Normal birth, defined as birth without induction of labour, anaesthetic, instruments or caesarean section conveys significant maternal and neonatal benefits. Currently one-fifth of women in the United Kingdom are obese. There is increasing evidence of the detrimental effects obesity has on intrapartum outcomes. There is a lack of research on how to minimise the associated risks of obesity through non-medicalised interventions and how to support obese women to maximise their opportunity for normal birth. This thesis aims to provide evidence to address this gap and develop an evidence-based intervention to promote normal birth. Using a methodological approach aligned with pragmatism, this research was conducted in four parts and underpinned by the Medical Research Council framework for the development of complex interventions. Part one was a national survey involving 24 maternity units. Part two was a qualitative study of the experiences of 24 health professionals and part three involved 8 obese women. The final part was a multi-disciplinary workshop that used consensus decision-making to design the intervention. Collectively, the findings suggest that intrapartum care of obese women is medicalised. Health professionals face challenges when caring for obese women but many strive to optimise the potential for normal birth by challenging practice and utilising ‘interventions’ to promote normality. The findings also demonstrate that obese women have an intrinsic fear of pregnancy and birth, have a desire for normal birth and ‘obese pregnancy’ presents a window of opportunity for change. The intervention consists of three component parts; an educational aspect (e-learning package), a clinical aspect (intrapartum care pathway) and a leadership aspect (ward champions). Whilst acknowledging the importance of safety, increasing intervention during labour for obese women may further increase the risk of complications, with detrimental effects. Addressing intrapartum management of obese women through non-medicalised interventions is of paramount importance in order to promote normality, maximise the opportunity for normal birth and reduce the associated morbidities.

The appropriate oral intake for labouring women has long been a controversial issue among midwives and anaesthetists. Anaesthetists argue that any type of food and, to some extent, fluid consumption during labour, will increase a woman’s risk of gastric content aspiration if general anaesthesia is required. Many midwives believe that aspiration, being such a rare event with contemporary medical practice, is unlikely in the hands of a skilled obstetric anaesthetist. These midwives believe that labouring without any form of sustenance other than water or clear fluids may be detrimental for the woman, her baby and the progress of labour. To date, research has been unable to provide reliable information to support either side of this debate. This thesis presents a series of studies (three surveys and a comparative trial) designed to enhance the body of knowledge available for decisions about labouring women’s oral requirements. The surveys were conducted to describe the policies of hospitals in New South Wales, Australia, and the views and practices of anaesthetists and midwives regarding the oral intake of labouring women. The main findings of this thesis come from a comparative study conducted to explore the effect of eating or not eating food on labour and birth outcomes of 217 nulliparous women with low risk pregnancies, (Eating group = 123; Non-eating group = 94). The study employed a naturalistic approach to its design in order to capture the actual eating behaviour of labouring women rather than the manipulated approach used in a randomised control trial. The findings from this series of studies suggest women should be informed of the lack of evidence to support any dietary regime for labour, along with the possible risks and benefits, and allowed to make their own decisions about their oral intake needs for labour. Although this thesis has augmented knowledge, it has been unable to demonstrate that eating food during labour improves labour and birth outcomes. However, it did not find this practice to be harmful for mothers or babies. The lack of reliable research evidence on which to base practice decreases the ability of midwives to be assured of the ‘best practice’ for labouring women’s oral intake. Further research is essential to ascertain ‘best practice’ for this aspect of care. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (M.A.)--Texas State University-San Marcos, 2007. / Vita. Appendix: leaves 34-35. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 36-38).

Thesis (M.A.)--Texas State University-San Marcos, 2007. / Vita. Appendix: leaves 34-35. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 36-38).

