Ingegerd Hildingsson

Ingegerd Hildingsson is a Senior Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Mid Sweden University (HOV), specializing in midwifery and maternal health. Her work focuses on improving birth experiences, addressing fear of childbirth, and evaluating continuity of care models, particularly for rural and at-risk populations. She has led extensive research on postnatal care, breastfeeding self-efficacy, and parental stress, contributing to understanding emotional well-being during pregnancy and postpartum. Hildingsson's studies often employ mixed-methods approaches, including cluster analyses, longitudinal surveys, and qualitative interviews, across Nordic and international contexts.

• Key research areas: Midwifery, maternal mental health, continuity of care, fear of childbirth, postnatal support
• Collaborators: Maria Johansson, Helena Fahlbeck, Birgitta Larsson, Anna-Karin Karlström
• Methodologies: Cluster analysis, psychometric evaluation, qualitative synthesis, comparative cohort studies

Recent publications examine burnout trends in Swedish midwives, women's desire for known midwives, digital continuity models for fear of birth, and psychometric validation of midwifery tools. She has also contributed to understanding stillbirth experiences and child-free life choices in Sweden. Her work emphasizes patient-centered care, midwifery empowerment, and cross-cultural comparisons between Sweden, Australia, and Iceland.

Projects include the Children and Youth Center in Västernorrland and evaluations of home birth risks. Hildingsson has developed tools like the Swedish versions of the Fear of Birth Scale and Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, advancing clinical practice and research reliability.