Unit Catalogue

There has been a significant increase in the burden of disease related to chronic conditions in Australia. One in four women in Australia enter pregnancy with an identified chronic condition. It is important that midwives have an in-depth understanding of the most frequently occurring chronic conditions and the impact they have on pregnancy and how they are impacted by pregnancy. There is a risk that women's experience of pregnancy is reduced to the management of their medical condition and this is why, in this unit we will explore the importance of partnering with women to help them understand and manage their chronic condition in the changing landscape of pregnancy and the postnatal period but also to enable them to experience the normal aspects of their pregnancy alongside improving perinatal outcomes. This unit takes a primary healthcare approach to chronic disease management to reflect the importance of partnering with communities and families as well as the pregnant woman.