title: Women's experiences of, and attitudes to, maternity education across the perinatal period in Victoria, Australia: A mixed-methods approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While the provision of maternity education across the perinatal period can increase the confidence and self-efficacy in childbearing women, there is still thought to be a lack of effective educational resources for parenthood. This study, conducted in Victoria, Australia, investigated women's experiences of, and attitudes to education communicated in maternity service provision.
  
  
  METHODS
  189 women were recruited from a variety of settings to participate in a mixed-methods survey about their experiences of perinatal health service education.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the sample of childbearing women, 153 (81%) reported attending antenatal classes. Women perceived their antenatal education as beneficial, though many women still felt unprepared beyond labour and birth. With respect to the hospital postnatal stay, findings suggested a variation among the content imparted to women across different Victorian maternity services, (e.g. rural women tended to be more dissatisfied with information received in relation to maternal emotional and physical health). Overall, women wished they had been more informed about breastfeeding and settling techniques, while a lack of information relating to social support initiatives for the postnatal period was also indicated. Women reported that they were missing educational and practical reinforcement of mothercraft skills.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need for a reorientation of perinatal health service education. A health promotion approach is suggested as it extends beyond the physical recovery from birth to encompass psychosocial factors; including perinatal morbidities that can disrupt the quality and experience of the transition to parenthood.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: M.Buultjens@latrobe.edu.au.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buultjens
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Priscilla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Parent-Infant Research Institute, Austin Health and Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Jeannette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Milgrom
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monfries
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000523:psychology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018743:Perinatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014739:Victoria; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Education; Maternity service provision; Perinatal period; Self-efficacy; Transition to parenthood