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Middle Eastern mothers in Sweden, their experiences of the maternal health service and their partners involvement

Ny, Pernilla LU ; Plantin, Lars ; Karlsson, Elisabeth D and Dykes, Anna-Karin LU (2007) In Reproductive Health 4(1).
Abstract
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Traditional patterns relating to how to handle pregnancy and birth are often challenged due to migration. The purpose of this study was to describe Middle Eastern mothers' experiences of the maternal health care services in Sweden and the involvement of their male partner. METHODS: Thirteen immigrant mothers from the Middle East who had used the maternal health services in Sweden were interviewed using focus group discussions and individual interviews. These were taped, transcribed and analysed according to Content analysis. RESULTS: The four main categories that developed were:* Access to the professional midwife* Useful counselling* Stable motherhood in transition* Being a family living in a different culture... (More)
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Traditional patterns relating to how to handle pregnancy and birth are often challenged due to migration. The purpose of this study was to describe Middle Eastern mothers' experiences of the maternal health care services in Sweden and the involvement of their male partner. METHODS: Thirteen immigrant mothers from the Middle East who had used the maternal health services in Sweden were interviewed using focus group discussions and individual interviews. These were taped, transcribed and analysed according to Content analysis. RESULTS: The four main categories that developed were:* Access to the professional midwife* Useful counselling* Stable motherhood in transition* Being a family living in a different culture CONCLUSION: According to the respondents in this study, understanding the woman's native language or her culture was not vital to develop a good relationship with the midwife. Instead the immigrant woman developed trust in the midwife based on the knowledge and the empathy the midwife imparted.Increasing the amount of first trimester antenatal visits could avoid spontaneous visits to the emergency clinic. There was a greater need for involvement and support by the father during the perinatal period, such as caring for older children and carrying out household chores since the mothers' earlier female network was often lost. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: There is a need to involve immigrant parents in the available parental education in order to prepare them for parenthood in their new country as well as to explore their altered family situation. Collecting immigrant women and their partner's, experiences of maternal health care services offers a possibility to improve the existing care, both in content, access and availability where the timing of visits and content require further evaluation. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Reproductive Health
volume
4
issue
1
article number
9
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • pmid:17958884
  • scopus:37849039587
ISSN
1742-4755
DOI
10.1186/1742-4755-4-9
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a02913af-2377-4616-be62-0f9d7c12490a (old id 1140321)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:17:25
date last changed
2022-01-28 04:37:41
@article{a02913af-2377-4616-be62-0f9d7c12490a,
  abstract     = {{ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Traditional patterns relating to how to handle pregnancy and birth are often challenged due to migration. The purpose of this study was to describe Middle Eastern mothers' experiences of the maternal health care services in Sweden and the involvement of their male partner. METHODS: Thirteen immigrant mothers from the Middle East who had used the maternal health services in Sweden were interviewed using focus group discussions and individual interviews. These were taped, transcribed and analysed according to Content analysis. RESULTS: The four main categories that developed were:* Access to the professional midwife* Useful counselling* Stable motherhood in transition* Being a family living in a different culture CONCLUSION: According to the respondents in this study, understanding the woman's native language or her culture was not vital to develop a good relationship with the midwife. Instead the immigrant woman developed trust in the midwife based on the knowledge and the empathy the midwife imparted.Increasing the amount of first trimester antenatal visits could avoid spontaneous visits to the emergency clinic. There was a greater need for involvement and support by the father during the perinatal period, such as caring for older children and carrying out household chores since the mothers' earlier female network was often lost. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: There is a need to involve immigrant parents in the available parental education in order to prepare them for parenthood in their new country as well as to explore their altered family situation. Collecting immigrant women and their partner's, experiences of maternal health care services offers a possibility to improve the existing care, both in content, access and availability where the timing of visits and content require further evaluation.}},
  author       = {{Ny, Pernilla and Plantin, Lars and Karlsson, Elisabeth D and Dykes, Anna-Karin}},
  issn         = {{1742-4755}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{Reproductive Health}},
  title        = {{Middle Eastern mothers in Sweden, their experiences of the maternal health service and their partners involvement}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1742-4755-4-9}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/1742-4755-4-9}},
  volume       = {{4}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}