Pregnancy, childbirth and the early period following birth is increasingly acknowledged as important for the health and wellbeing of women, families and for society. It is vital that women and families receive high quality care.
There are challenges in achieving the quality of maternity care that women and families need and healthcare professionals want to provide. There are also challenges for the maternity workforce in the UK and internationally.
Research within the Maternal Health and Wellbeing Research Group explores maternity services and how they are delivered, aiming to inform national guidelines and support midwives and other maternity professionals in providing the best possible care.
Our research also investigates women’s experiences of maternity care, so as to better address their needs and concerns.
Research that makes an impact
Factors influencing the utilisation of free-standing and alongside midwifery units in England: A mixed methods research study
Midwifery units are safe, reduce caesarean section rates, improve patient satisfaction and are cheaper than hospital obstetric units. So why don’t more women use them?
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Trained doula support for disadvantaged childbearing women
This study examined the impacts and experiences of volunteer doula support provided in five areas in England.
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Discover more research
Find out about some of our other research projects