Sitting on the fence: A qualitative study of perceptions regarding pelvic floor muscle training among pregnant women with urinary incontinence

Objectives

To explore the perceptions of pregnant women with urinary incontinence toward pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT).

Methods

Semi-structured personal interviews were used to collect data. Pregnant women with urinary incontinence and no contraindications to PFMT were recruited for semi-structured interviews in the Outpatient Department of Obstetrics in a Class A tertiary hospital in Shenzhen from October to November 2021. Purposive sampling was performed, and Braun & Clarke thematic analysis was used for the data analysis.

Results

Sixteen pregnant women with urinary incontinence and a mean age of (30.81 ± 3.66) years participated in the interview. “Sitting on the fence” was the predominant theme acquired after analysis. Pregnant women had contradictory attitudes toward PFMT. A total of four themes and nine sub-themes have been extracted: “It is normal and does not really matter” (normalized urinary incontinence, insufficient attention to PFMT); “There is nothing I can do” (insufficient subjective motivations, limitation of objective conditions, lack of social support); “We have to take care of ourselves” (the increasing self-care awareness, emerging autonomous motivation to practice PFMT); “Training should be guaranteed” (requiring the guidance, suggestions, and surveillance of healthcare professionals; requiring the perceptive benefits).

Conclusions

This study reveals varying attitudes towards PFMT among pregnant women with urinary incontinence. To better promote pregnant women’s engagement in PFMT, it is necessary to provide professional guidance, increase self-care awareness, improve social support, and emphasize the benefits of PFMT.