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The Faculty
The University
 
 
 
Helen McLachlan
RN, GradDipAdvNurs(Mid), MNursStud, PhD

Associate Professor

 
Email: h.mclachlan@latrobe.edu.au
Telephone: +61 3 9479 5955
Fax: +61 3 9479 5988
 

Helen McLachlan has a clinical and research background in midwifery. She is an Associate Professor at Mother and Child Health Research and in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University. Her research interests include models of maternity care, postnatal care, cultural aspects of childbirth (PhD thesis), postnatal depression and breastfeeding. She has conducted studies using a variety of research designs (eg RCTs, surveys, focus groups). Her major teaching areas include pregnancy and postnatal care.
 
MAJOR RESEARCH INTERESTS
 
  • Midwifery models of care including caseload and team midwifery
  • Breastfeeding
  • Postnatal care
 
CURRENT PROJECTS
 

SILC: Supporting breastfeeding In Local Communities – a cluster randomised trial (ACTRN12611000898954)
Team: Helen McLachlan, Lisa Amir, Della Forster, Rhonda Small, Meabh Cullinane, Touran Shafiei
Funding: Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
Status: Ethics approvals sought, project development in progress
 

Evaluation of Victorian Homebirthing Pilots
Team:

Associate Professor Helen McLachlan, Dr Della Forster, Professor Rhonda Small, Dr Mary-Ann Davey, Dr Fiona Cullinane, Dr Arthur Hseuh, Ms Michelle Newton, Dr Heather McKay
Funding: Victorian Department of Health
Status:

Data collection
 

Caseload midwifery for women at low risk of medical complications: a randomised controlled trial (COSMOS)
Team:

Dr Helen McLachlan, Dr Della Forster, Ms Mary-Anne Davey, Prof Judith Lumley, Ms Tanya Farrell, Prof Jeremy Oats, Ms Lisa Gold, Prof Ulla Waldenstrom, Prof Leah Albers. Project coordinator: Maggie Flood. PhD student: Michelle Newton
Funding: NHMRC
Status:

Data analysis

 

MILC: Mothers and Infants Lactation Cohort study
MILC (mothers’ and infants’ lactation cohort): a multi-site study
Team:

Della Forster, Lisa Amir and Helen McLachlan, in collaboration with Anita Moorhead, Helene Johns and Rachael Ford (Royal Women’s Hospital), Kerri McEgan (Mercy Hospital for Women), and Chris Scott (Frances Perry House) and Kinga Pemo (Division of Nursing and Midwifery La Trobe University)
Funding:

La Trobe University Faculty Grant
Status:

Two of three components completed. Minor thesis submitted (KP). Cohort study: recruitment and data collection commenced. Paper from first two components in preparation
 

WAVE. Women’s and staff views: an evaluation of maternity care at Barwon Health

Team:

Helen McLachlan, Della Forster, Mary-Ann Davey, Therese Cotter, Jenny Kelly. PhD students: Jane Morrow and Michelle Newton
Funding:

Department of Human Services Victoria and Barwon Health
Status:

Data analysis

 

A review of home-based postnatal care in Victoria
Team:

Helen McLachlan, Della Forster, Heather McKay, Rachael Ford, Harriet Morton in collaboration with Tanya Farrell and Jen Hocking. The Royal Women’s Hospital
Funding:

Faculty of Health Sciences research grant, 2008
Status:

Data collection
 
PUBLICATIONS (Selected)
 
Refereed Journal Articles
 

McLachlan H, Forster D. Chapter 20 - Infant feeding following migration: attitudes and practices of women born in Turkey and Vietnam after migration to Australia in Liamputtong, P. (Ed.) (2010). Infant Feeding Practices: A Cross-Cultural Perspective. Springer: New York.

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

McLachlan H, Forster D, Farrell T, Ford R. Addressing the midwifery workforce crisis: evaluating an employment model for undergraduate student midwives at a tertiary maternity hospital in Melbourne Australia. In press. 4th December 2010. Women and Birth.

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. Accepted Midwifery January 6 2010.

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.

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. JIF 1.139. Citations 2.

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. JIF 1.172

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. What are the views and experiences of midwives working in hospital based postnatal care? Findings from a state-wide review of hospital postnatal care in Victoria, Australia. Midwifery, 2008 Sep; 24(3):310-20.

Forster D, McLachlan H. Women’s views and experiences of breastfeeding: positive, negative, or just good for the baby? In press, Midwifery. Accepted for publication 16th May 2008.

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. Int Breastfeed J. 2006, 1:18.

McLachlan H, Forster D. Initial breastfeeding attitudes and practices of women born in Turkey, Vietnam and Australia after giving birth in Australia. BMC International Breastfeeding Journal 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.
 
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Content Approved by: Director, Mother and Child Health Research
Page maintained by: Administrator
Last Updated: September 12, 2011