OBJECTIVE: To investigate how fathers or partners perceive their roles as new parents when confronted with early breastfeeding challenges, how they navigate these difficulties, and the specific type of support they seek from the Child Health Care Centre (CHCC).

METHOD: In-depth, individual interviews conducted with 12 partners of women for whom breastfeeding was difficult. Reflexive thematic analysis was applied on the interview data.

RESULTS: Interviews resulted in three themes: 1) 'It is a revolutionary time to be a new father' represented a tumultuous time when fathers wanted to be involved in all decisions and part of a strong team with their partners. 2) 'When a breastfeeding problem arose'; fathers questioned the sovereignty of breast milk and began to seek more knowledge. They experienced a strong social norm about breastfeeding that led to feelings of guilt for their partners. They felt helpless when their partners suffered and lacked support. 3) 'Child Health Care Centre's duty'; was instrumental, as knowledge and competence were found to be important for trust. The fathers wanted concrete solutions to breastfeeding problems and more conversations of support with the CHCC nurse.

CONCLUSION: Well-educated fathers desire to protect their partners as they experience suffering due to a robust social norm telling them that breastfeeding is best. This can result in them starting to question the sovereignty of breast milk. Fathers need support to help their partners successfully during breastfeeding. They want counselling to strengthen their role as parents and help them build trusting teams with their partners.

BACKGROUND: Access to information is essential to achieving individual empowerment; meaning the ability to exercise control, manage one's own condition and make informed decisions. However, studies have shown that information provided to women regarding physiological changes during the postpartum period and postpartum health was inadequate, incorrect, or inconsistent.

METHODS: The aim of this study was to explore informational support about pain persisting after childbirth and its consequences. A sequential explanatory mixed methods design was used. In the first, quantitative phase, 1,171 women, who gave birth eight months earlier, completed a self-administered questionnaire. In the second, qualitative phase, 20 women who experienced chronic pain were interviewed. Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis were used to analyse the data.

RESULTS: The majority of the women did not receive information about pain persisting after childbirth, or the information was insufficient or incorrect. They did not know when and where to seek help and did not consult health care professionals. In addition, the lack of information had a negative impact on women's psychological well-being. All women expressed the need to be informed by health care professionals, irrespective of the individual risk of developing chronic pain.

CONCLUSIONS: Health services should ensure availability of information to give the women opportunity to achieve empowerment to make good health decisions, increase control over their health and well-being as well as to enhance their self-efficacy. We propose that a booklet or leaflet with relevant information about the risk of developing chronic pain, symptoms and treatment, along with advice about appropriate health care settings should be provided as part of antenatal or postnatal care.

BACKGROUND: Peer learning in clinical settings is supported in nursing research but has rarely been studied in the context of student midwives at birthing units.

AIM: To create a theoretical model of peer learning in the context of birthing units.

SETTINGS: Four hospitals and maternity units in Stockholm, Sweden.

METHODS: A Straussian approach to grounded theory was applied. Data consisted of interviews with fifteen final-term student midwives and 21 preceptors. Further, six peer learning seminars were held with approximately 200 midwives. At these, data was collected from fourteen preceptors presenting their experiences of working with peer learning.

FINDINGS: The core of the action emerging was the Open dialogue describing the communication between the pair of students, between students-preceptor and students-becoming parents, that developed skills in communication, participation and reduced prestige and hierarchy. It facilitated social interaction and reinforced a dynamic way of learning and teaching midwifery.

CONCLUSIONS: With preparation and a clear framework, peer learning can be used with midwifery students at birthing units. The open dialogue includes the becoming family in decision making and fits in a woman centered care providing support, safety, and participation. The pedagogical benefits are consistent with previous studies on nursing students.

OBJECTIVE: To explore parents' experiences of immediate skin-to-skin contact after the birth of their very preterm neonates and their perceptions regarding care and support from staff.

DESIGN: A descriptive qualitative study.

SETTING: Birth and neonatal units within a university hospital in Sweden.

PARTICIPANTS: Six parent couples who co-cared for their very preterm neonates with skin-to-skin contact throughout the first 6 hours after birth.

METHODS: We analyzed individual interviews using reflexive thematic analysis as described by Braun and Clarke.

RESULTS: The parents' experiences of immediate skin-to-skin contact with their very preterm neonates were represented by the following three themes: A Pathway to Connectedness, Just Being in a Vulnerable State, and Creating a Safe Haven in an Unknown Terrain. Skin-to-skin contact helped the parents attain their roles as essential caregivers and provided a calming physical sensation that promoted parents' feelings of connectedness with their newborns. When parents provide skin-to-skin contact at birth, staff members need to recognize and address their vulnerability. A good relationship with nursing staff, which was mediated through staff behaviors and availability, facilitated skin-to-skin contact.

CONCLUSION: Skin-to-skin contact initiated at birth with very preterm neonates was a valuable and empowering experience for parents and enhanced early bonding between parents and their newborns. Staff members should recognize that skin-to-skin contact between parents and neonates is an interactive process that has challenges and requires adequate support. Future research is warranted to understand the needs of nursing staff who provide initial care in the postpartum period. Furthermore, we recommend the implementation of maternal-neonatal couplet care.

OBJECTIVE: For peer learning to be useful in clinical practice, we need to know how parents experience peer learning during labour and childbirth. This study explored how parents experienced having two students present during labour and childbirth in a peer-learning model.

DESIGN: A qualitative approach using individual interviews followed by thematic inductive analysis.

SETTING: Three hospitals and obstetric units in Stockholm, Sweden.

PARTICIPANTS: Eleven women and nine partners.

FINDINGS: The overarching theme was that of a fruitful model of health care, in which there were gains for both parents and students. Parents described feeling seen and cared for, being made aware of what was going on, and never being left alone (subtheme 1, Trustful relationship). Parents appreciated being able to observe student midwives' attendance to the tasks at hand and that they, the two students, learned from each other (subtheme 2, Advantages for students).

CONCLUSIONS: The parent couple was able to build a trustful relationship with both students. Furthermore, could parents only see advantages for students in a peer-learning model. Parents reported generous support and were willing to contribute to student education. Parents took advantage of the learning taking place between the two students. The model deserves to be incorporated in the midwifery-student internships to complement more individually assisted births.