{"title":"Innovative Approaches in Midwifery Education Part 1 (2025-002JMWH)","authors":"","doi":"10.1111/jmwh.70066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.70066","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This continuing education (CE) issue has been approved by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) for 20 contact hours inclusive of 0 pharmacology contact hours. All CE submissions must be received online by [December 31, 2027].</p><p>ACNM is an approved provider of CE for certified nurse-midwives/certified midwives (CNMs/CMs). ACNM contact hours are accepted for the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) Certificate Maintenance Program (CMP) and for National Certification Corporation (NCC) certification maintenance. Other professional groups may recognize ACNM contact hours as well. Health care providers who are not CNMs/CMs should check with their certifying and licensing agencies.</p><p>The evaluation and test questions are included here for your reference. Test questions and evaluation must be completed online to receive CE.</p><p>The evaluation questions must be answered online to receive CE.</p><p>1. Accuracy of content: Poor Fair Good Excellent</p><p>2. Currency of content: Poor Fair Good Excellent</p><p>3. Relevancy of topics: Poor Fair Good Excellent</p><p>4. Were the learning objectives for this CE activity met by the material you read? Yes No</p><p>If your answer is no, what suggestions do you have?</p><p>5. Was this CE activity an effective method of acquiring CE for you? Yes No</p><p>If your answer is no, what suggestions do you have?</p>","PeriodicalId":16468,"journal":{"name":"Journal of midwifery & women's health","volume":"70 6","pages":"984-986"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jmwh.70066","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145792544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Innovations to Support Growth in Midwifery Education","authors":"Melissa D. Avery CNM, PhD","doi":"10.1111/jmwh.70063","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jmwh.70063","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Welcome to the first of 2 theme issues highlighting <i>Innovations in Midwifery Education</i>. The last time the <i>Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health</i> focused on midwifery education was a special supplement to the November/December 2016 issue on Clinical Education. The call for proposals for manuscripts resulting in Parts I and II of <i>Innovations in Midwifery Education</i> was in direct response to a request from the Directors of Midwifery Education to share current advancements. Part II will be published in print in Spring 2026; many of those articles are already published online at jmwh.org.</p><p>Presenting a collection of articles on midwifery education could not be more timely. The number of midwifery education programs is growing. A review of the 49 midwifery programs listed on the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME) website reveals that 4 of those programs received preaccreditation status (initial approval to admit students and begin a midwifery program) in 2025.<span><sup>1</sup></span> In addition, a May 2025 ACME website notice requesting third party comments about pending midwifery program reviews includes 3 institutions with preaccreditation site visits scheduled during the remainder of 2025, potentially adding 3 new preaccredited programs in early 2026.<span><sup>2</sup></span> The number of midwifery program graduates is also growing. The American Midwifery Certification Board reports an overall 64% increase in new certified nurse-midwives/certified midwives (CNM/CMs) since 2000. More recently, 643 new CNM/CMs were certified in 2020, and 750 were certified in 2024.<span><sup>3</sup></span></p><p>The growth in midwifery programs and certification of more midwives comes as the call to integrate midwifery more completely in the US health care system is being amplified. The World Health Organization recently called for global transitioning to midwifery models of care, within interprofessional systems, so that women would “receive equitable, person-centred, respectful, integrated and high-quality care, provided and coordinated by midwives working within collaborative interdisciplinary teams.”<span><sup>4</sup></span><sup>(p5)</sup> The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is currently funding the Transforming Maternal Health program to improve maternity care outcomes for persons insured under Medicaid while reducing costs in 15 states over the next 10 years.<span><sup>5</sup></span></p><p>Respected publications have highlighted the ability of midwives to expand access to care and help improve outcomes in the United States. In 2019, the highly regarded <i>Scientific American</i> published an editorial titled <i>The U.S. Needs More Midwives for Better Maternity Care</i>.<span><sup>6</sup></span> The Commonwealth Fund's May 2023 issue brief on advancing health equity described how midwives could address the maternal health crisis in the Unted States.