Opportunities and Risks of Gender-Stereotypical Approach to Men in the Context of Education and Counselling Work Using the Example of Birth Preparation for Expectant Fathers At first glance, it seems absurd that families or mothers and fathers become addressees of social work when they decide to have a child. But the legislator has also formulated it: \"Mothers and fathers as well as pregnant women and expectant fathers should be offered advice and help in questions of partnership and the development of parental parenting and relationship skills\" (§16 paragraph 3 SGB VIII). One can argue that this makes sense, especially in complex and challenging times. Fathers in particular are confronted with an increasing ambivalence between caring father and providing breadwinner. Against the background of crisis-ridden conditions, this ambivalence can be perceived as strenuous living conditions, so that the addressing of social work is justified. Gender-homogeneous psychosocial services for fathersto- be make counselling and educational processes in the sense of helping them to help themselves be used by the addressees. In this article, the gender-stereotypical addressing of men in the context of education and counselling services is presented and discussed using the example of gender-homogeneous birth preparation courses for expectant fathers, on the basis of empirical findings.
Zusammenfassung Es erscheint zunachst abwegig, dass Paare bzw. Mutter und Vater zu Adressat:innen der Sozialen Arbeit werden, wenn sie sich dafur entscheiden, Kinder zu bekommen. Doch so hat es der Gesetzgeber formuliert: „Muttern und Vatern sowie schwangeren Frauen und werdenden Vatern sollen Beratung und Hilfe in Fragen der Partnerschaft und des Aufbaus elterlicher Erziehungs- und Beziehungskompetenzen angeboten werden“ (§16 Absatz 3 SGB VIII). Man kann argumentieren, dass dies, besonders in komplexen und herausfordernden Zeiten, sinnvoll ist. Insbesondere Vater und werdende Vater sehen sich mit einer zunehmenden Ambivalenz zwischen fursorglichem Vater und versorgendem Ernahrer konfrontiert. Diese Ambivalenz lasst sich vor dem Hintergrund krisenhafter Rahmenbedingungen als anstrengende Lebensverhaltnisse bzw. anstrengende Lebenslage wahrnehmen, sodass die Adressierung der Sozialen Arbeit gerechtfertigt ist. Genderhomogene psychosoziale Angebote fur werdende Vater machen Beratungs- und Bildungsprozesse im Sinne der Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe fur die Adressat:innen nutzbar. Im Rahmen dieses Beitrags wird die genderstereotype Adressierung von Mannern im Rahmen von Bildungs- und Beratungsangeboten am Beispiel genderhomogener Geburtsvorbereitungskurse fur werdende Vater, anhand empirischer Befunde, dargestellt und diskutiert.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of an eHealth educational resource about infant procedural pain management, given during the prenatal period, on feasibility, acceptability, knowledge, self-efficacy, and involvement.
BACKGROUND: Routine health care requires newborns to have painful procedures (e.g., intramuscular injection). The impacts of untreated pain in neonates are widely recognised but adoption of effective procedural pain management strategies in clinical practice varies. There is clear evidence supporting the effectiveness of parent-led pain management during procedures (e.g., skin-to-skin care) and reputable resources to raise awareness among parents are warranted. Our team co-created Parenting Pain Away, a website to equip parents with evidence to assist with managing the pain of procedures and empower them to be involved.
METHODS: A quasi-experimental evaluation using a pre/post intervention design with low-risk expectant parents.
RESULTS: Of the 41 participants, before intervention exposure participants were familiar or had used skin-to-skin care (n = 33), breastfeeding (n = 30) and sucrose (n = 13) as pain management. Most participants (n = 38) desired more information on how to be involved. Providing access to Parenting Pain Away during pregnancy was supported and participants ranked the website above average using the System Usability Scale. Parenting Pain Away did not have a statistically significant influence on outcomes. Participants reported variation in clinical support with parent-led pain management.
CONCLUSIONS: A multifaceted approach is recommended to maintain infant procedural pain management.
UNASSIGNED: Equipping parents with knowledge related to infant pain management using an eHealth approach satisfied their information desires. The study findings are important considerations for perinatal care providers, policy makers, and families to finally achieve adequate procedural pain management.
UNASSIGNED: This study used the STROBE checklist, adhering to EQUATOR guidelines.
UNASSIGNED: A stakeholder group (expectant parents, parents, perinatal researchers, clinicians, and administrators) was created to inform the study design and intervention.

