Staff profile

Dr Helen McLachlan

Associate Professor

Faculty of Health Sciences

School of Nursing and Midwifery
Department of Midwifery
Mother and Child Health Research Centre

Room 302, George Singer Building, Melbourne (Bundoora)

 

Qualifications

2003 - PhD La Trobe University, 1994 - Master of Nursing Studies, Deakin University, 1991 - Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Nursing (Midwifery), La Trobe University,1990 - Bachelor of Nursing, Deakin University

Area of study

Midwifery

Brief profile

Helen McLachlan has a clinical and research background in midwifery. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Midwifery and at  Mother & Child Health Research, La Trobe University. Her research interests include  models of maternity care including caseload midwifery and homebirth, postnatal care,  and breastfeeding. She has conducted studies using a variety of research designs (eg RCTs, surveys, focus groups). Her major teaching area is postnatal care.

Research interests

Midwifery

- Models of care, homebirth, caseload midwifery, breastfeeding, postnatal care

Perinatal and Child Health

- Maternity care

Teaching units

Midwifery, primarily postnatal care

Recent publications

McLachlan HL, Forster DA, Davey MA, Farrell T, Gold L, Biro MA, Albers L, Flood M, Oats J, Waldenström U. Effects of continuity of care by a primary midwife (caseload midwifery) on caesarean section rates in women of low obstetric risk: the COSMOS randomised controlled trial. BJOG. Online 26th July 2012. DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2012.03446.x  

Rayner J, McLachlan H, Forster D, Peters L. Care providers' views and experiences of postnatal care in private hospitals in Victoria. Australia. Accepted 13th May 2012, Midwifery.  

Morrow J, McLachlan H, Forster D, Newton M. Redesigning postnatal care: exploring the views and experiences of midwives. Midwifery. Epub doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2011.11.006.  

Forster D, Newton M, McLachlan H, Willis K. Exploring implementation and sustainability of models of care: can theory help? BMC Public Health. 2011, 11(Suppl 5):S8.  

Shafiei T, Small R, McLachlan H. Women's views and experiences of maternity care: a study of immigrant Afghan women in Melbourne, Australia. Midwifery April 2011. Epub.

McLachlan H, Forster D, Ford R Farrell T,. Addressing the midwifery workforce crisis: evaluating an employment model for undergraduate student midwives at a tertiary maternity hospital in Melbourne Australia. Women and Birth Published. Women and Birth (2011) 24, 173—179.  

McLachlan H, Forster D, Collins R, Gunn J, Hegarty K. Identifying and supporting women with psychosocial issues during the postnatal period: evaluating an educational intervention for midwives using a before and after survey. 2011 Oct;27(5):723-30.

Forster D,McLachlan H. Women’s views and experiences of breastfeeding: positive, negative, or just good for the baby? Midwifery 2010. 26 (1):116-125. JIF 1.04. Citations: 1.   Rayner JA, Forster D, McLachlan HL, Kealy M, Pirotta M. Women's use of complementary medicine to enhance fertility: The views of fertility specialists in Victoria, Australia. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2010 Jun;50(3):305.   

Rayner J, McLachlan H, Forster DA, Peters L, Yelland J. A statewide review of postnatal care in private hospitals in Victoria, Australia.BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2010 May 28;10:26. 

McLachlan H, Forster D. The safety of home birth: is the evidence good enough? CMAJ. 2009 Sep 15;181(6-7):359-60. (Invited commentary). 

McLachlan H, Gold L, Forster D, Yelland J, Rayner, J, Rayner S. Women's views of postnatal care in the context of the increasing pressure on postnatal beds in Australia Women and Birth 2009. 22, 128-133.

Rayner J, McLachlan H,   Forster D, Cramer R. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2009 Dec 15;9:52. JIF 1.94   McLachlan H, Forster D, Davey MA, Lumley J, Farrell T, Oats J, Gold L, Waldenström U, Albers L, Biro M. COSMOS: COmparing Standard Maternity care with One-to-one midwifery Support: a randomised controlled trial. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2008, August 5; 8:35.

