South African Mothers’ Coping With an Unplanned Caesarean Section

Abstract

In this study, researchers explored mothers' coping strategies in dealing with birth by unplanned Caesarean section. Mothers' experiences of a traumatic birth could be influenced by perceived strengths when coping with the stress related to the incident. Coping strategies resulted in reassessment of the birth process and were associated with a more positive and memorable experience. In-depth interviews with 10 women explored their lived experiences of childbirth. Data were analyzed thematically. Phenomenological theory served as a framework for the structuring, organizing, and categorizing of data. Mothers described several factors and coping strategies that they perceived to be effective in reducing the impact of their traumatic birth experiences.

Context-sensitive holistic care of women with one previous Caesarean section

“… 8 Such a debriefing allows HCWs to identify women who may require additional postnatal support, which includes vulnerable groups such as teenagers and those who have had a disempowering birth experience. 9 In addition, the immediate post-partum period offers a chance to promote planning a future pregnancy at an appropriate inter-delivery interval, by offering long-acting reversible contraceptives, and encouraging early future antenatal booking.…”

What is traumatic birth? A concept analysis and literature review

“…(Wikipedia) Some of the papers identified in the literature search focused on this kind of physical injury to the mother or baby (McKinlay et al, 2008). In many other cases the trauma is presumed by researchers to be implicit in the mode of delivery (Oliver, 2005;, in particular for unplanned caesarean section (Ryding et al, 1998;Van Reenen and Van Rensburg, 2015), but also for instrumental vaginal delivery (Parker, 2004;.…”

“…There seems little disagreement that severe physical injury to either mother or baby, and unplanned operative births have the potential to be psychologically traumatic as well as physically injurious, although research shows that unplanned operative births do not always result in maternal psychological trauma (Boorman et al, 2014;Van Reenen and Van Rensburg, 2015). In more recent years, it has become common to use the term 'traumatic birth' for a wider variety of experiences.…”