Estudo qualitativo. Teve como objetivos Identificar os significados atribuídos à dor por mulheres que vivenciaram o parto vaginal, Analisar a vivência da dor segundo a percepção de mulheres que pariram por via vaginal e Discutir as estratégias vivenciadas pelas mulheres para aliviar a dor durante o trabalho de parto e parto vaginal. Os dados foram coletados no Alojamento Conjunto da maternidade da Unidade Integrada de Saúde Herculano Pinheiro com puérperas que passaram algum tempo dos seus trabalhos de parto na instituição. O instrumento para coleta de dados foi a entrevista semi-estruturada. As entrevistas foram gravadas, transcritas e os dados tratados com a técnica de Análise temática de Conteúdo. Para análise dos dados foi utilizado um referencial teórico pertinente aos diversos modelos assistenciais ao parto no Brasil. Vimos que as mulheres significam a dor no parto como sofrimento e/ou prazer e esse sofrimento tem a dimensão redentora influenciada pela Igreja, a dimensão heróica influenciada pela cultura e a dimensão inútil influenciada pela medicalização que retira os significados da dor. Elas significam a dor também com o prazer quando a relaciona com o bebê e com a saúde. As depoentes viveram a dor no parto sentindo uma sensação intensa e até violenta ou fisiológica que tem características próprias e são pertinentes ao processo de parturição. Algumas mulheres não focaram sua atenção na dor. Ela valorizaram mais as respostas psicoemocionais. As depoentes sentiram mais dor quando estavam dentro do hospital sofrendo as intervenções do seu modelo assistencial. Perante a dor no parto elas estrategicamente seguem os conselhos medicalizadas e comportam-se de forma civilizada. Outras mulheres utilizam estratégias instintivas para lidar com a dor no parto. Todas as estratégias utilizadas parecem ter por finalidade a finalização do processo parturitivo. / Qualitative study. Its object was to identity the meanings attributed to the pain by women who experienced vaginal childbearing, analyze the experience of the pain according to the perception of women who gave birth through vaginal delivery and discuss the strategies experienced by women to alleviate the pain during labor and delivery. The data was collected at the Unidade Integrada de Saúde Herculano Pinheiro with women in their immediate puerperium who had their childbearing labor at that institution. The data was collected through a semi-structured interview. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and the data treated through the technique of Thematic Content Analysis. For the data analysis, a theoretical standpoint was adopted pertaining to the various models of childbearing assistance in Brazil. We discovered that women see the pain in labor as suffering and/or pleasure and that suffering carries the redeeming aspect as influenced by the Church, the heroic aspect as influenced by culture and the useless aspect as influenced by the medicalization which removes all the significance of pain. They also see the pain as pleasure when they associate it to the child and health. The interviewed women experienced the pain in labor as an intense sensation, sometimes even violent or physiological, which bears its own characteristic relating to the delivery process. Some women did not focus on the pain. They valued the psycho-emtional response more. The interviewed women felt more pain while inside the hospital enduring the interventions of their assistential model. When facing the pain in labor, those women strategically follow the medicalized advice and behave in a civilized manner. Other women employ instinctive strategies to deal with the pain in labor. All the strategies used seem to aim to complete the delivery process.

Estudo qualitativo. Teve como objetivos Identificar os significados atribuídos à dor por mulheres que vivenciaram o parto vaginal, Analisar a vivência da dor segundo a percepção de mulheres que pariram por via vaginal e Discutir as estratégias vivenciadas pelas mulheres para aliviar a dor durante o trabalho de parto e parto vaginal. Os dados foram coletados no Alojamento Conjunto da maternidade da Unidade Integrada de Saúde Herculano Pinheiro com puérperas que passaram algum tempo dos seus trabalhos de parto na instituição. O instrumento para coleta de dados foi a entrevista semi-estruturada. As entrevistas foram gravadas, transcritas e os dados tratados com a técnica de Análise temática de Conteúdo. Para análise dos dados foi utilizado um referencial teórico pertinente aos diversos modelos assistenciais ao parto no Brasil. Vimos que as mulheres significam a dor no parto como sofrimento e/ou prazer e esse sofrimento tem a dimensão redentora influenciada pela Igreja, a dimensão heróica influenciada pela cultura e a dimensão inútil influenciada pela medicalização que retira os significados da dor. Elas significam a dor também com o prazer quando a relaciona com o bebê e com a saúde. As depoentes viveram a dor no parto sentindo uma sensação intensa e até violenta ou fisiológica que tem características próprias e são pertinentes ao processo de parturição. Algumas mulheres não focaram sua atenção na dor. Ela valorizaram mais as respostas psicoemocionais. As depoentes sentiram mais dor quando estavam dentro do hospital sofrendo as intervenções do seu modelo assistencial. Perante a dor no parto elas estrategicamente seguem os conselhos medicalizadas e comportam-se de forma civilizada. Outras mulheres utilizam estratégias instintivas para lidar com a dor no parto. Todas as estratégias utilizadas parecem ter por finalidade a finalização do processo parturitivo. / Qualitative study. Its object was to identity the meanings attributed to the pain by women who experienced vaginal childbearing, analyze the experience of the pain according to the perception of women who gave birth through vaginal delivery and discuss the strategies experienced by women to alleviate the pain during labor and delivery. The data was collected at the Unidade Integrada de Saúde Herculano Pinheiro with women in their immediate puerperium who had their childbearing labor at that institution. The data was collected through a semi-structured interview. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and the data treated through the technique of Thematic Content Analysis. For the data analysis, a theoretical standpoint was adopted pertaining to the various models of childbearing assistance in Brazil. We discovered that women see the pain in labor as suffering and/or pleasure and that suffering carries the redeeming aspect as influenced by the Church, the heroic aspect as influenced by culture and the useless aspect as influenced by the medicalization which removes all the significance of pain. They also see the pain as pleasure when they associate it to the child and health. The interviewed women experienced the pain in labor as an intense sensation, sometimes even violent or physiological, which bears its own characteristic relating to the delivery process. Some women did not focus on the pain. They valued the psycho-emtional response more. The interviewed women felt more pain while inside the hospital enduring the interventions of their assistential model. When facing the pain in labor, those women strategically follow the medicalized advice and behave in a civilized manner. Other women employ instinctive strategies to deal with the pain in labor. All the strategies used seem to aim to complete the delivery process.

