Hospitalização na gravidez de alto risco: representações sociais das gestantes

Background: Hospital admission in high-risk pregnancies changes the routine and the way in which pregnancy is experienced. These changes must be taken into account during care planning and delivery.Objective: To identify high-risk pregnant women’s social representations of hospital admission during pregnancy.Methodology: An exploratory, descriptive study, guided by the social representations theory, was carried out in two maternity hospitals in Ceara, involving 68 hospitalized high-risk pregnant women, between July and September 2016. The word association test was used and data were analyzed using the Tri-Deux-Mots software, version 5.3.Results: Pregnancy was represented by the satisfaction to gestate a baby, anchored in the biological and social role of motherhood. High-risk pregnancy was perceived as a problematic situation with an uncertain outcome, surrounded by negative feelings. Hospital admission was interpreted as a place of pain and loneliness, but also of care and protection, expanding the possibilities for a favorable evolution.Conclusion: The evoked words reflect important meanings attributed to pregnancy in a context of a high-risk pregnancy that requires hospital admission.