Forster D, McLachlan H, Rayner J, Yelland J, Gold L, Rayner S. The early postnatal period: exploring women’s views, expectations and experiences of care using focus groups in Victoria, Australia. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2008, Jul 22; 8:27.

McLachlan HL, Forster DA, Yelland J, Rayner J, Lumley J. Is the organisation and structure of hospital postnatal care a barrier to quality care? Findings from a state-wide review in Victoria, Australia. Midwifery 2008 Sep; 24(3):358-70.

Rayner J, Forster D, McLachlan H, Yelland J, Davey M-A. A state-wide review of hospital postnatal care in Victoria. The views and experiences of midwives. Midwifery, 2008 Sep; 24(3):310-20. 

Amir LH, Forster DA, Lumley J, McLachlan H. A descriptive study of mastitis in Australian breastfeeding women: incidence and determinants. BMC Public Health. 2007, 7:62. 

 Forster Della A, McLachlan Helen L Breastfeeding initiation: do practices in the birth setting make a difference? Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health. 2007 May-Jun;52(3):273-80 (Invited paper). 

Yelland J, McLachlan H, Forster D, Rayner J, Lumley J. How is maternal psychosocial health assessed and promoted in the early postnatal period? Findings from a review of hospital postnatal care in Victoria, Australia, Midwifery (2007) 23, 287–297. 

Forster D, McLachlan H, Lumley J. Factors associated with continuing to feed any breast milk at six months postpartum in a group of Australian women. BMC Int Breastfeed J. 2006

McLachlan H, Forster D. Initial breastfeeding attitudes and practices of women born in Turkey, Vietnam and Australia after giving birth in Australia. BMC Int Breastfeed J. 2006, 1:7 (7 April 2006). 

Forster DA, McLachlan HL, Yelland J, Rayner J, Lumley J, Davey M-A, Staffing in postnatal units: is it adequate for the provision of quality care? Staff perspectives from a state-wide review of postnatal care in Victoria, Australia. BMC Health Services Research, 2006;6:83 (4 July).  

McLachlan H, Waldenström U. Childbirth experiences in Australia of women born in Turkey, Vietnam and Australia. Birth, 2005; 32(4):272-282. 

Forster D, McLachlan H, Lumley J, Beanland C, Waldenström U, Amir L. Two mid-pregnancy interventions to increase the initiation and duration of breastfeeding: a randomized controlled trial. Birth 2004;31(3):176-182.

Amir L, Forster D, McLachlan H, Lumley J. Incidence of breast abscess in lactating women: report from an Australian cohort. BJOG December 2004; 111 (12): 1378-1381.

Forster D, McLachlan H, Lumley J, Beanland C, Waldenström U, Harris H, Earl D, Dyson K. Trial Protocol. ABFAB. Attachment to the breast and family attitudes to breastfeeding. The effect of breastfeeding education in the middle of pregnancy on the duration of breastfeeding: a randomised controlled trial. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2003, 3:5 (29 August 2003). 

Waldenstrom,U., McLachlan,H., Forster,D., Brennecke,S., Brown,S. (2001) Team Midwife Care: Maternal and infant outcomes. ANZJOG, 41, August, 257-268. 

Waldenstrom,U., Brown,S,. McLachlan,H., Forster,D., Brennecke,S. (2000) Does team midwife care increase satisfaction with antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care? A randomized controlled trial. Birth, 27, 3, 156-167.

McLachlan H, Forster D. Chapter 21 - Infant feeding following migration: attitudes and practices of women born in Turkey and Vietnam after migration to Australia in Liamputtong, P. (Ed.). 2011. Infant Feeding Practices: A Cross-Cultural Perspective. Springer: New York. Pp 337-356.