A assistência ao parto em Centro de Parto Normal (CPN) mostra-se como uma tendência a ser incorporada por muitos serviços de assistência obstétrica no contexto brasileiro. Estudos com enfoque na experiência do cuidado, segundo a perspectiva da mulher, ainda são escassos. A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo descrever a experiência de mulheres que receberam assistência ao parto em um CPN. O estudo de abordagem qualitativa utilizou a análise da narrativa, como método de pesquisa. Este método é composto das fases de ler, analisar, transcrever, contar e ouvir a experiência; sua essência consiste no acesso à experiência primária, tal como representada pela pessoa que a vivencia. A análise dos depoimentos, foi desenvolvida de forma indutiva e interpretativa e resultou nas seguintes categorias descritivas da representação da experiência: a) O primeiro atendimento recebido no hospital; b) As experiências vividas no Centro de Parto Normal que foram relativas às orientações recebidas dos profissionais, as práticas de cuidado realizadas no trabalho de parto, os procedimentos executados pelos profissionais, a permanência do profissional no ambiente assistencial, o relacionamento interpessoal estabelecido pelos profissionais, a presença do acompanhante e as percepções em relação à sensação dolorosa; c) A estrutura física do hospital e d) Os conhecimentos e demandas por orientação expressos pelas mulheres. A categoria central A satisfação com a assistência recebida sintetiza a representação coletiva da experiência da assistência recebida no CPN. A experiência positiva relatada pelas mulheres confirma a premissa de que o local de assistência e as suas características influenciam a qualidade da assistência ao parto. Esta constatação fornece sustentação à política pública vigente no Brasil, que recomenda a implementação de CPNs em todo o território nacional. Cabe aos profissionais atuantes nesse contexto, o desenvolvimento da assistência ao parto, de acordo com as recomendações internacionais. / The healthcare rendered during childbirth in Birth Centers (BC) is seen as a trend to be incorporated by several services of obstetrical units in Brazil. Studies focusing on the experience of care according to the woman`s perspective are scarce. The objective of this research was to describe the experience of women who received healthcare during childbirth in a BC. This qualitative used descriptive analysis as a research method. The method consisted of steps to read, analyze, transcribe, relate and listen to experiences, its essence is the primary access to the experience, exactly as presented by the person who experienced it. Analysis of the interviews was developed in an inductive and interpretative manner and resulted in the following categories describing the representation about the experience: a) The first healthcare received in the hospital; b) Experiences in the Birth Center in accordance with guidelines received from the professionals, care practices performed during the childbirth, procedures executed by the professionals, permanence of the professional in the healthcare environment, interpersonal relationship established by the professionals, presence of a patient companion, and perceptions related to pain; c) The hospital physical structure; and d) The demands for knowledge and guidance expressed by women. The central category Satisfaction with the care received summarizes the collective representation of the healthcare received in the BC. The positive experience described by the women, confirms the premises that the healthcare unit and its characteristics do influence the quality of healthcare during childbirth. This finding provides support to current public policy in Brazil, which recommends the implementation of BC throughout the country. It is up to the professionals working in this context to develop childbirth care in accordance with international recommendations.

