Women pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic may be at risk of elevated postpartum mental health problems.

Shared decision-making supports women's autonomy in antenatal care, but several barriers to shared decision-making have been identified in practice. Women with high body mass index experience a higher rate of interventions, which could provide more opportunities for shared decision-making in antenatal care. However, weight stigma may exist as a barrier to shared decision-making, limiting access to collaborative care.

Separating women and babies immediately after birth contributes to poor birth experience and reduced satisfaction.

Neurodivergent individuals often face unique challenges during the perinatal period, which can significantly impact their experiences of pregnancy, childbirth, and early parenting. Despite growing awareness of neurodiversity, there remains a gap in perinatal care that fully addresses the lived experiences and needs of those with neurodivergent conditions such as Autism (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Internationally, intermittent auscultation (IA) is recommended for monitoring the fetal heart rate during labour and birth for women with uncomplicated pregnancies. IA can identify changes in the fetal heart rate that may indicate the need for additional care or intervention. IA is a central facet of midwifery practice, but there is little evidence about women's experience of IA.

Despite the recent introduction of midwifery services in India to improve maternal and newborn healthcare, there is limited research on women's perspectives on midwife-led care.

Despite international consensus advocating a physiological approach to childbirth, there are inconsistent opinions on how to acquire the competencies needed to successfully carry out this approach. While continuity of care experiences (CoCE) within placements is a valued educational strategy, there are limited studies that focus on the learning experiences to support physiological birth.

Global and national frameworks for midwifery education recognise and prioritise the provision of midwifery continuity of care. Previous studies report that learning is enhanced when students have professional experience placements within these models, however there remains wide variation in midwifery students' access to placements within these models in Australia.

In Australia, little research has examined how women and people participate in decision-making about types of fetal monitoring, or their perceptions of information provided by caregivers.

Rising rates of labour and birth interventions are causing concern, having the potential to cause harm if used inappropriately. International evidence demonstrates that place itself influences birth outcomes, but evidence is limited as to how. In New Zealand there are differences in the rates of spontaneous vaginal births by place, along with differences when benchmarking uncomplicated primiparae birthing in hospital maternity facilities throughout the country.

Childbirth on traditional territories is unattainable for many Indigenous peoples living in remote communities in Canada.

To integrate midwife-led care in Belgian maternity services, understanding whether midwives are primed of executing the change is needed.

Models of care that are culturally responsive, trauma-informed and provide continuity of care(r), are important components of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents during the broad perinatal period (pregnancy to 2 years after birth; first 1000 days). Many health services do aim to incorporate these concepts in care provision, but often focus on only one.

Internationally, traditional medicine approaches are used to support humanised childbirth practices. Labour support issues in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), include limited resources, staffing, and escalating pharmaceutical interventions. There is a strong interest in evidence-based acupressure programs, however, training and experience to implement them is limited. Maternity professionals at the Fernandez Foundation (FF) including associated hospitals in the Hyderabad region, India, sought training in acupressure to support humanised childbirth.

Institutionalised birth settings do not meet the needs or wishes of all women. Current literature has reported on women's experiences of alternative birthplaces, however there is no published data on Australian birth houses. Birth houses are low-technology home-like birthplaces where women receive care from endorsed private practice midwives. Knowledge of women's perspectives and experiences of birth houses is unreported.

To explore the benefit and engagement of undergraduate students' use of H5P interactive books for student learning.

To determine the acceptability of different methods of routine testing for group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonisation to pregnant women and health care professionals (HCPs), and to examine barriers and facilitators to their implementation.

Rural women and their babies experience poorer perinatal outcomes than their urban counterparts and this inequity has existed for decades. This study explored the barriers and enablers that exist for rural women in Australia in accessing perinatal care.

Most hospital birth environments remain clinical in appearance and are not attuned to the neurohormonal processes that orchestrate labour and birth. Hospital environments are therefore not aligned with the innate needs of a woman to feel safe and secure in the place where she gives birth.

Midwifery Continuity of Care (MCoC) remains inaccessible for most Australian women; this is especially true in rural and regional areas.

Retention of midwives across the career lifespan is essential to address workforce shortages.