Environmental factors influencing women’s childbirth experiences in labor–delivery–recovery–postpartum unit: a qualitative cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Women’s experiences of birth environment influence their mental health and that of their families. Identifying women’s childbirth experiences in the labor–delivery–recovery–postpartum unit (LDRP) unit can help design a peaceful environment. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate environmental factors influencing women’s childbirth experiences in LDRP unit. Methods This qualitative cross-sectional study was conducted on 20 women with a childbirth experience in the LDRP unit. A purposive sampling was performed and continued until data saturation. The data were collected through unstructured interviews and analyzed using inductive content analysis. Results Data analysis led to the extraction of three categories: physical security, a meaning-oriented environment, and physical comfort. The physical security category was obtained from three sub-categories: privacy, bed ergonomics, and the possibility of medical interventions. The meaning-oriented environment category was extracted from four sub-categories: promising symbols of becoming a mother, a peaceful environment, and a spiritual environment, and the physical comfort category was extracted from three sub-categories: minimizing noise pollution, ambient lighting, and LDRP internal design. Conclusions These study results showed that women’s experience of giving birth in LDRP was accompanied by perceiving physical security, a meaning-oriented environment, and physical comfort. Moreover, the results indicated that the childbirth experience in the LDRP unit might be influenced by physical and emotional environmental factors. Therefore, in order to design a peaceful environment, it is necessary to take into account these factors.

Exploring how non-clinical factors in childbirth care shape users’ experiences in public health facilities in rural Chiapas, Mexico: a qualitative study using the WHO health systems responsiveness framework

“…Study participants emphasized the importance of some aspects of the facilities for their comfort, the most common being hygiene (satisfactory in most cases), having hot water for showering, availability of a waiting area, adequate room space, and adequate temperature. The facility physical environment for maternal healthcare service users has previously been identified as a key determinant of user satisfaction in other low-resource settings, specifically seating and waiting areas, adequate room space, electricity, water supply, bed comfort, cleanliness, ambient lightning, and ambient sound [36,39]. Although resource constraint may make it difficult to address all of these issues, knowledge of user preferences can be helpful in prioritizing which aspects to improve first.…”

Experiences of High-Risk Parturient Women With the Use of Non-Invasive Care Technologies

“…Pregnancy and childbirth are existential events permeated with meanings for women, which must be considered to encourage women's self-confidence in these moments of transition in their reproductive life. Thus, when they feel heard, understood and supported, they are able to take ownership of the event, restructure their emotions, gain confidence and give meaning to the experience [13][14]22,23,24 .…”

Fatores facilitadores e limitadores da atuação das enfermeiras no controle da COVID-19 na assistência ao parto

“…15 No entanto, nota-se que a reorganização do trabalho em saúde vem repercutindo em retrocessos nas conquistas da humanização do parto, expressos no aumento de casos de abusos e desrespeitos contra as parturientes e na adoção de práticas sem respaldo científico. 8,10,[31][32][33] No cenário negacionista e de incertezas que atravessa a pandemia de COVID-19 no Brasil, 34 condutas restritivas e intervencionistas vêm se estabelecendo na assistência à saúde, sob o argumento de mitigar a contaminação, mas sem evidências que as amparem. Desse modo, ameaçam-se a dignidade, a segurança e a autonomia das mulheres, conformando situações de violência que se manifestam em práticas sem indicação obstétrica ou desnecessárias, como a restrição do direito ao acompanhante, as cesarianas, os partos instrumentais e o uso de recursos para reduzir a duração do trabalho de parto.…”

“…Desse modo, ameaçam-se a dignidade, a segurança e a autonomia das mulheres, conformando situações de violência que se manifestam em práticas sem indicação obstétrica ou desnecessárias, como a restrição do direito ao acompanhante, as cesarianas, os partos instrumentais e o uso de recursos para reduzir a duração do trabalho de parto. 8,[31][32][33]…”