Due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis, we have made the decision to postpone the conference until Friday the 1st of October 2021. All registered delegates have been informed and will be updated with further information.
On behalf of the British Journal of Midwifery we are delighted to invite you to attend Current Issues in Midwifery Belfast, taking place on Friday the 1st of October 2021.
This CPD-certified mini conference brings together key voices in midwifery today, providing you with concentrated, interactive educational updates.
Why some women may leave the birth experience with emotional distress
11:00 - 11:40
This paper considers findings from a wider mixed methods study to understand women’s feelings following birth. Three key themes illuminated the topic of women’s subjective distress: “Giving birth as traumatic/horrific”, “Lasting emotions linked to the birth process” and “The impact of health professionals”. Additionally, the results from the quantitative strand identified differences in women with raised post-traumatic stress symptoms.
Online medication purchasing behaviour in pregnancy
12:10 - 12:50
Many pregnant women present with or develop co-morbidities in pregnancy and take at least one medication. The internet has provided the option for pregnant women to purchase medications online without healthcare advice. The following discussion will the explore factors influencing pregnant women’s intention to purchase medication online.
Why pregnant women continue to take alcohol in pregnancy
12:50 - 13:30
This paper will present key findings from one phase of a doctoral study that surveyed pregnant women to explore their understanding of issues related to alcohol consumption in pregnancy and the reasons why some continue to drink during their pregnancy.
A multi-phase, mixed methods study design was developed, employing both quantitative and qualitative data collection instruments and methods that included, a self-completion postal questionnaire, face-to-face focus groups during pregnancy, and post-birth semi-structured telephone interviews.
Some of the main survey findings:
A proportion of women continue to drink alcohol knowing they are pregnant
Some women lack knowledge and awareness associated with alcohol use and pregnancy and do not know about the DoH guideline changes
Culture, childhood experience and religiosity are important factors influencing behavior
Social media and the internet have a role to play in health promotion
Marlene has an extensive track record for the promotion of midwifery research locally, nationally and internationally. She was a panel member on the REF2014 where her knowledge and experience of multiple research approaches (RCTs, mixed-methods and qualitative designs) was highly valued.
Marlene is currently Head of the Centre for Maternal, Fetal and Infant Research at Ulster University where she was awarded the first Personal Chair for Midwifery research in Ireland in 2006. She remains the only midwife in Ireland to hold this prestigious position.
Professor Marlene Sinclair
Professor of Midwifery Research
Ulster University
Marlene has an extensive track record for the promotion of midwifery research locally, nationally and internationally. She was a panel member on the REF2014 where her knowledge and experience of multiple research approaches (RCTs, mixed-methods and qualitative designs) was highly valued.
Marlene is currently Head of the Centre for Maternal, Fetal and Infant Research at Ulster University where she was awarded the first Personal Chair for Midwifery research in Ireland in 2006. She remains the only midwife in Ireland to hold this prestigious position.
Dr Julie McCullough
Research Assistant and Reflexologist
Ulster University
Dr Julie McCullough
Research Assistant and Reflexologist
Ulster University
Jackie Baxter
Former Lead Midwife for Clinical Governance
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London
Jackie has been a practising midwife since 1985. She has had a variety of posts both overseas and in the UK all based in the clinical setting. These include HIV Specialist Midwife, a Research and Development Midwife at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and a full time supervisor of midwives at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. She has held two clinical governance midwife posts: at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She has successfully completed studying for a doctorate at City University on postnatal care and has also published extensively.
Jackie Baxter
Former Lead Midwife for Clinical Governance
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London
Jackie has been a practising midwife since 1985. She has had a variety of posts both overseas and in the UK all based in the clinical setting. These include HIV Specialist Midwife, a Research and Development Midwife at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and a full time supervisor of midwives at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. She has held two clinical governance midwife posts: at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She has successfully completed studying for a doctorate at City University on postnatal care and has also published extensively.
Victor Robinson
Research Lecturer Practitioner
Ulster University & South Eastern Trust
Victor is jointly appointed between Ulster University (UU) and South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust (SET), wherein his primary role and remit within the Trust is the proliferation of a culture of research and practice development.
Following dual qualification in mental health (RMN) and general adult (RGN) nurse training, he served various appointments in Northern Ireland (NI) and London as a
Community Psychiatric Charge Nurse (CPN) in generic mental health and general adult clinical settings, before specialising in the clinical specialism of addictions.
He has been employed in clinical (primary & secondary care), managerial, educational and research roles. Within the School of Nursing at UU, Victor is Leader in Addiction Studies and module leader coordinator for Promoting Health & Well Being in Mental Health Settings. He has completed a Master of Medical Sciences Degree in Addictions Studies within the Faculty of Medicine, Queen’s University Belfast and is currently registered at UU as a PhD student. The subject
of his thesis is ‘Alcohol & Pregnancy’.
Victor Robinson
Research Lecturer Practitioner
Ulster University & South Eastern Trust
Victor is jointly appointed between Ulster University (UU) and South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust (SET), wherein his primary role and remit within the Trust is the proliferation of a culture of research and practice development.
Following dual qualification in mental health (RMN) and general adult (RGN) nurse training, he served various appointments in Northern Ireland (NI) and London as a
Community Psychiatric Charge Nurse (CPN) in generic mental health and general adult clinical settings, before specialising in the clinical specialism of addictions.
He has been employed in clinical (primary & secondary care), managerial, educational and research roles. Within the School of Nursing at UU, Victor is Leader in Addiction Studies and module leader coordinator for Promoting Health & Well Being in Mental Health Settings. He has completed a Master of Medical Sciences Degree in Addictions Studies within the Faculty of Medicine, Queen’s University Belfast and is currently registered at UU as a PhD student. The subject
of his thesis is ‘Alcohol & Pregnancy’.
