Women's experience of unplanned out-of-hospital birth in Sweden - a phenomenological description.
Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare · 2015-06-25 · Qualitative study
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Between 0.5 and 2 percent of women planning to give birth in a hospital environment in Sweden will have an unplanned out-of-hospital birth. Few studies have described mothers' experiences of out-of-hospital births and none on a Swedish population. In an attempt to fill this gap, we have made this pilot study designed to capture mothers' experiences of unplanned out-of-hospital births in Sweden. METHOD: Qualitative interviews with eight Swedish women, one to three years after they experienced an unplanned out-of-hospital birth. Data were analysed using the method of phenomenological description. RESULTS: The meaning of giving unplanned birth outside a hospital environment was "The lived experience of a pendular movement between the good fortune and pride in managing the situation and the fear of what could have happened when giving unplanned birth outside a hospital environment." In the analysis two clusters emerged that supported the essence: Balancing Emotions and Handling Unfamiliar Actions. CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to an understanding of the natural processes when giving birth. The findings can be useful when communicating the experience of unplanned out-of-hospital birth to parents in antenatal classes. The women could be encouraged to listen and trust their own body signs as a preparation for giving birth in any type of setting. Guidelines for taking care of women with out-of-hospital birth experiences are suggested.
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Tags
Pregnant patients · Patient experience
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