Barriers preventing Australian midwives from providing antenatal asthma management

International guidelines indicate that management of asthma during pregnancy should be multidisciplinary; however, the role of midwives has not been researched. Method: A qualitative descriptive study exploring Australian midwives' current knowledge about asthma in pregnancy and their perceived role in antenatal asthma management was conducted, involving individual semi-structured in-depth interviews with 13 midwives in a tertiary referral hospital. Data were analysed using Morse and Field's four-stage process. Findings: Midwives identified barriers preventing them from providing antenatal asthma management, including: lack of knowledge about asthma in pregnancy; time constraints; women's knowledge about asthma in pregnancy; lack of a clear referral pathway; and lack of accessible asthma management equipment. Barriers were influenced by the institutional context in which the midwives worked. Conclusion: While participants identified barriers preventing them from providing recommended antenatal asthma management, they also suggested that improving their knowledge about asthma in pregnancy and developing a clear referral pathway may be beneficial.