Black women perceptions regarding the birthing experience: A qualitative study

IF 2.6 3区医学 Q1 NURSING

Midwifery Pub Date : 2025-05-12 DOI:10.1016/j.midw.2025.104458

Amanda Dantas-Silva , Odette del Risco Sánchez , Debora Bicudo Faria-Schützer , Silvia Maria Santiago , Fernanda Garanhani Surita

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Abstract

Background

Positive experience of labour and birth is an outcome that should be sought in all maternity services. Negative birthing experiences are associated with poorer health outcomes and preventing them improves the quality of maternity care. Racial disparities impact negatively in maternal health and reflect structural inequalities in health. Understanding Black women’s perspectives and expectations regarding birth can help to improve the quality of care.

Aim

this study aims to realize the meanings Black women attribute to their birthing experiences.

Methods

We developed a qualitative study through open, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with postpartum Black women in a maternity care service in Southeast Brazil. For data analysis, we conducted a thematic analysis to identify codes, themes, and subthemes of the data based on the academic work of researchers on the ethno-racial theme in the Brazilian context and woman-centered care framework.

Findings

We interviewed 21 postpartum women between October 2023 and February 2024. Based on the analysis, three themes were identified: (1) The unspoken: experiences of skin colour and maternity care; (2) The many manifestations of pain in the birth experience; (3) Autonomy and information: the lack of information can lead to a feeling of losing control of the process.

Conclusion

In our study, Black women denied skin colour influence over their birthing experience and reported pain in its various manifestations, both physical and psychological, and lack of information and autonomy. These reflect the complexity of racism regarding obstetric care, and highlights the importance of woman-centered and respectful maternity care.

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黑人妇女对分娩经验的看法：一项定性研究

背景：积极的分娩经验是所有产科服务都应寻求的结果。消极的分娩经历与较差的健康结果有关，预防这种情况可提高产妇护理的质量。种族差异对产妇保健产生不利影响，反映了保健方面的结构性不平等。了解黑人妇女对生育的看法和期望有助于提高护理质量。本研究旨在了解黑人女性赋予其生育经历的意义。方法：我们通过对巴西东南部一家产科服务机构的产后黑人妇女进行公开、面对面、半结构化的访谈，开展了一项定性研究。在数据分析方面，我们根据研究人员在巴西背景下和以妇女为中心的护理框架下关于民族-种族主题的学术工作，进行了主题分析，以确定数据的代码、主题和副主题。研究结果：我们在2023年10月至2024年2月期间采访了21名产后妇女。在此基础上，确定了三个主题：(1)未言说的主题：肤色与产妇护理的体验；(2)分娩过程中疼痛的多种表现；(3)自主性和信息：信息的缺乏会导致对过程失去控制的感觉。结论在我们的研究中，黑人妇女否认肤色对她们分娩经历的影响，并报告了各种表现形式的疼痛，包括身体和心理上的疼痛，以及缺乏信息和自主权。这些情况反映了产科护理方面种族主义的复杂性，并突出了以妇女为中心和尊重妇女的产科护理的重要性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Midwifery 医学-护理

CiteScore

4.50

自引率

7.40%

发文量

221

审稿时长

13.4 weeks

期刊介绍： Midwifery publishes the latest peer reviewed international research to inform the safety, quality, outcomes and experiences of pregnancy, birth and maternity care for childbearing women, their babies and families. The journal’s publications support midwives and maternity care providers to explore and develop their knowledge, skills and attitudes informed by best available evidence. Midwifery provides an international, interdisciplinary forum for the publication, dissemination and discussion of advances in evidence, controversies and current research, and promotes continuing education through publication of systematic and other scholarly reviews and updates. Midwifery articles cover the cultural, clinical, psycho-social, sociological, epidemiological, education, managerial, workforce, organizational and technological areas of practice in preconception, maternal and infant care. The journal welcomes the highest quality scholarly research that employs rigorous methodology. Midwifery is a leading international journal in midwifery and maternal health with a current impact factor of 1.861 (© Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Reports 2016) and employs a double-blind peer review process.