<span><sup>7</sup></span> That same year, the <i>A","PeriodicalId":16468,"journal":{"name":"Journal of midwifery & women's health","volume":"70 6","pages":"855-856"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jmwh.70063","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145608065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Understanding Perspectives of Midwifery Education from Black and Indigenous Community Stakeholders: “We're Working in a System That Was Not Intended for Us”","authors":"Molly R. Altman CNM, PhD, MPH, Takara Washington CNM, DNP, Sumaya Uthmaan RN, BSN, Makeda Akoma CD, Binta Niang MSM, LM, Cecilia Gilmore CNM, ND, DNP, Letitia Salazar Monk CNM, DNP, CLC, CH, ARNP, L'Oréal Kennedy MD, DNP, Victoria Fletcher CNM, MSN, ARNP","doi":"10.1111/jmwh.70057","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jmwh.70057","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Evidence is growing to support why a racially diverse midwifery workforce is needed; however, very few studies have examined how this should occur. Specifically, little research has examined the lived experiences of Black and Indigenous stakeholders in midwifery education, whose experiences and insight should serve as a cornerstone to re-envision education structures.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We conducted reflexive thematic analysis using secondary data from 4 focus groups of Black and Indigenous community stakeholders of midwifery education: prospective students, current students, alumni, and community birth workers.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Analysis yielded the themes of (1) acknowledging midwifery's history and origination, (2) centering Black and Indigenous learners in midwifery education, (3) needing a more inclusive version of midwifery, and (4) increasing access to midwifery education.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Discussion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Findings from this study lend a valuable perspective in what stakeholders within midwifery education, mainly prospective students, current students, alumni, and community birth workers, have experienced in interacting within the education systems and what they hope to see changed in the future. By integrating historically excluded voices into curriculum design, institutions can create an education system that not only diversifies the workforce but also upholds the values of cultural competency, justice, and community-centered care.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16468,"journal":{"name":"Journal of midwifery & women's health","volume":"70 6","pages":"889-896"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145552223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Emergency Contraception","authors":"","doi":"10.1111/jmwh.70060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.70060","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Emergency contraception is any method of birth control that prevents pregnancy after unprotected sex (no birth control method used). Emergency contraception can include pills (ECPs) or an intrauterine device (IUD) put in the uterus (womb). Although ECPs may be called “morning-after pills,” they can be taken up to several days after unprotected sex (usually up to 5 days) and still prevent pregnancy.</p><p>Birth control methods can fail, a person may forget to take their birth control pills, they may not want to use birth control, or a condom may break. In some cases, individuals may not plan to have sex or may be forced to have sex. Someone's partner might pressure them to get pregnant when they don't want to be pregnant. Their partner might also interfere with their birth control method.</p><p>The most common ECP contains a hormone (levonorgestrel) that is also found in birth control pills. The brand names are Plan B, Next Choice, and My Way. You will take 1 or 2 pills, depending on the brand you get. It is best if you take ECPs within 3 days of unprotected sex. You can take this ECP up to 5 days after having unprotected sex to prevent most pregnancies. It works better the sooner you take it.</p><p>Another type of ECP contains a medication (ulipristal) that is only available with a prescription for users of all ages. The brand name is Ella. This medicine uses a different drug but still has the same effect on your body. You can take it up to 5 days after unprotected sex, and it prevents pregnancy very well.</p><p>You can also use regular birth control pills as ECPs as long as they contain both of the hormones estrogen and progestin. If you use regular birth control bills as ECPs, you will have to take several pills at one time. Talk to your health care provider to find out how many pills you need to take based on your prescription.</p><p>A different method of emergency contraception is having an IUD put in your uterus. This is very effective (99%) in stopping pregnancy. You can get an IUD put in during a regular office visit. It is not a special procedure. It should be placed within 5 days of unprotected sex. An IUD has to be put in by a health care provider. This might be a good option if you want a long-term form of birth control that works well.</p><p>Most likely, emergency contraception stops you from having an egg, changes vaginal discharge so that sperm have a difficult time reaching the egg, or changes the lining of the uterus, preventing the fertilized egg from implanting itself in the uterus.</p><p>Yes, emergency contraception is very safe. Even users who cannot take birth control pills can safely use ECPs. There is no risk of birth defects or harm to the baby by taking ECPs even if you are pregnant already or if you get pregnant soon after taking the pills.</p><p>The most common side effect of ECPs is nausea (with or without vomiting) that lasts for a few days. Your health care provider can give you a prescription for medicine to prev","PeriodicalId":16468,"journal":{"name":"Journal of midwifery & women's health","volume":"70 6","pages":"991-992"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jmwh.70060","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145792381","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Evelyn E. Asegieme MSW, LICSW, LCSW-C, PMH-C, Aimee L. Danielson PhD, Amalia Londoño Tobón MD, Elisabeth S. Rindner BS, Yanbao Xiong MS, Patricia B. Tanjutco MD, Matthew G. Biel MD, Loral Patchen CNM, PhD
