The effect of implementing the continuous care model by midwifery students during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum on childbirth experience, fear of childbirth, and postpartum depression

To determine the effect of implementing the continuous care model by midwifery students during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum on childbirth experience, fear of childbirth, and postpartum depression

A randomized clinical controlled trial with two parallel arms, with no blinding, on 92 participants. The allocation sequence will be generated through individual stratified (based on 1st or 2nd-3rd birth order) block randomization with randomly varied block sizes of four and six, and an allocation ratio of 1:1 using a computer program. The central method will be used for the allocation concealment.

The continuous care will be at least two in-person visits and a required number of virtual consultations during pregnancy, attending labor and delivery, an in-person visit after delivery, and at least three postpartum virtual consultations provided by Tabriz sixth/seventh-semester midwifery students

Inclusion criteria: gestational age 26 to 29 weeks; single pregnancy; maximum history of two births; no underlying disease; no pregnancy complications; no high-risk pregnancy; a minimum of secondary education; willingness to give birth in one of Tabriz Government Hospitals. Exclusion criteria: history of cesarean section; willingness to elective cesarean section; lack of access to smartphones and the internet; major known abnormalities in the fetus; occurrence of stressful events in the last three months; simultaneous participation in another trial

The intervention group will receive continuous care provided by midwifery students from pregnancy to six weeks after delivery, in addition to routine care. The control group will receive only routine care during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

Scores of fear of childbirth; childbirth experienceو and postpartum depression

Participating pregnant women will be randomized into two groups, receiving continuous care by midwifery students or control. The allocation sequence will be generated by a person not involved in the recruitment and data collection through stratified (based on 1st or 2nd-3rd birth order) block randomization with randomly varied block sizes of four and six, and an allocation ratio of 1:1 using a computer program. Central allocation (phone) will be used for the allocation concealment. Simple randomization will be used to determine the sequence of assigning the participating women to midwifery students. Two pregnant women will be assigned to each student (as primary caregivers) and each student will support another student who provides care for two other women.

All deidentified IPD can be shared.

Starting soon after the publication of the study results.

Data will be available for researchers working in academic institutions, as well as to the chief editor and reviewers of the submitted manuscript.

The data will be available to researchers upon request and submission of the proposal to perform a meta-analysis using IPD. Also, in exceptional cases, data will be made available to the chief editor of the journals for checking.

Refer to the email addresses (alizades@tbzmed.ac.ir)

The requests should be sent by email and data will be available within two weeks.