(1) Pregnancy surveillance nursing consultations in the pandemic context have undergone some changes, namely the restriction of accompanying persons. In this sense, assessing the knowledge acquired by parents in pregnancy surveillance is of great importance. Since there are no studies on the subject in the period before the pandemic, we will only assess the knowledge acquired by parents in pregnancy monitoring. (2) For this reason, the aim of our study is to evaluate the knowledge acquired by parents in pregnancy surveillance. (3) This study is descriptive, cross-sectional and quantitative in nature, with a sample of 196 couples. A questionnaire was administered about the knowledge acquired by parents in pregnancy surveillance nursing consultations. (4) Pregnant mothers and their partners reported having some knowledge. The classification was assessed using a questionnaire with quantifiable response options from 1 to 5 points. Items with a score of 1 indicate a low level of knowledge and 5 indicates a higher level of knowledge. (5) We can verify that the level of knowledge acquired by the pregnant mother during the pregnancy surveillance nursing consultation is higher than the level of knowledge acquired by the father during the same consultation. Most parents consider it important to receive information through the pregnancy surveillance nursing consultations carried out by Maternal and Obstetric Health Nurse Specialists (midwives).

Background: The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine revised the 2015 version of this clinical protocol to review the evidence and provide recommendations related to breastfeeding promotion in the prenatal period. Key Information: Promoting and normalizing breastfeeding in the prenatal period can improve breastfeeding outcomes including initiation and duration of breastfeeding. Ideally, prenatal interventions should be a part of a comprehensive longitudinal breastfeeding support program. Recommendations: Clinicians or other health workers should discuss breastfeeding at each prenatal visit. Counseling topics should include the health benefits of breastfeeding versus not breastfeeding, the basics of breastfeeding (e.g., physiology, positioning), what to expect of hospital-based and immediate postpartum breastfeeding support (i.e., Baby-Friendly Ten Steps), and the risks of unnecessary supplementation. Medical, anatomical, and other risk factors for breastfeeding challenges should be identified, and targeted anticipatory guidance should be given. Prenatal counseling should include distribution of structured breastfeeding education at low literacy levels and in the parent\'s preferred language. Counseling should be culturally sensitive and patient-centered, including family members when appropriate. Prenatal support may integrate various health workers (e.g., medical doctors, midwives, community health workers, lactation consultants, among others) and include various modalities including telecommunication. Enhancing breastfeeding education for prenatal care providers is also imperative. Additional themes related to implementation of recommendations for specific populations are also reviewed.

BACKGROUND: Recognizing the positive impact of movement and positions on labor progression and maternal and neonatal outcomes, there is a strong recommendation to empower women for active labor during antenatal education. This study investigates nurse-midwives\' interventions in empowering women for active labor, during antenatal education within primary healthcare settings.
METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted in Primary Healthcare Units that provide antenatal education for childbirth in Portugal. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 nurse-midwives between August and October 2023. Content analysis, utilizing NVIVO software, was employed for data analysis, and the study adhered to the COREQ reporting guidelines.
RESULTS: Six themes emerged: 1) Perspective of nurse-midwives and contextual influences; 2) Assessment of women\'s needs; 3) Enhancing women\'s knowledge; 4) Enhancing women\'s capabilities; 5) Supporting women in decision-making; and 6) Nurse-midwives\' perspective on intervention outcomes. It is necessary to create environments conducive to knowledge and skill acquisition and invest in developing body awareness and its impact on labor progression. Encouraging women\'s involvement in decision-making is crucial, especially in less flexible hospital environments.
CONCLUSIONS: This study highlighted the value nurse-midwives place on empowering women for active labor. Interventions featured sharing evidence-based practices and birth stories to foster reflection, emphasizing pelvic mobility training and partner involvement. Reflective practices could enable women to explore options and communicate effectively with healthcare professionals during labor.

BACKGROUND: Although prenatal care providers aim to prepare women for first childbirth, little research has explored retrospectively what birthing people would like to have known before first childbirth.
OBJECTIVE: To describe women\'s reports of what they would like to have known before first childbirth but feel they were not told.
METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of the First Baby Study, a large prospective cohort study conducted in Pennsylvania, USA. Telephone interviews were conducted with 3006 women 1 month after their first childbirth. Women were first asked: \"Was there anything that you would have liked to have known before your delivery that you were not told?\". If \"yes\" they were asked a second question: \"Please tell me what you would have liked to have known before your delivery\".
METHODS: A convergent mixed-methods analysis including descriptive analytics to compare characteristics of women by answers to the first question, and qualitative content analysis of women\'s open-ended answers to the second question.
RESULTS: A total of 441 women (14.7%) reported there was something they would like to have known before their first childbirth. Women described that communication with care providers was their main concern. They would have liked a better understanding of their options before birth, more agency in decision-making, and more information about the topics of their body, their birth, their baby, and what to expect beyond birth.
CONCLUSIONS: Results highlight important topics for childbirth education, and the impact of gaps in shared decision-making, patient-provider communication, and supportive care practices for first childbirth, especially where women have identified vulnerabilities.