{"title":"Safe Babies Safe Moms Women's and Infants’ Services Perinatal Mental Health and Wellness Program: A Comprehensive Integrated Model for Prevention and Treatment","authors":"Evelyn E. Asegieme MSW, LICSW, LCSW-C, PMH-C, Aimee L. Danielson PhD, Amalia Londoño Tobón MD, Elisabeth S. Rindner BS, Yanbao Xiong MS, Patricia B. Tanjutco MD, Matthew G. Biel MD, Loral Patchen CNM, PhD","doi":"10.1111/jmwh.70053","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jmwh.70053","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Safe Babies Safe Moms Women's and Infants’ Services Perinatal Mental Health and Wellness Program offers screening, assessment, prevention, and treatment options, as well as referrals, for complex care needs using an integrated collaborative care framework. Group and individual therapy options are available, leveraging both office-based and telehealth options.</p><p>The article details the program's framework for services, describes the care team and program workflow, and summarizes program activities. In calendar year 2024, 3383 screenings using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale were completed for 1914 unique patients. Perinatal social workers conducted 1328 care coordination visits and completed 148 perinatal mental health assessments for elevated screenings. Integrated therapeutic services reached 220 people, and 53 were referred to psychiatry for complex care needs.</p><p>The strengths of this program stem from early initiation of screening, multiple screenings throughout the perinatal period, care coordination for social services interventions, and a shared-decision-making process centered around the patients’ needs and goals for perinatal mental health care. This integrated mental health model establishes a distinct, well-defined, yet dynamic pathway to provide screening, care coordination, and interventions for both prevention and treatment to optimize perinatal mental health outcomes. Evaluation of program outcomes is ongoing.</p>","PeriodicalId":16468,"journal":{"name":"Journal of midwifery & women's health","volume":"71 1","pages":"126-134"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12914620/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145544716","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Research and Professional Literature to Inform Practice, November/December 2025","authors":"Rebecca R. S. Clark CNM, PhD, MSN, RN, WHNP-BC","doi":"10.1111/jmwh.70054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.70054","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16468,"journal":{"name":"Journal of midwifery & women's health","volume":"70 6","pages":"962-966"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145792402","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Understanding Healing From Psychological Birth Trauma: A Lived Experience Perspective","authors":"Lisa Middleton PhD, MSW, BHSc, BSW, RM, RSW","doi":"10.1111/jmwh.70052","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jmwh.70052","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Psychological birth trauma affects a significant proportion of birthing individuals globally, with estimates ranging from 18% to 45% perceiving their birth as traumatic and 4% being diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder. Despite growing recognition of birth trauma, the lived experience of healing from it remains understudied.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This qualitative study employed interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore how 11 participants, purposively sampled for diverse birth trauma experiences, understood healing from birth trauma. Semistructured interviews were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed using IPA methodology.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Three main themes emerged: (1) healing as a process, not a destination; (2) healing as being at peace with the experience; and (3) healing as holding multiple truths. Participants described healing as an active, nonlinear process involving milestones, integration of the experience into daily life without being overwhelmed, and acceptance of changed priorities and emotions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Discussion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The findings highlight the importance of understanding trauma recovery as a gradual process, creating safer spaces for storytelling while respecting boundaries, and acknowledging the capacity to hold both challenging and positive emotions. The study calls for more research on birth trauma recovery centering the individual as an expert in their experience, involving diverse birthing individuals and researchers. Integrating lived experiences of healing is crucial for developing client-centered initiatives and programming to support those affected by birth trauma.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16468,"journal":{"name":"Journal of midwifery & women's health","volume":"71 1","pages":"70-75"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jmwh.70052","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145544732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}