Sexual, Reproductive and Perinatal Health

Childbirth as a normal physiological process 

This area includes studies on

• Oxytocin
• Labour
• Pain in labour
• Vaginal birth after caesarean section
• Measurement of childbirth experience

Health in complicated conditions associated with childbirth and early parenthood

Studies in this area include 

• Fear of childbirth
• Peripartum cardiomyopathy
• Obesity in mothers
• Mothers with diabetes
• Mothers with bipolar disorder
• Mothers with HIV
• Pregnancy-related pelvic pain
• Induction of labour
• Non-Swedish parents with children in neonatal care units
• Health care after sexual abuse
• Fathers' experience of childbirth
• Diagnoses
• Intervention studies and long-term follow-up
• Pregnancy and childbirth as a political process
• Concerns among pregnant women and partners during the covid-19 pandemic
• Midwives' and healthcare professionals' experiences of childbirth during the covid-19 pandemic in Europe

Care environment and models of care for childbearing

The third area includes studies on

• Birthing rooms
• A midwifery model of women-centred care
• The work situation for midwives
• Perineal care in labour
• Quality of maternity care and person-centred care. 

Philosophy

Women and their families are entitled to ethical and respectful care from all staff involved. Equal healthcare must be provided regardless of religion, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation or socio-economic conditions. In order to obtain this, a mutual, trusting and respectful personal treatment of each woman, child or family is needed. A person- centred care approach is strived for by making partnerships with women and families, as well as in interdisciplinary cooperation.

The main role of professionals in childbirth is to protect and promote a physiologically normal childbirth and provide optimal care for complex and complicated conditions. 

Midwives have an autonomous and central role in developing effective and personalized care in childbirth. We believe that research in this area can be strengthened through interdisciplinary research collaborations and through holistic care, which can be studied from different perspectives.