We made this questionnaire survey in order to inquire into the prospects for the future activitiesof midwives (also nurse-midwives) in practice, and to clarify the difference in opinions betweenmidwives and other professionals working in reated areas. The survey was made on 418 medical professionals, made up of:(1) Midwives in practice: 55 persons (2) Midwives working for institutions: 174 persons (3) Nurses and public health nurses: 64 persons (4) Trainers of midwifery and nursing: 71 persons (5) Doctors: 54 persons The questionnaire consisted of 25 questions focusing on three points, namely, review on thecurrent activities of midwives in practice, possibility of new activities by midwives in practice, andactivities to secure the quality of health care. The results have been evaluated into five gradesaccording to the SD method. The results showed that all the groups supported the“ promotion of breast-feeding”, the“preparatoryeducation for labor and delivery”, the“community counselling on infant rearing” and the“consistent and conti nuing education” as worthwhile care particularly expected from midwives, andall regard these subjects as major challenges of future midwifery.On the other hand, the“assistance of low risk natural parturition”, and “support at malpractice”were strongly supported only by midwives in practice, midwives working for institutions, andeducation groups. We found no difference among the three midwife groups by the factor analysis. There was substantial opposition from the doctor group against expanding midwifery activities toperipheral areas in addition to parturition period care.

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The quality of labor pain in primiparas and multiparas was systematically assessed on 41 primiparas and 64 multiparas when the cervix was dilated 0-3cm, 4-7cm, 8-9cm and Stage II of laborby the Mc Gill Pain Questionnaire which consists of 4 descriptions-sensory, affective, evaluative and miscellaneous.
The findings of this study are summarized as follows.
1. Except for evaluative description of Stage II, the descriptions in all four stages of labor pain was more intense for primiparas than for multiparas. Especially primiparas had significantly more pain at the 4-7cm and 8-9cm dilated stages than multiparas.
2. Characteristic words were reported for each stage of labor, so the qualities of pain were class fied into 0-7cm, 8-9cm dilated stages and Stage II.
3. The quality of labor pain was not a sharp pain, but a dull pain.
The assessment of the quality of labor pain hasbeen suggested to be useful in the judgment of progression of labor and for improvement in the quality care of women in labor.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the student's actual state of stress and coping process experienced in the maternal nursing practice.
The study was performed using the stress scale and the questionnaire on 96 nursing students during the practice.
(1) The stress of the students before the practice in the morning was statistically higher than after the practice in the evening.
(2) There are many various changing patterns of the stress value, increasing, decreasing, or nonchanging along with the day time.
(3) Students recognized that they experienced to feel stress as (1) the bodily disconfort, (2) the difference sensation from everyday physical feeling, (3) the unusual emotion such as negative, depressive, positive, agressive emotion, (4) the unusual action in their own behavior.
(4) Stressors of students in the maternal nursing practice were:(1) new experience, new practice, (2) task to write report, (3) personal matters, (4) relationship with stuff in the ward of the hospital, (5) relationship with the patient, (6) relationship with teachers.
(5) The students who tried to make efforts for coping stress were gradually decreased after the middle of the practice seminar schedule. There were emotion-focused forms of coping, problem-focused forms of coping and emotion and problem-focused coping. The temporarily avoidance, indirectly supplement and dependence seem to be characteristics copingstress of students during practice.
(6) The students who said to influence ontheir practice were gradually decreased after the middle of the practice schedule.
Those who were in fluenced positively changed better their schedules of stress, where as those who were in fluenced negatively, other neutral can't decision either positive or negative.
(7) There were high correlation with the students who tried to make efforts for coping stress, and to feel in fluence on thetheir practice.

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This study was under taken to determine how women who are in the crisis situation of threatend abortion accept and cope with this event, to clarify the objects and content of psychological loss and to identify the various factors influencing this loss up through recovery. We conducted a qualitative analysis on 6 women hospitalized for threatend abortion, using semi-structured interviewsduring early pregnacy, late pregnancy and postpartum (up to 2 months after the birth).
Our results showed that the appearance of symptoms of threatend abortion or the ensuing hospitalization had given the women a pessimistic expectation regarding the continuation of the pregnancy (the viability of the fetus), and the women hadtemporarily lasped into a crisis situation. The women felt an incompleteness in themselves due to thier sudden deviation from the normal course of pregnacy. With the alleviation of the symptoms and the confirmation that the fetus was alive and growing, women recovered from this state of crisis. During their hospital stay, the restrictions associated with their medications and confinement to rest caused women physical and mental stress. The women experienced grief as a result of losing a previous life style, role, and job, and of being separated from close companions. Assistance from medical practitioners, family, friends and roommates helped to reduce the sense of psychological loss. The women's fears during their hospital stay that the fetus might have abnormalities continued until after the birth when the baby's complete normality confirmed. The experience of threatened abortion during early pregnancy faded with the passage of time. It became categorized as a“matter of the past ” especially with the completion of a safe birth and normal development of the baby.

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