Framework for the establishment of a feasible, tailored and effective perinatal education programme.
Antenatal education needs to be renewed and adapted to the needs of women.



to assess women needs, identify factors that influence the desired outcomes, and propose a framework for developing new perinatal education based on the guidance published by the UK Medical Research Council for the development and evaluation of complex interventions in primary care.



For this study: (a) four focus group sessions were held from October to November 2010 in Bizkaia (Spain) with 30 women exploring their needs during pregnancy and postpartum; (b) two literature reviews were conducted on women's needs at these times and theoretical models of healthcare education; and (c) seven discussion and consensus sessions were run with a group of experts composed of midwifes, gynaecologists, paediatricians, and paediatric and postpartum nurses.



Various areas for improvement were identified: needs assessment of each woman/family, consideration of pregnancy and childbirth as normal physiological processes, participation of fathers, establishment of social networks, continuity of postpartum care, better access to and training for midwives, and more flexible format and contents for the programme. We propose a woman-focused framework that includes three exploratory interviews during pregnancy, personalized interventions coordinated between professionals, empowerment to choose the type of birth, and postpartum activities.



New perinatal education should be on-going and focused on each woman. It is necessary to assess the feasibility of implementing this type of programme, depending on the context, professionals' readiness for change and characteristics of the proposed interventions. Then, its effectiveness and sustainability must be assessed.
Primary Care Midwife Zuazo Health Centre, Barakaldo, (Bizkaia); and Associate Professor of the School of Nursing, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain. miartieta@bergara.uned.es.|Primary Care Research Unit of Bizkaia, Centro de Salud de Deusto, 4ª planta, 48014, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain. miartieta@bergara.uned.es.
Isabel
0000-0002-4297-2495
I
Artieta-Pinedo
Primary Care Midwife in Sestao Health Centre, Bizkaia; and Lecturer in the Midwifery Training Unit of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain.
Carmen
C
Paz-Pascual
Primary Care Research Unit of Bizkaia, Centro de Salud de Deusto, 4ª planta, 48014, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain.
Gonzalo
G
Grandes
Primary Care Research Unit of Bizkaia, Centro de Salud de Deusto, 4ª planta, 48014, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain.
Maite
M
Espinosa
D000328:Adult; D032921:Consensus; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D018743:Perinatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D057285:Precision Medicine / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D011247:Pregnancy; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D013030:Spain
Antenatal classes; Birth preparation; Health literacy; Perinatal education; Prenatal care; Woman care