Maternal Health
Depending on their country of origin, the concept of women’s health screening and perinatal care may be unfamiliar, and the rationale, benefits and processes thus may need to be explained with a professional interpreter to enable informed consent.
Many women from refugee-like backgrounds come from countries where there are high fertility rates and poor access to antenatal and prenatal care. The sense of loss experienced by women from refugee-like backgrounds may increase during pregnancy. Many women are distressed at not being able to follow their traditional cultural practices at this time, where supporting women through pregnancy and childbirth, and raising children is a shared responsibility.
Women who have a positive pregnancy test or who are planning pregnancy should be offered screening consistent with Australian antenatal care guidelines.
For more information, please read the Refugee Health Practice Guide.
referral
referral
Referral
Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA) – National Helpline
Category: Maternal Health
FIND SOMEONE TO TALK TO, MONDAY TO SATURDAY. 1300 726 306Visit
resource
resource
Resource
Growing a Healthy Baby Project
Category: Maternal Health
New in-language culturally adapted ‘Safer Baby Bundle’ resources: addressing high stillbirth rates through co-design.Visit
resource
Resource
Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA) – Support in different languages
Category: Maternal Health
Get the support you need with resources translated into 40 languages.Visit
publication
publication
Publication
A photovoice study exploring what culturally safe pregnancy care is to Karen women of refugee background in Victoria, Australia
Category: Maternal Health
A photovoice study founded on community-based participatory research principles was undertaken with a Karen community of refugee background living in Victoria, Australia. A community advisory group was established, guiding study design and conduct. Five S’gaw Karen-speaking women with experience of pregnancy care in Australia were invited to take photos within their community. Participants shared their photos and stories with each other in four online discussion groups.Visit
publication
Publication
Cultural safety and belonging for refugee background women attending group pregnancy care: An Australian qualitative study
Category: Maternal Health
Refugee women experience higher incidence of childbirth complications and poor pregnancy outcomes. Resettled refugee women often face multiple barriers accessing pregnancy care and navigating health systems in high income countries. A community-based model of group pregnancy care for Karen women from Burma was co-designed by health services in consultation with Karen families in Melbourne, Australia.View Document
publication
Publication
Finding our own ways of working together: reflections on implementing and facilitating a multidisciplinary and equity-orientated model of Group Pregnancy Care for women of refugee background.
Category: Maternal Health
This paper explores professional staff experiences of implementing and facilitating a multidisciplinary equity-oriented model of Group Pregnancy Care for women of refugee background. This model was the first of its kind in Australia and one of the first worldwide.View Document
publication
Publication
Trauma-Informed Care and Equity in Group Pregnancy Care for Women in Refugee Background: Reflections from the workforce.
Category: Maternal Health
For women and families of refugee background having a baby in Australia, trauma-related experiences contribute to maternal and neonatal health inequities. Group Pregnancy Care for women of refugee background is a new model of care that was codesigned with communities of refugee background, to incorporate a trauma-informed approach to care. The aim of this paper is to explore how trauma-informed care is understood by Group Pregnancy Care professional staff.View Document