This study aimed to identify the components of care that midwives should provide in stay-type postpartum care. Focus group interviews were conducted with eight midwives, and responses were analyzed qualitatively inductively. The responses were summarized as follows: promotion of mothers’ physical recovery and response to sudden changes, support for mothers’ mental health and mother–child relationship, understanding and acceptance of mothers’ desire for care (“I want you to take care of me”), confirmation and understanding of how mothers were brought up, support for daily life considering balance between mothers’ physical and mental rest and childcare, consideration and support for breastfeeding for mothers, growth and development of the child by the mother and midwife, support for the mother to cope with her child’s crying, and support for mothers to live a confident and comfortable child-rearing life.The results of this study indicate that midwives who provide residential stay-type postpartum care should elicit the thoughts and ideas of mothers who turn to postpartum care facilities with translated challenges and share goals with them toward independent living.

Although there is a growing need in Japan for interprofessional work during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period in women of very advanced maternal age (VAMA), there is little accumulation of practical knowledge. This study aimed to explore the interprofessional work experiences of Japanese health-care professionals during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period in women of VAMA. A total of 32 professionals including 24 nurses, 7 physicians and 1 medical social worker participated in semi-structured interviews, and the content was analyzed. The experiences of these professionals were compiled into 10 themes, such as “utilization of an existing interprofessional collaboration system,” “smooth collaboration stemming from day-to-day interaction,” “collaboration based on diversity in women of VAMA,” and “seamless prenatal-to-postnatal collaboration.” Interprofessional work was smoothly practiced for VAMA women based on an existing perinatal care system. However, this study indicated there are issues up until the VAMA women’s first visit to a perinatal medical center and childcare period following discharge from the perinatal medical center.