BMidwif Midwifery

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Universal Midwifery Care: Birth, Following Birth and Infant Feeding

Course unit fact file
Unit code NURS14122
Credit rating 20
Unit level Level 4
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

The focus of this unit is to build on the knowledge and skills gained in Universal Midwifery Care: pregnancy and health promotion. It will provide a foundation of knowledge and skills required to care for women and people through birth and the postnatal period. It will also develop your knowledge and understanding of the requirements of newborn infants and their families with reference to infant feeding and developing early parenting relationships.

You will also focus on the physiological, psychological and social adaptation process taking place during birth and the postnatal period, with a particular emphasis on supporting parents to care for their baby in a responsive way and to establishing optimal infant feeding.

The role of the midwife in relation to promoting positive outcomes, health promotion and supporting safe psychological, social, cultural and spiritual situations will also be explored.

Aims

The unit aims to: (shared aims with Universal Midwifery Care: Pregnancy and Health Promotion)

  • To enable learners to develop knowledge and skills in providing the care and support that all pregnant, birthing and postnatal women and people, newborn infants and their families require, with reference to infant feeding and developing early parenting relationships.
  • To explore the role of the midwife in optimising physiological processes, promoting positive outcomes, health promotion and supporting safe psychological, social, cultural and spiritual situations.

Teaching and learning methods

The intended learning outcomes (ILOs) and aims are all constructively aligned to ensure the teaching and assessment methods support the learners’ achievement of these to the highest standard. The assessment ensures that all aims and ILOs can be demonstrated as met during the assessment task and in order to facilitate learners’ understanding of the ILOs the following teaching methods will be used:

Synchronous classroom-based and online, asynchronous online

  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • Workshops
  • Debate
  • Case Studies
  • Peer review
  • Quizzes
  • Practical skills lab sessions
  • Small group tutorials
  • Independent guided learning
  • Clinical practicc

Clinical practice hours are included in this unit to enable learners to apply theoretical concepts to practice and reflect on practical experiences in relation to that learning.

 

Knowledge and understanding

  • Understand the role of the midwife in caring for birthing women and people and the newborn in the intrapartum and postpartum period and discuss effective communication strategies to facilitate a satisfying childbirth experience.
  • Describe the process of assessment of fetal and maternal wellbeing during labour and in the postnatal period, including initiation of the first feed.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the physiology, principals, mechanisms and psychosocial impact of lactation, supporting common feeding challenges and communication strategies to share information.
  • Explain the importance of breastmilk and breastfeeding for the health and well-being of mothers and babies and use appropriate communication skills to share this information with families.
  • Demonstrate awareness of the Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) ‘best practice standards’ and the International Code of Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes and understand the rationale behind BFI accreditation for service and education facilities.
  • Demonstrate awareness of the principles underlying safe and responsive formula feeding.

Intellectual skills

  • Through reflective thinking, develop self-awareness, recognise the limitations of own knowledge & skill and identify personal learning needs.

  • Relate the relevant physiology and psychological theory to the adaptive processes of care in labour and parenthood.
  • Describe best practice in intrapartum, postnatal and neonatal care and explain the rationale for this with reference to the evidence.
  • Access the evidence that underpins infant feeding practice and know how to keep up to date.

Practical skills

  • Apply knowledge and understanding of the midwife’s role in the provision of care in labour, birth and postnatally.
  • Describe a comprehensive postnatal assessment of the mother and baby, recognise complications and additional needs and respond appropriately.
  • Explain straightforward health promotion strategies for parents related to maternal, infant and family wellbeing (such as safe sleeping).

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  • Communicate effectively with women, people, families and colleagues, demonstrating self-awareness, and an understanding of the many factors influencing communication and relationships.

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Written assignment (inc essay) 100%

Feedback methods

Formative

Small group workshops to plan and present ideas and resources for evidence-based care plan, with feedback from lecturer and peers.

Recommended reading

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 26
Practical classes & workshops 4
Seminars 6
Tutorials 4
Work based learning 50
Independent study hours
Independent study 122

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Gillian Singleton Unit coordinator

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