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Table 2 The burden of responsibility

From: “They turn to you first for everything”: insights into midwives’ perspectives of providing physical activity advice and guidance to pregnant women

Raw data example

Subtheme

Theme

“I do, I think, umm, we are ideally placed to give that information particularly at the booking appointment; we’ve got the time capacity to do it. But I don’t think we’re fully, umm, equipped with the information really. Umm, and like he said, you know, you mentioned earlier, there are women that do, you know, variable things, you know, various things and they come to us for that information and I haven’t got the answer.” [Lucy]

Subtheme 1:

Midwives are ideally placed to provide physical activity advice and guidance.

Theme 2:

The burden of responsibility.

“Sometimes it’s the women’s perception, because they’ve got to take responsibility themselves at some point, but they seem to think the midwife will do it all. The midwife to do all their appointments, the midwife will get this, the midwife will do that, and it’s, it’s difficult for them to understand that we can signpost, we can give information or we can say yes or no, which is best, but it’s up to them to actually go to the stop smoking course, go to the, umm, Children’s Centres and learn about diet and things like that, and a lot of them what might be a 5 minute chat when I think I’m giving information about how good the benefits is to walk or swim, they might not, may not even perceive that as anything to do with exercise.” [Sue]

Subtheme 2:

Pregnant women fail to take responsibility for themselves.

“… I wouldn’t really advise them personally on anything, because I don’t know what is available and a lot of the, the women have come back and said, my gym instructor said ask the midwife, where I might have said to them you need to tell him you’re pregnant and they will tailor what’s suitable for you. But they don’t, they refer them back to us, so for me that’s quite a challenge on what is available out there for them when they’re pregnant.” [Tina]

Subtheme 3:

Passing the buck between exercise and health professionals.

“I, I think there should be preconception clinics, ideally, and that’s where you start the lifestyle change prior to the pregnancy, you know, and umm, talk to women about exercise then. And I think women who are wanting to conceive are going to do everything to make themselves healthy cause they want the baby. And I know you’ve got women who don’t plan pregnancies, you know, but I think if you could have, you know, ‘Well Women’ clinics up and running, you know.” [Anne]

Subtheme 4:

Lifestyle change should start with preconception clinics