Associate Prof. Yokote specializes in maternal nursing and midwifery research on care during cesarean delivery, trauma caused by childbirth, and the benefits of maternity/baby exercises.
Profile
Associate Professor Naomi Yokote graduated from the Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, with a Master’s degree in Health Sciences. She joined Chubu University as a research associate in 2006, when the Department of Nursing was established in the College of Life and Health Sciences. In 2009, she left Chubu University to work at the Japanese Red Cross Hiroshima College of Nursing as an associate professor in the Midwifery Course, before rejoining Chubu University in April 2011. She is currently an associate professor in the Department of Nursing, College of Life and Health Sciences.
Born in Kumamoto Prefecture, Associate Prof. Yokote’s favorite foods are horse sashimi, a Kumamoto specialty, and seasonal fruits that arrive from her parents’ home. She is part of a family of five: husband, mother-in-law, and two daughters. Her daughters love to read, and they have 260 picture books at home, which Associate Prof. Yokote wants them to have when they go off to get married.
Close up with Prof. Yokote!
In Japan, one in five babies is born through a Cesarean section(C-section), in which the mother’s abdomen is surgically cut open. Although this method is chosen for the safety of mother and newborn, it causes mothers physical and mental pain. I am researching nursing and midwifery care that minimizes this pain so that mothers can truly enjoy the birth and positively engage in parenting. Pregnant women can prepare themselves for an emergency C-section by learning about it at motherhood classes held by hospitals and local governments, and by considering alternative birth plans. I would like to continue my research in order to make as many expecting mothers aware of C-sections as possible and to create an environment where they can give birth with peace of mind.
“Preparing for the ‘What If’in Cildbirth:
Emergency Cesarean Sections.”
How did you start your research?
The hospital where I worked as a midwife had the third highest number of births in Japan, and I assisted in many deliveries. In some of them, the conditions for the baby were dangerous, and an emergency C-section was performed. An emergency C-section is very anxiety-provoking because the mother’s abdomen is cut when she is not prepared for it. I was concerned that this could lead to trauma caused by childbirth, so I began this research by talking to mothers who had given birth by emergency C-section.
Holding seminars on childcare
When I was pregnant with my first daughter, I became certified as a baby massage and exercise instructor. I used that certification to hold chaildcare seminars on campus with the goal of ‘making both mothers and babies happy,’ and this year we celebrated our 11th anniversary. I was happy to meet so many cute babies and wonderful mothers, but most of all, I was very happy to find out from the survey results that the risk of postpartum depression was lowered by participating in this seminar. The seminar was also a great opportunity for me to collaborate with professors and students from the Department of Early Childhood Education and the Department of Lifelong Sports and Health Sciences, and it was fun to make new discoveries each time. For example, the Department of Early Childhood Education held a lecture on early childhood education, such as what toys should be given to children at different ages, while the Department of Lifelong Sports and Health Sciences held a lecture on what to do in case of an emergency, such as when a baby accidentally swallows something, in an easy-to-understand manner. Through these seminars, I was very encouraged that the students demonstrated their expertise in their respective departments. In 2020 and 2021, I took on the challenge of conducting the seminars online, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was hard work to prepare for the seminar due to unfamiliar tasks, but it was very rewarding to hear positive feedback from mothers who attended, such as, “It was easy to see the small toys,” “My husband was able to participate,” and “I was able to participate in a relaxing way because I was at home.”
Leading the Overseas Nursing Study Program in Los Angeles
I led a 10-day nursing study program in Los Angeles, USA, which was attended by 20 third-year students of the Department of Nursing, from August 31 to September 9, 2019. The group stayed at California State University, Long Beach, and the students took English lessons, attended lectures on the American health care system, toured the School of Nursing’s practice rooms, and received mini lectures. On the last day, they visited St. Francis Medical Center, the second largest hospital in Los Angeles County, where they toured the emergency room, intensive care unit, and birth center, and one student gave a speech in English. It was a great experience for me to be able to enjoy the program while experiencing American society and culture with the students. I also had the opportunity to exchange opinions with local midwives about maternity care, my area of expertise, and I was able to rethink how care should be provided in Japan.
(Prof.Yokote is on the far left)
Student Life
The nursing program I joined was located within a comprehensive university, which was rare at that time. I made friends across a variety of faculties through participating in club activities and university festivals, and I was also a team assistant of the women’s basketball team. However, during the times when some of the basketball team members were participating in educational training, there were not enough players to participate in the games, so even though I was the assistant, I had to pick up the ball and join in. When the men’s basketball team and the women’s basketball team held joint training camps and field trips, I worked hard with the men’s basketball team assistants to arrange lodging and transportation for over 50 team members, coordinate schedules, and assist with practice sessions. I also studied hard to obtain teaching licenses as a nurse, school nurse, elementary, junior high, and high school health teacher, and associate nurse, all in four years. I think I did very well during my four years at university.
Message
As the uncertain future caused by COVID-19 continues, you may find yourself wondering if what you are doing now has any meaning at all. In such a case, it is a good idea to try anyway. Rather than wondering, try stepping forward. Even if you don’t get the results you expected, if you discover something, it is not a failure, but a success. So anyway, I want you to keep challenging.