Open AccessThe Decision-Making Experience of Mothers Selecting Waterbirth
Author(s) -
Chia-Jung Wu,
Ue-Lin Chung
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
the journal of nursing research/the journal of nursing research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.537
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1948-965X
pISSN - 1682-3141
DOI - 10.1097/01.jnr.0000347645.12380.2f
Subject(s) - credibility , autonomy , nursing , context (archaeology) , psychology , qualitative research , health care , medicine , sociology , paleontology , social science , political science , law , biology , economics , economic growth
Waterbirth has been a way of birth for 20 to 30 years abroad, while in Taiwan, only in the past three years have some women chosen water birth. This study aims to explore the decision-making experience of mothers selecting waterbirth. A phenomenological approach was employed in this study. Nine mothers who had given birth in water successfully in the midwife clinic in the past year were chosen and one-by-one, face-to-face interviews were conducted. The research tools included a basic information questionnaire, a semi-structured and open-ended interview guide, and an audio recorder to record the entire interviews. The content of the interviews was faithfully transcribed and analyzed with Giorgi's phenomenological method and Lincoln and Guba's qualitative credibility. Four main concepts concluded from the experience context of the studied women were: (1) Dissatisfaction with existing obstetric practices; (2) Demonstration of autonomy; (3) Consideration of relatives' attitude; and (4) Employing strategies to achieve goals. The result of this study can help nursing staff and the public to understand the decision-making experience of mothers selecting waterbirth, and help the contemplation of health care providers with respect to furnishing a more humanized birth environment in hospitals.