Written Informed Consent Form

The Holistic Postpartum Project Online Course

Holistic Postpartum: From healing to thriving

You are invited to be a part of this project trying to support mothers as they prepare for postpartum. The aim of this project is to integrate structured postpartum education into the standard of care, complementing the existing medical model to both prevent postpartum complications and optimize the health and well-being of mothers. This project offers an online holistic postpartum course covering the most common postpartum concerns and experiences, as well as foundational tools to help navigate the many changes that occur throughout the 4^th trimester. In addition, optional weekly virtual gatherings are available for mothers to meet in community after the birth of their babies.

You were selected to be a participant because you are:

• 18 years or older.
• A pregnant or newly postpartum mother.
• Have an established maternal healthcare provider.

Please read this form and ask any questions you may have before agreeing to be a part of this project. This project is part of April Chu’s final Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project. Dr. Kathleen Clark is the academic advisor for this project.

Procedures:

If you agree to be a part of this project you have access to the online course Holistic Postpartum: From healing to thriving. You will be asked to take a pre-course survey which will take approximately 10 minutes. This course is self-paced and includes a postpartum workbook for easy reference to course material. There are approximately 3-4 hours of video lessons, coupled with 3+ hours of expert interviews. At the end of the course, you will be asked to complete a post course survey that should take about 15 minutes to complete. In addition to the course, weekly 90-minute group virtual meetings will be offered starting in the postpartum period. These gatherings are optional, and it is your choice whether you decide to engage and share within the group setting.

Risks and Benefits of Being a Part of this Project:

This study has minimal risks. However, there is a small risk you may feel sensitive or emotional in response to certain topics. You are free to skip any part of this course you find distressing. You are free to withdraw from the course at any time.

The direct benefits participants may experience as a result of participating in this project include:

• Gaining health knowledge that may improve your postpartum recovery and experience.
• Having access to information and resources that may not be otherwise available.
• The possibility of feeling more prepared physically, mentally, and emotionally, for the postpartum transition.
• There is a possibility of improving your own health outcomes through the education and support provided by this project.

The indirect benefits to participation may include:

• A better understanding of postpartum care needs within the research community, healthcare systems, and by healthcare providers.

Confidentiality:

Any data collected throughout this project will be kept confidential, only to be viewed by the principal investigator conducting the project and her academic advisor as needed. All data will be stored on a secure, password-protected system and only accessible to the project team. Survey results in aggregate may be presented at conferences, written about in journal articles or reports, or used for future online recruitment purposes, but will not include any identifying information.

Voluntary Nature of the Project:

Participation is voluntary and can be terminated by you at any time. While it is encouraged for participants to complete the course in full in order to get the most benefit, nothing in this project is mandatory. You can skip any part of this course and/or withdraw yourself at anytime without impacting your current or future relations with Augsburg University or the project lead.

Contacts and Questions:

You may contact me at [email protected] with any questions or concerns. You may contact my academic advisor on this project if you need additional support at [email protected].

If you have questions about your rights as a participant in this project or want to discuss problems with the project from a research perspective please contact [email protected].

Participant Agreement and Group Guidelines:

By checking the box: "I have read and agree to the terms and conditions of this page as follows," I agree to the following:

I understand that I am free to skip any questions, tasks, or any other part of this course.

I understand that I am free to withdraw from this project at any time.

I understand that sharing is completely optional throughout the course and in the virtual meetups, and that I am free to participate at a level that feels comfortable for me.

I will respect the privacy of others and will not share any personal stories, names, or details outside of the group.

I understand that I am not allowed to copy or share information from this course. 

I have had my questions about the project answered

I have read the entirety of this form, and I consent to participate in this project.

I consent for anonymized quotes to be used as needed.