Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Women’s Wellness and Research Center (WWRC) has launched a pilot postnatal midwifery home care program for new mothers and their babies.
The Postnatal Midwifery Home Care Program, which is the first of its kind in Qatar, is run by a team of qualified midwives and will initially just be available to new mothers who had a high-risk pregnancy or caesarian delivery and require extra care.
A team of qualified midwives will provide new mothers and their newborns with check-ups, education, and support during the postnatal period. With as many as one in three women delivering by caesarian section at WWRC, staff at the hospital care for a large number of women with high-risk pregnancies.
Speaking about the launch of the new service, Ms. Haila Johar, Executive Director of Nursing at the Women’s Wellness and Research Center said, “We are so proud to be piloting this postnatal midwifery home care program. By visiting women in their homes shortly after childbirth, HMC’s community midwife team will be able to help identify and prevent many common maternal and newborn health issues and will play an important role in enabling women to make informed decisions about when and where they access care.”
In addition to supporting the health and well-being of a mother and her infant, the program aims to prevent and/or decrease unnecessary visits or admissions to the WWRC Emergency Department by women who had a high-risk pregnancy or gave birth by caesarian section. Up to a quarter of women who delivered by caesarian section will visit the Emergency Department after her baby is born for a related non-urgent medical issue.
“During the home visit, one of our midwives will assess the physical and emotional well-being of the mother and her newborn, educating her about what to expect in the coming days and weeks, and providing her and her family with support managing the care of their newborn,” said Ms. Fatima Yusuf, Director of Nursing at Women’s Wellness and Research Center. “During the visit, our midwives will also be able to identify if the mother or her baby has any health issues which may need further attention. They will be able to advise the new mother if she, and/or her baby, requires any additional follow-up care from her primary healthcare provider – potentially preventing an unplanned visit to the Emergency Department.”
Currently, the Postnatal Midwifery Home Care Program is only available to women who deliver at WWRC, live in Doha, and have had a high-risk pregnancy or caesarian delivery and require wound care. The service will be managed by a team of six community midwives, with each team conducting12 to 14 home visits per month.
Women will be referred to the postnatal midwifery home care team by their discharging physician and their first home visit will be scheduled within 48 to 72 hours of their delivery. Subsequent follow-up visits will be scheduled as needed.
“The six weeks directly after a woman gives birth can be both a happy and difficult time as she adjusts to physical, emotional, and social changes,” said Ms. Johar. “By providing an in-home service with a qualified midwife, our goal is to develop a trusting and supportive relationship with our mothers and ensure they receive consistent advice about maternal health issues and well-being. The ultimate goal is to keep mother and baby healthy after the birth.”
According to Ms. Johar, in the near future, the pilot program at WWRC will be expanded to all HMC maternity facilities. She added that there are plans to further expand the service to all birthing facilities in Qatar, providing care to new mothers who experience a high-risk pregnancy or caesarian delivery within 28 days of giving birth.
