifery care.
How can we help: Dr Gail Norris is currently exploring midwives experiences of transition into a continuity of care/carer models of midwifery care, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). This is a psychological approach to qualitative research which permits an idiographic focus into midwives experiences.
Impact: Completion of this research study has the potential to guide further research and the development of continuity of care/ carer midwifery models of care.