Browsing by Author "Uusitalo, Linda"

Every childbirth is a unique experience for a mother and the whole family. While there is growing evidence that childbirth has long-term implications for a mother’s life, and that a personal childbirth experience is in a major role in determining those implications, personal birth experiences have not yet come to the centre of labour care in Finland. In this qualitative study I investigated the constitutive elements of personal childbirth experiences. The material consisted of 29 birth stories written by 20 mothers, collected as a part of a larger research project Battles over Birth – Finnish Birth Culture in Transition (2020-2023), funded by the Kone Foundation. I divided the stories into positive and negative experiences based on how mothers described the events and their implications. I analysed the role of pain management in all experiences, after which other elements were identified from each story and compared within category and finally between categories. In addition, I analysed the long-term implications of positive and negative experiences for mothers. Systematic content analysis suggested three elements as crucial in determining whether the experience was valued as positive or negative, and these were: 1) pain and pain management, 2) interaction with professionals, and 3) sense of control and self-determination. The birth experience had implications on the mother-infant bond, mental health, trust toward health care professionals, number of subsequent children, general well-being, and confidence in motherhood. The birth experience thus constitutes of several aspects and can have significant long-term implications. By considering mothers’ wishes and treating them respectfully, not only is their constitutional right for self-determination respected, but a safe and comfortable environment can be created for labour. The findings of this study can contribute to developing maternity and childbirth care toward patient-centred care, where personal birth experiences have more value and positive birth experiences can be ensured.