Ms. Margaret Dunlea

Summary

I used a critical institutional ethnography with a feminist perspective, framed by Dorothy Smith, drawing on Foucault's critique of power/knowledge. This reflects a critical interpretive ontology and epistemology which assumes that realities are socially constructed, context-specific and relational. How the biomedical model is perpetuated, the broader organizational and institutional processes embedded in power relations that impact its perpetuation, and how this in turn impacts childbearing women's experiences were explored. A central finding was a strong resistance to change from what is currently a dominant, highly interventionist, biomedical model of care, despite mounting evidence supporting alternative models of care. My research findings, therefore, are crucial to a better understanding of why the maternity service are so resistant to change. It is hoped that by raising awareness of my research findings and making these institutional processes, that often remain unknown visible among policy makers, healthcare providers, childbearing women and midwifery students, it may offer a means to successfully bring about whole systems change in the provision of the maternity services in Ireland, at both national policy and legislation level and local practitioner level. Revisions are just completed and dissemination of findings has begun.

Funding Agency

Stipent TCD

Project Type

PhD

Summary

The book chapter explores why male-oriented authority, widely accepted in 1950s Ireland, continues to dominate the organisation and provision of maternity services today. The authors argue that medical entrenchment of maternity care is linked to the shift from home to hospital birth, and this in turn is linked to the introduction of state-run maternity services with The Maternity and Child Health Services Regulations (1953). Following the legacy of male-orientated authoritative knowledge embedded in 1950s Ireland, the Irish state has continued to fully accepts obstetric authority, as the sole authority on maternity care, despite major changes in the status of women In Ireland. The 1953 Act was operationalised as the Combined Care Scheme (Health Act 1970), and prioritised hospital obstetric care over community midwife/GP based home birth. Publicly funded maternity services continue to limit midwifery autonomy while allowing private obstetric care to flourish within the same complexes of the 19 publicly funded maternity units across the country. The recent call from elite obstetricians in the voluntary hospitals to expand the Mastership governance structures to all maternity hospitals across the country, exemplifies their motivation to protect their vested interests, in the face of alternative models of maternity care emerging, that might challenge their hierarchal position within these state-run institutional structures.

Project Type

Book chapter

Summary

The Government of Ireland passed a Health and Wellbeing (Workplace Wellbeing) Bill in 2015. Subsequently the Healthy Trinity initiative was commenced, and it was decided to embed health into all aspects of campus culture, across the administration, operations, student and staff services. Trinity is a Breastfeeding Friendly Campus and supports breastfeeding as a normal way to feed babies. Breastfeeding rooms were established across college in 2017. It is now time t evaluate these services. what is proposed is an online survey where participants will receive an email from the Secretary to college (Staff) and the TCDSU (students) with a link to the survey. The research aim is to survey the experiences of staff and students in using breastfeeding facilities on TCD Campus

Funding Agency

no

Project Type

Athena Swan Project

Person Months

5

Summary

I support the successful application to assist in financing the cost of a visit from Lactation consultant, speaker and creator of innovative breastfeeding education, Nancy Mohrbacher. Her mission is to simplify life for new families, many of whom--without realizing it--make breastfeeding more complicated than it needs to be. Prof Mohrbacher is a leading lactation consultant in the greater Chicago area (USA) with expertise in lactation. In 2008 the International Lactation Consultant Association officially recognized Nancy's contributions to the field of lactation by awarding her the designation FILCA (Fellow of the International Lactation Consultant Association). Nancy Mohrbacher was one of the first group of 16 to be recognized for their lifetime achievements in breastfeeding. She co-authored all three editions of The Breastfeeding Answer Book, a research-based counselling guide that sold more than 130,000 copies internationally. Her 'Natural Breastfeeding Professional Package' provides digital resources for professionals for staff training and one-on-one work with families. What is proposed is a two-day conference Including Public lecture, master class and workshop on laid back breastfeeding and biological nurturing, art exhibition in the long room hub, visit to the Book of Kells. The conference dates will coincide with National Breast feeding week.

Funding Agency

TCD Visiting Professor Fund

Person Months

2

Summary

we are currently in the process of registering our proposed qualitative evidence synthesis. A search strategy will be conducted using PICO and PRISMA research tools. This will be followed with thematic analysis and findings.

Project Type

Quantitative Evidence Synthesis

Person Months

5