An Explanatory Model of Preterm Labor

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to describe women's explanatory model of their preterm labor (PTL) experiences. Fourteen young adult (20 to 23 years of age) women living in the southeast, who were hospitalized for the treatment of PTL, participated in this naturalistic study. Stress was the dominant theme that all participants used to explain what had precipitated PTL. All women described multiple stressors and chaos in their lives, which preceded their admission to the hospital for PTL. Meanings of PTL were intertwined with dysfunctional families and problematic relationships. All 9 women who delivered at term were able to find a friend or family member to provide support that allowed the women to relax and reduce the stress in their lives. In contrast, women who delivered preterm had no one in their lives that could provide help and support. Women's conceptualizations of PTL suggest that culturally appropriate interventions to reduce stress and mobilize support may help improve birth outcomes after an episode of PTL.

An exploratory, descriptive study of women's experiences of hospital admission during pre‐term labor

“…Some women acknowledged that they had a considerable amount of stress in their lives, which they perceived may have precipitated or aggravated their condition. Stress was cited as the main cause of PTL in a study by Mackey and Boyle (21), with all participants reporting multiple stressors and chaos in their lives in the time preceding hospital admission. Interestingly, Mackey and Boyle report that the 9 women who delivered at term had managed to find a satisfactory source of support (e.g.…”

Symptoms Described by African American Women Evaluated for Preterm Labor

“…This questionnaire was used after the semistructured interview was performed. Developed by the investigative team, the questionnaire was based on the common symptoms described in the literature regarding PTL (Mackey & Boyle, 2000; Mackey & Coster‐Schulz, 1992; March of Dimes, 2007b). The WSSLQ elicits a dichotomous (yes/no) response indicating if the woman is currently experiencing uterine cramping (menstrual‐like cramp, constant, or comes and goes), low dull backache (constant or comes and goes), pelvic pressure (feels like the baby is pushing down), abdominal cramping (with or without diarrhea), increase or change in mucus vaginal discharge, uterine contractions every 10 minutes or more often (may be painless), fatigue, flu‐like symptoms, gastrointestinal disturbances, bloating, stomachache, pain, pressure, tightness, soreness, stretching, burning, pushing, difficulty walking, difficulty sleeping, and “not feeling right” (March of Dimes, 2007b; Mutale et al, 1991).…”

“…Many researchers have called for teaching women to recognize the signs and symptoms of PTL that might result in a preterm birth (Coster‐Schulz, Mackey, & Watson, 1998; Freston et al, 1997; Kragt & Keirse, 1990; Mackey & Boyle, 2000; Mackey & Coster‐Schulz, 1992; Patterson, Douglas, Patterson, & Bradle, 1992; Weiss, Saks, & Harris, 2002; Williams & Mackey, 1999). Women have been found to need interaction with knowledgeable providers to learn and retain information about how to know and act upon PTL symptoms (Freda, Damus, & Merkatz, 1991).…”

Epigenetics and the embodiment of race: Developmental origins of US racial disparities in cardiovascular health

“…Exposure to stressful life events among African American mothers is associated with a higher risk for preterm births and lower birth weight (Borders et al, 2007;Dole et al, 2003;Dominguez et al, 2005;Orr et al, 1996;Oths et al, 2001). Additionally, psychological and emotional correlates of stress, such as symptoms of depression and anxiety, have been linked with poorer birth outcomes for African American women (Dole et al, 2003;Mackey and Boyle, 2000;Orr et al, 1996).…”