Journal article
Women's descriptions of childbirth trauma relating to care provider actions and interactions
BMC pregnancy and childbirth, Vol.17, 21
2017
Abstract
Background: Many women experience psychological trauma during birth. A traumatic birth can impact on postnatal mental health and family relationships. It is important to understand how interpersonal factors influence women's experience of trauma in order to inform the development of care that promotes optimal psychosocial outcomes. Methods: As part of a large mixed methods study, 748 women completed an online survey and answered the question 'describe the birth trauma experience, and what you found traumatising'. Data relating to care provider actions and interactions were analysed using a six-phase inductive thematic analysis process. Results: Four themes were identified in the data: 'prioritising the care provider's agenda'; 'disregarding embodied knowledge'; 'lies and threats'; and 'violation'. Women felt that care providers prioritised their own agendas over the needs of the woman. This could result in unnecessary intervention as care providers attempted to alter the birth process to meet their own preferences. In some cases, women became learning resources for hospital staff to observe or practice on. Women's own embodied knowledge about labour progress and fetal wellbeing was disregarded in favour of care provider's clinical assessments. Care providers used lies and threats to coerce women into complying with procedures. In particular, these lies and threats related to the wellbeing of the baby. Women also described actions that were abusive and violent. For some women these actions triggered memories of sexual assault. Conclusion: Care provider actions and interactions can influence women's experience of trauma during birth. It is necessary to address interpersonal birth trauma on both a macro and micro level. Maternity service development and provision needs to be underpinned by a paradigm and framework that prioritises both the physical and emotional needs of women. Care providers require training and support to minimise interpersonal birth trauma. © 2017 The Author(s).
Details
- Title
- Women's descriptions of childbirth trauma relating to care provider actions and interactions
- Authors
- Rachel Reed (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and EngineeringRachael Sharman (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and EngineeringChristian Inglis (Author) - University of Notre Dame
- Publication details
- BMC pregnancy and childbirth, Vol.17, 21; 10
- Publisher
- BioMed Central Ltd.
- Date published
- 2017
- DOI
- 10.1186/s12884-016-1197-0
- ISSN
- 1471-2393
- Copyright note
- Copyright © The Author(s). 2017 Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Social Sciences - Legacy; School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine - Legacy; School of Health - Psychology; School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99450808902621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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- Domestic collaboration
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- Obstetrics & Gynecology
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