OBJECTIVE: Health anxiety is a mental disorder that characterized by an excessive fear about health and physical symptoms. High anxiety in pregnancy is associated with adverse outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of prenatal education on health anxiety of primigravid women.
METHODS: The present study was quasi-experimental study. 122 primiparous pregnant women referred to comprehensive health services Shahrekord (A city in the southwest of Iran) clinics in 2019, after receiving consent to participate in the study, randomly divided into two intervention and control groups. The intervention group participated in 8 sessions (1.5-h), once every 2 weeks, from 20 to 37th weeks of gestation. The health anxiety questionnaire was completed on 20th (before the beginning of the courses), 28th and 37th weeks by two groups. Consequences of pregnancy included weight, Apgar score, delivery type, labor time and first breastfeeding time. SPSS version 16 software was used for data analysis.
RESULTS: No significant difference was found type of delivery, gestational age, height, weight, head length, Apgar score, duration of hospitalization and first breastfeeding time. The duration of the active and latent phase of labor was significantly lower and the weight of newborn was significantly higher in the intervention group than the control group (P < 0.05). At 37th week, the scores of illness concern, negative consequence and total health anxiety in the intervention group decreased by 3.42, 0.93 and 4.36 respectively and in control group increased by 2.82, 0.03 and 2.86.
CONCLUSIONS: Pregnancy educational courses has positive effects on health anxiety, decrease duration of labor time and increased newborn weight. In order to improve the outcome of pregnancy, educational classes during pregnancy should be considered.

The primary objective of prenatal education programs is to furnish expectant mothers with the necessary knowledge for childbirth and early parenting. Despite the extensive implementation of these programs, the efficacy of these interventions remains unclear. This systematic review endeavored to consolidate the extant evidence pertaining to the effects of prenatal education on birth outcomes and experiences. Fourteen studies, comprising various study designs executed across diverse countries, were incorporated in this review. The outcomes assessed in these studies encompassed fear and anxiety, pain, delivery mode, interventions, postpartum depression, and self-efficacy. Additionally, the risk of bias and study limitations were also summarized. The results manifested that prenatal education was effective in diminishing the fear and anxiety associated with childbirth and enhancing self-efficacy in the majority of the studies. Moreover, several studies found that engaging in prenatal education augmented the preference for unmedicated vaginal birth. However, the effects of prenatal education on postpartum outcomes were less consistent. The primary constraints of the included studies were their minute sample sizes and brief follow-up periods. Nonetheless, the existing evidence proposes that prenatal education is beneficial for first-time mothers in terms of alleviating anxiety and augmenting agency during delivery. Prenatal education can equip pregnant individuals with the necessary knowledge and skills to navigate the perinatal period successfully. Further research is requisite to identify the optimal practices for diverse populations on a global scale.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the factors influencing pregnant women\'s participation in perinatal education and their demand for educational courses.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study.
METHODS: Tertiary hospital in Suzhou, China, July-September 2022.
METHODS: Pregnant women from a general grade A tertiary hospital in Suzhou were recruited via online survey invitations during the specified period.
METHODS: A self-designed scale was used to evaluate pregnant women\'s demand for perinatal education. Multiple response sets were employed for the assessment of multiple-choice items and analyses included frequency and cross-tabulation. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the factors influencing pregnant women\'s participation in perinatal education.
RESULTS: The primary outcome measured was the demand for perinatal education among pregnant women.
RESULTS: A majority (53.8%) of pregnant women expressed a preference for a mixed teaching mode combining online and offline formats. Logistic regression analysis showed that education level significantly influenced pregnant women\'s participation in online learning. Specifically, women with higher education levels were more likely to participate actively in online courses. Additionally, compared with those with first-born children, pregnant women with second-born children participated less actively in online learning. Pregnant women in their second and third trimesters showed greater engagement in online learning compared with those in their first trimester.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that Chinese pregnant women\'s preferences for perinatal education are influenced by their educational background, pregnancy history and the mode of teaching employed. The variability in educational needs underscores the importance of regularly updating course content based on participant feedback.

Background and Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to assess the adherence of Ngäbe-Buglé women to WHO-recommended prenatal practices. The secondary objective was to compare adherence levels between women who received prenatal education from official medical providers and those educated through traditional or community-based sources within Ngäbe-Buglé communities. Materials and Methods: An eight-question survey was verbally administered to 137 Ngäbe-Buglé women at clinics set up by the non-profit NGO Floating Doctors in eight communities. A two-sided Fisher\'s Exact test with a p = 0.05 was used to compare the results of mothers who received prenatal education from evidence-based sources to other groups. Results: Out of the 137 surveyed women, 65 reported taking prenatal vitamins, 21 had prenatal check-ups, 136 avoided alcohol, 31 increased caloric intake, and 102 maintained their activity levels. Significant differences were observed in prenatal vitamin adherence between those educated by official sources versus unofficial sources (p = 0.0029) and official sources compared to those with no prenatal education (p < 0.0001). The difference was also significant for education from an unofficial source versus no education (p = 0.0056). However, no significant differences were found in other prenatal practices based on education sources. Conclusions: Our findings highlight deficiencies in both prenatal education and adherence to recommended practices among Ngäbe-Buglé women. Prenatal education significantly improved adherence to taking prenatal vitamins, suggesting its effectiveness as an intervention. Future interventions should prioritize culturally competent prenatal education and address barriers to accessing prenatal healthcare in Ngäbe-Buglé communities.