Invisible Waves of Technology: Ultrasound and the Making of Fetal Images

Meyers, Sonia

doi:10.1007/s12376-010-0051-3

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 16 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In the western culture, the sense of vision has for long been ascribed with great significance to the acquisition of knowledge [ 27 , 28 ]. In maternity care, this has entailed that visual representations of the fetus using ultrasound examinations have become central to diagnostic practices as well as the social construction of fetal personhood [ 29 , 30 ]. The women in this study expressed appreciation and excitement towards visual representations of their baby, accompanied by the sound of fetal heartbeat.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abdominal examination during pregnancy may enhance relationships between midwife, mother and child: a qualitative study of pregnant women’s experiences

Bonnén

Offersen

Høstrup

et al. 2023

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Abdominal examination is a routine procedure performed by midwives several times during pregnancy to monitor the growth and well-being of the baby. Literature and instructions regarding abdominal examination focus on the technical performance, with limited attention paid to the women’s experience of the examination or the bonding-related aspects between the mother and baby. The aim of the study was to explore how pregnant women experience the abdominal examination and how the examination affects maternal–fetal attachment. Methods Participant observation and semi-structured interviews with 10 pregnant women. We used thematic analysis to identify themes across the empirical material. Results We identified the following four central themes: an essential examination, the baby becomes real, the importance of being involved and different senses provide different experiences. These themes describe how the women regarded the abdominal examination as an essential part of the midwifery consultation and considered it the occasion when the baby became real and tangible. Being prepared and involved before and during the examination were pivotal for how the examination was experienced by the women. The abdominal examination was crucial to the pregnant women because it provided them with important sensory aspects that were not obtained from ultrasound examination. Conclusion The abdominal examination is regarded as essential in midwifery consultations and has the potential for supporting a woman’s bodily sensation of her baby, which is reinforced by the midwife’s manual palpation. Touch can be a way for a pregnant woman to become acquainted with her unborn child, which provides midwives a profound potential to facilitate the process of maternal–fetal attachment.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%