Womens childbirth experiences in two public hospitals in Lesotho

Date
2020-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : Maternal death remains a threat to lives of women of childbearing age across the globe especially in low income countries. High maternal mortality is linked to poor quality care mostly around childbirth period. Quality care provision focus on two dimensions: provision of quality care by health care workers and experience of care by women. The study explored how women experienced care during childbirth. The aim of the study was to explore women’s childbirth experiences in two public hospitals in Lesotho so that services can be improved. The research objectives were; •To identify childbirth practices that can influence women’s experience about childbirth. •To describe women’s experiences in relation to support given during childbirth •To identify women’s experiences about healthcare provider attitude during their childbirth •To identify if women’s childbirth needs were met. A qualitative descriptive approach was applied to explore women’s childbirth experiences in two public hospitals. The population was women who visited the post-natal clinic at 6 week after delivery in the participating hospitals. A purposive sampling was used to select 12 women who consented to take part in the study. Data was collected through a semi structured interview guide and 3 participants were interviewed per day. Lincoln and Cuba’s criteria of credibility, transferability, confirmability and dependability were used to maintain trustworthiness (Polit & Beck, 2012:560). . Data was analysed through six phases of thematic analysis as described by Braun and Clarke, (2012:57). Six themes emerged: women’s experiences about childbirth practices and services, support, provider attitude and communication, women’s’ needs for care, women’s involvement in care and maternity ward environment and human resource. The study findings revealed poor support during childbirth as midwives have other duties and companionship is not allowed in public hospital. The women’s needs for care were not met: delayed care, shortage of staff and lack of involvement in care. The hospital environment was described as not conducive for women and their new-borns. Conclusion: Shortage of midwives contributed to poor quality of care and lead to negative experiences. There is a need to strengthen the support structure during childbirth where infrastructural contracts and women’s flow allows.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Moederlike sterftes is ʼn groot lewensbedreiging vir vroue van vrugbare ouderdom reg oor die wêreld, veral in lande met ʼn lae inkomste. ʼn Hoë moederlike sterftekoers is direk verwant aan lae gehaltesorg tydens bevalling. Gehaltesorgvoorsiening fokus op twee dele: gehaltesorgvoorsorg deur gesondheidsversorgers en vroue se ervaring van sorg tydens bevalling. Die studie ondersoek vroue se ervaring tydens bevalling. Die doel van die studie is om vroue se bevallingservaringe in staatshospitale in Lesotho te bestudeer sodat die dienslewering verbeter kan word. Navorsingsdoelwitte: • Om die bevallingspraktyke wat vroue se ervaring beïnvloed, te identifiseer. • Om vroue se ervaring met betrekking tot ondersteuning tydens bevalling te beskryf. • Om vroue se ervaring rondom gesondheidversorgers se ingesteldheid tydens bevalling te identifiseer. • Om te identifiseer of daar aan vroue se bevallingsbehoeftes voorsien is. ʼn Kwalitatiewe beskrywingsbenadering is toegepas om vroue se ervaring in twee staatshospitale te ondersoek. Die populasie is vroue wat die betrokke hospitale ses weke ná geboorte vir ʼn postnatale ondersoek besoek het. Doelbewuste steekproefneming is gebruik om 12 vroue te kies wat ingestem het om aan die studie deel te neem. Data is deur ʼn semi-gestruktureerde onderhoudsgids ingesamel en daar is ʼn onderhoud met drie deelnemers per dag gevoer. Lincoln en Cuba se kriteria van geloofwaardigheid, oordraagbaarheid, bevestigbaarheid en afhanklikheid is gebruik om vertroue te behou(Polit & Beck, 2012:560). Data is deur ses fases van tematiese analise ondersoek, soos deur Braun en Clarke,(2012:57). beskryf. Ses temas het aan die lig gekom : Kliënte se ervaring met bevallingspraktyke en dienste, ondersteuning, versorger se ingesteldheid en kommunikasie, kliënte se sorgbehoeftes, kliënte se betrokkenheid in sorg, en die kraamsaal se omgewing en menslike hulpbronne. Die studie het aan die lig gebring dat daar swak ondersteuning tydens bevalling is, aangesien vroedvroue ander pligte het en metgeselle nie in staatshospitale toegelaat word nie. Daar is nie aan die kliënte se behoeftes voldoen nie, as gevolg van vertragings in gesondheidsorg, ʼn tekort aan personeellede en ʼn tekort aan betrokkenheid. Die hospitaal se omstandighede is as ongunstig teenoor vroue en hul pasgeborebaba beskryf. Gevolgtrekking: ʼn Tekort aan vroedvroue dra by tot die swak gehalte van gesondheidsorg wat tot ʼn negatiewe ervaring lei. Daar is ʼn behoefte om die ondersteuningstruktuur tydens bevalling te verbeter indien infrastruktuur en kliënte vloei dit toelaat.
Description
Thesis (MNur)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
Keywords
Childbirth -- Lesotho, Pregnant women -- Services for -- Lesotho, Pregnant women -- Attitudes -- Lesotho, Public hospitals -- Lesotho, UCTD
Citation