Across Europe there are increasing numbers of migrant women who are of childbearing age. Migrant women are at risk of poorer pregnancy outcomes. Models of maternity care need to be designed to meet the needs of all women in society to ensure equitable access to services and to address health inequalities. To provide up-to-date systematic evidence on migrant women’s experiences of pregnancy, childbirth and maternity care in their destination European country. CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO and Scopus were searched for peer-reviewed articles published between 2007 and 2017. Qualitative and mixed-methods studies with a relevant qualitative component were considered for inclusion if they explored any aspect of migrant women's experiences of maternity care in Europe. Qualitative data were extracted and analysed using thematic synthesis. The search identified 7472 articles, of which 51 were eligible and included. Studies were conducted in 14 European countries and focused on women described as migrants, refugees or asylum seekers. Four overarching themes emerged: ‘Finding the way—the experience of navigating the system in a new place’, ‘We don't understand each other’, ‘The way you treat me matters’, and ‘My needs go beyond being pregnant’. Migrant women need culturally-competent healthcare providers who provide equitable, high quality and trauma-informed maternity care, undergirded by interdisciplinary and cross-agency team-working and continuity of care. New models of maternity care are needed which go beyond clinical care and address migrant women's unique socioeconomic and psychosocial needs.

Women from ethnic minority groups are at greater risk of developing mental health problems. Poor perinatal mental health impacts on maternal morbidity and mortality and can have a devastating impact on child and family wellbeing. It is important to ensure that services are designed to meet the unique needs of women from diverse backgrounds. The aim of the review was to explore ethnic minority women's experiences of perinatal mental ill health, help-seeking and perinatal mental health services in Europe. Searches included CINAHL, Maternity and Infant Care, MEDLINE and PsycINFO with no language or date restrictions. Additional literature was identified by searching reference lists of relevant studies. This was a mixed method systematic review. Study selection, appraisal and data extraction were conducted by two researchers independently. A convergent approach was adopted for the analysis and the data were synthesised thematically. The 15 eligible studies included women from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds and were all undertaken in the United Kingdom (UK). Seven overarching themes were identified; awareness and beliefs about mental health, isolation and seeking support, influence of culture, symptoms and coping strategies, accessing mental health services, experiences of mental health services and what women want. Lack of awareness about mental ill health, cultural expectations, ongoing stigma, culturally insensitive and fragmented health services and interactions with culturally incompetent and dismissive health providers all impact on ethnic minority women's ability to receive adequate perinatal mental health support in the UK. Future research should focus on in-depth exploration of the experiences of these women across multiple European settings and interventions to reduce health inequalities among vulnerable mothers and families affected by perinatal mental ill health.

Twenty percent of pregnant women in the UK are obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2), reflecting the growing public health challenge of obesity in the 21st century. Obesity increases the risk of adverse outcomes during pregnancy and birth and has significant cost implications for maternity services. Gestational weight management strategies are a high priority; however the evidence for effective, feasible and acceptable weight control interventions is limited and inconclusive. This qualitative study explored the experiences and perceptions of pregnant women and midwives regarding existing support for weight management in pregnancy and their ideas for service development.

Many women associate one or more of their pregnancies with the development of adult obesity. Such an association has not been fully explored. This longitudinal study examines the changes in maternal anthropometric indices during pregnancy and postpartum. Seventy-seven pregnant subjects were investigated longitudinally at about 13, 25 and 36 weeks gestation, of whom forty-seven continued taking part into the postpartum period. Maternal weight, height and skinfold thickness (triceps, biceps, subscapular, suprailiac and mid thigh) were measured at each visit. Maternal fat mass was estimated from the conversion of the first four skinfold thicknesses. Maternal waist and hip circumferences were also measured at the first visit and 6 weeks and 6 months postpartum. Weight and fat gain during pregnancy (13–36 weeks gestation) was 10·9 (SD 4·7) KG AND 4·6 (sd 3·3) kg (P< 0·001) respectively. A significant increase in fat mass from 13 weeks gestation to 6-months postpartum was observed (2·6 (sd 4·5),P< 0·001). The increased weight at 6-months postpartum, however, was not statistically significant (1·1 (sd 6·0) kg,P= 0·20). Based on BMI in early pregnancy, the subjects were divided into groups of underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese. The last three groups were compared using ANOVA. The obese group showed a significant difference in the pattern of changes in the skinfold thickness, waist: hip ratio and fat mass at the postpartum period, in comparison with the other two groups. In conclusion, there is a tendency in the obese group to develop central obesity at the postpartum period.