The study showed that a coaching strategy had a positive effect on maternal-infant interaction in this sample. Future research is needed to test coaching interventions in conjunction with other strategies targeted to promote maternal-infant responsiveness and to reduce PPDS.
When taking an obstetric history, nurses and midwives should be sensitive when inquiring about discrepancies between the number of times a woman has been pregnant and the number of living children. Opportunity should be given for a woman to discuss in a safe, non-judgmental environment any emotions or thoughts she may express. Providers of women's healthcare services must reflect about ways to reassure women of the common nature of recurrent thoughts and the spectrum of emotional responses that, even years later, is normal.
A phenomenological approach was used to examine the responses of women to elective abortion. Sixteen women who terminated a pregnancy for nonmedical reasons at least 15 years previously participated. These women were caught up in the moment, they made a decision, had an abortion, and life continued-for some as before, for others, forever altered. Women encountered a sense of disruption. The abortion and reflections about the experience existed as an unspoken story, confided to few. Thoughts of this past experience reached into present events and generated new awareness, producing insights. The terminated pregnancy for some became embodied. These women were compelled to make sense of their abortion experiences as they sought to integrate these experiences into their sense of self. These women's relationships affected the abortion experience and were affected by the abortion experience. This research expands our understanding of the long-term responses of women after abortion.
This study investigated the meaning of women's elective abortion experiences. American women who had ended or were nearing the end of their intended childbearing and had terminated a pregnancy for non-genetic reasons participated in a phenomenological exploration. Sixteen women participated in this interpretive phenomenological study which resulted in nine overall themes. The theme of making sense is detailed in this article. Women make sense of their abortion in varied ways and helping women make sense of their abortions is critical for their wellbeing.
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