Women's experiences of their involvement around care decisions during a subsequent pregnancy after a previous caesarean birth in Western Australia

© 2020 Australian College of Midwives Background: Women who have a caesarean birth can have an experience that may impact decision-making for subsequent births. For some women this decision-making can be associated with anxiety. Aim: To provide rich, surface level descriptions by exploring women...

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Main Authors: Chan, Maria Hakyung, Hauck, Yvonne, Kuliukas, Lesley, Lewis, Lucy
Format: Journal Article
Published: 2020
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/81553
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author Chan, Maria Hakyung
Hauck, Yvonne
Kuliukas, Lesley
Lewis, Lucy
author_facet Chan, Maria Hakyung
Hauck, Yvonne
Kuliukas, Lesley
Lewis, Lucy
author_sort Chan, Maria Hakyung
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description © 2020 Australian College of Midwives Background: Women who have a caesarean birth can have an experience that may impact decision-making for subsequent births. For some women this decision-making can be associated with anxiety. Aim: To provide rich, surface level descriptions by exploring women's experiences of their involvement in decision-making during a subsequent pregnancy after a previous caesarean birth. Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was performed between May 2018 and February 2019 using Braun and Clarke's in steps guided analysis. Pregnant women with a previous caesarean birth, receiving antenatal care at a tertiary maternity hospital in Western Australia, and self-reported low to moderate levels of anxiety were invited to participate in a telephone interview. Findings: Women's (n = 17) experiences revealed four themes: 1) Learning from past experiences (two sub-themes loss of control and coming to terms), 2) Claiming ownership in decisions (two sub-themes challenging professional judgement and prioritising needs wishes and preferences), 3) Being empowered (three sub-themes getting a full picture, speaking out, and not just the baby or a number), 4) Moving forward (two sub-themes building trust in health professionals and establishing guardrails to minimise loss of control). Discussion: Women's experiences around decision-making in a subsequent pregnancy can vary according to whether their fears and anxieties are acknowledged and addressed. Women who are informed, and receive support and respect are empowered to move forward. Conclusion: Continuity of care may provide women with more opportunities to build trusting relationships with clinicians and be truly known as an individual with unique preferences and desires.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-815532021-08-04T04:26:20Z Women's experiences of their involvement around care decisions during a subsequent pregnancy after a previous caesarean birth in Western Australia Chan, Maria Hakyung Hauck, Yvonne Kuliukas, Lesley Lewis, Lucy © 2020 Australian College of Midwives Background: Women who have a caesarean birth can have an experience that may impact decision-making for subsequent births. For some women this decision-making can be associated with anxiety. Aim: To provide rich, surface level descriptions by exploring women's experiences of their involvement in decision-making during a subsequent pregnancy after a previous caesarean birth. Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was performed between May 2018 and February 2019 using Braun and Clarke's in steps guided analysis. Pregnant women with a previous caesarean birth, receiving antenatal care at a tertiary maternity hospital in Western Australia, and self-reported low to moderate levels of anxiety were invited to participate in a telephone interview. Findings: Women's (n = 17) experiences revealed four themes: 1) Learning from past experiences (two sub-themes loss of control and coming to terms), 2) Claiming ownership in decisions (two sub-themes challenging professional judgement and prioritising needs wishes and preferences), 3) Being empowered (three sub-themes getting a full picture, speaking out, and not just the baby or a number), 4) Moving forward (two sub-themes building trust in health professionals and establishing guardrails to minimise loss of control). Discussion: Women's experiences around decision-making in a subsequent pregnancy can vary according to whether their fears and anxieties are acknowledged and addressed. Women who are informed, and receive support and respect are empowered to move forward. Conclusion: Continuity of care may provide women with more opportunities to build trusting relationships with clinicians and be truly known as an individual with unique preferences and desires. 2020 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/81553 10.1016/j.wombi.2020.09.007 restricted
spellingShingle Chan, Maria Hakyung
Hauck, Yvonne
Kuliukas, Lesley
Lewis, Lucy
Women's experiences of their involvement around care decisions during a subsequent pregnancy after a previous caesarean birth in Western Australia
title Women's experiences of their involvement around care decisions during a subsequent pregnancy after a previous caesarean birth in Western Australia
title_full Women's experiences of their involvement around care decisions during a subsequent pregnancy after a previous caesarean birth in Western Australia
title_fullStr Women's experiences of their involvement around care decisions during a subsequent pregnancy after a previous caesarean birth in Western Australia
title_full_unstemmed Women's experiences of their involvement around care decisions during a subsequent pregnancy after a previous caesarean birth in Western Australia
title_short Women's experiences of their involvement around care decisions during a subsequent pregnancy after a previous caesarean birth in Western Australia
title_sort women's experiences of their involvement around care decisions during a subsequent pregnancy after a previous caesarean birth in western australia
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/81553