WOMEN'S EXP OF POSTPARTUM CARE DURING 1ST WK AFTER BIRTH

Brandeis University, Waltham MA

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Abstract

Over the century, the length of hospital maternity stays has progressively become shorter in North America. Postpartum women and their newborns presently spend little time in the hospital after birth - most are discharged after only one or two days of care. Existing research on postpartum care is based primarily on quantitative studies in the field of medicine. Clinical research addresses the impact of limited hospital care on the health outcomes of mothers and newborns. Consequently, there is inadequate focus on the social aspects of the current provision of postpartum services to mothers and infants. No study comprehensively investigates how social support, social class and race/ethnicity affect women's experiences of postpartum services provided in the hospital and at home. As a result, there is limited data on how the social aspects of postpartum care impact upon the health and well-being of postpartum women and newborns. This project examines women's experiences of postpartum care during the first week after uncomplicated vaginal birth given today's reality of reduced postnatal hospital care. The purpose of the study is to assess how women's concerns and needs are addressed by formal and informal care systems and the extent to which social factors shape the delivery of care, from women's perspectives. Combining interviews with sixty women who have given birth in the hospital with intensive observation on postpartum units and sixteen interviews with doctors, midwives and nurses, this study explores the social dynamics of early postpartum care. By examining the social factors that impact upon the provision of care, this qualitative study will help researchers and policymakers better assess how the social aspects of postnatal care potentially affect the health of women and babies.