GEP Medicine in Society Handbook 2019/20

Aims

To understand that pregnancy and childbirth are normal processes; the implications of this for services; and the factors which influence women's choices around birth.

Preparatory work

In preparation students should have:

• Found out about the range of local maternity services available to women; and some local and national data relating to childbirth
• Prepared some questions in order to talk to a pregnant woman about her choices for antenatal care and the birth of her child
• Please look at the NHS Choices website, it has a wealth of information for patients from everything from conception to childrearing.  Please take a closer look at the antenatal care area.  
• For a short account on the current situation regarding teenage pregnancy see Polly Toynbee's account The drop in teenage pregnancies is the success story of our time
• There are thousands (at least) of blogs written by women (and a few men) detailing infertility, fertility treatment, pregnancy, childbirth and parenting.  Some are of questionable quality
• The Health Talk online site has a number of interviews with parents a number of them focus on choices around how and where to give birth Thinking about where and how to give birth.

Objectives

By the end of the day, students should be able to:

• Recognise pregnancy and childbirth as normal processes
• List the possible choices that women can make in relation to antenatal care and place of birth
• Discuss the potential impact of pregnancy and childbirth on partners or husbands
• To consider the different factors e.g. access, support from GP, independent midwives etc. which influence women's choices in pregnancy and childbirth
• To give students an opportunity to meet a pregnant woman

Activities

• Tutorial: Is childbirth a normal process? If so, what is the role of the medical profession - both doctors and midwives? - based upon preparatory readings
• Health promotion: smoking, diet, exercise, and alcohol in pregnancy. What information is available within the practice? What services does the practice offer for antenatal care and childbirth?
• Visit to pregnant woman, to discuss her choices, and how she (and her partner/family) arrived at them
• Debriefing Tutorial