First-Time Mothers’ Expectations and Experiences of Postnatal Care in England

Abstract

Postnatal care is the aspect of maternity care with which women in England are least satisfied. Little is known about first-time mothers’ expectations of postnatal care, or how these expectations relate to their experiences and appraisal of care. Thirty-two first-time mothers took part in a longitudinal qualitative descriptive study, based on two semi-structured interviews—the first in pregnancy, and the second 2 to 3 months after birth. Trajectory analysis was used to identify the thematic patterns in the relationships between postnatal care expectations, needs, experiences, and confidence. Five trajectories were identified, showing that mothers’ satisfaction with postnatal care and confidence were primarily influenced not by the extent to which their expectations were met but the varied extent to which their individual postnatal needs were met. Rapid and responsive assessment of needs both antenatally and postnatally, and appropriate adjustment of care, is key in supporting women effectively at this time.

Decomposing the rural–urban gap in factors associated with childhood immunisation in sub-Saharan Africa: evidence from surveys in 23 countries

“… 33 While first time mothers are less confident, and perceive themselves as requiring much support, a woman with multiple births may be less concerned about childhood ailments that have been exhibited by her child in the past. 34 Maternal health workforce of SSA may be able to neutralise this disparity by acknowledging that anxieties and maternal healthcare utilisation levels vary by parity. Among the numerous strategies to improve the situation include targeting and educating multiparous women to appreciate that all children who miss any dose of immunisation stand a chance of ill health conditions.…”

Postpartum women’s psychological experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: a modified recurrent cross-sectional thematic analysis

“…This provides strong evidence that COVID-19 lockdown restrictions have had an adverse cumulative effect on maternal mental health. Howbeit, using a modified analytical approach was an identified limitation of the current study, deviating from reported procedures in previously published perinatal literature whereby repeat interviewing had been reported [45]. This is problematic because lack of homogenous sampling at independent timepoints may have unintentionally compromised methodological rigour.…”

“You Probably Won’t Notice Any Symptoms”: Blood Pressure in Pregnancy—Discourses of Contested Expertise in an Era of Self-Care and Responsibilization

“…But the fact that these postings were easily found in online searches, are still available, and come up alongside more formal sources means that they warrant study and consideration. We know that women build their knowledge from multiple sources ( Hinton et al, 2018 ; McLeish et al, 2020 ; Sunstein, 2001 ), so what is happening in these spaces informs the whole. There was a variety of tone.…”