Orientador: Ilza Maria Urbano Monteiro / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-20T19:58:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Santos_AnaRaquelGouvea_M.pdf: 962766 bytes, checksum: e715593c7f98a14aacfd9c4d956e7c8d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: Introdução: A anticoncepção intrauterina é um método bastante eficiente, porém sub-utilizada. Uma das causas que diminuem seu uso são as dificuldades que o profissional enfrenta no momento da inserção bem como a dor que a paciente sente durante o procedimento. Recentemente o sistema intrauterino liberador de levonorgestrel (SIU-LNG) foi introduzido como uma nova opção de dispositivo intrauterino com características que ampliaram a indicação e uso do mesmo. A introdução do SIU-LNG retomou a discussão sobre seu uso em cada vez mais mulheres inclusive nas nunca engravidaram. Objetivo: Identificar e comparar as dificuldades técnicas na inserção do SIU-LNG e o grau de dor referida entre nuligestas e multíparas com e sem cesárea anterior. Métodos: Setenta e quatro mulheres que procuraram o serviço de planejamento familiar do CAISM/UNICAMP para primeira colocação de SIU - LNG como método anticoncepcional (MAC) foram incluídas no estudo, de Maio a Dezembro de 2011. As mulheres foram divididas em três grupos: 23 nuligestas, 28 multíparas com antecedente de cesárea e 23 sem antecedente de cesárea. Após serem submetidas à inserção do SIU-LNG foi pedido que classificassem a dor segundo a Escala Visual Analógica (EVA) de 0 (sem dor) a 10 (maior dor possível). No retorno, entre 45 e 60 dias após a inserção, foram questionadas novamente sobre a dor que sentiram no dia da inserção segundo o mesmo score. O profissional responsável pela inserção classificou a inserção em fácil, com dificuldade esperada, mais difícil que o esperado ou impossível de realizar inserção. O mesmo também classificou a causa da dificuldade encontrada em: estenose cervical, irregularidade da cavidade uterina, dor da paciente, reação vagal. Foi realizada uma análise de comparação de médias entre os três grupos sobre a dor e de características clínicas que poderiam estar associadas com a mesma. Grau de significância 5% com poder do teste de 80%. Resultados: Todas as mulheres referiram dor no momento da inserção. Não houve diferença nas médias de dor de acordo com paridade ou via de parto. Não houve diferença também quando classificamos a dor em leve, moderada ou severa. Apesar da dor, 93% das mulheres referiram que submeteriam-se novamente a inserção do SIU-LNG tanto no momento da inserção como um mês após. A média de dor referida após um mês foi semelhante entre os grupos e não foi significativamente menor do que imediatamente após a inserção. Nas nuligestas o tipo de dificuldade mais encontrada foi estenose cervical, nas multíparas com cesárea anterior foi irregularidade da cavidade uterina e nas multíparas sem cesárea anterior foi dor da paciente no momento da inserção. Não houve maior dificuldade de inserção em nenhum dos grupos. Não houve associação de algum dos tipos de dificuldade com maiores média de dor. Conclusões: Todas as mulheres independente da paridade ou via e parto referiram dor no momento da inserção do SIU-LNG. A dor não consistiu em um empecilho para a escolha do SIU-LNG. A principal causa de dificuldade variou de acordo com a paridade. A inserção do SIU-LNG é possível para todos os grupos de pacientes / Abstract: Background: Despite the high contraceptive effectiveness and non-contraceptive benefits there are still concerns of use of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) in nulligravida women. Objective: Evaluate ease of insertion and cause of difficulty by health proffessionals and women pain at insertion of the LNG-IUS in nulligravida women compared to parous women with and without cesarean section (C-section). Methods: Three groups were constituted: one with 23 nulligravida women, one with 28 parous women with previous cesarean and one with 23 parous women without previous C-section who received an LNG-IUS. The pain at insertion was evaluated immediately after insertion on the Visual Analogic Scale (VAS). On the second visit after one month women were asked again about the pain at insertion according to the VAS. The ease of insertion was evaluated as easy or difficult and was classified by the health professional according to cause (cervical stenosis, uterine irregularity, pain) after insertion. Results: Almost all patients reported pain at insertion, independent of parity and delivery. Despite reporting pain about 93% of the women would submit themselves to LNG-IUS insertion once again if necessary. In the followup control there was no diference, as well in the pain scores among the groups. In nulligravida the type of difficulty most common was cervical stenosis, in parous women with C-section was uterine cavity irregularity in parous women without C-section was pain. There was no association between type of difficulty and high pain scores. Conclusions: All women reported pain at insertion. Pain at insertion is not a problem for the use of the method among patients. Type of difficulty at insertion is related to parity. There was no difference in difficulty for any group / Mestrado / Fisiopatologia Ginecológica / Mestre em Ciências da Saúde

D.Cur. / The primary objective of the study was to ascertain the effects of the use of water during birth on maternal outcomes. The main maternal outcomes evaluated were maternal experience of the second stage of labour, and trauma to the birth canal. The second objective was to set guidelines for midwives whether or not to conduct deliveries under water.

This thesis deals with disagreement between midwives and doctors about the fact where and in which conditions mothers should give birth to a child. While the doctors support the present way when most children are born in hospitals under doctor's control, midwives argue for so called natural childbirth when women deliver the child surrounded by familiar environment and with midwife's assistance. The description of both groups behaviour is based on the theory of Peirre Bourdieu. Midwives are focused on the change of their status in the process of childbirth while doctors want to preserve the present situation. Both groups use different discourses while creating their professional position providing different services. Doctors' way is more technological and clinical, while midwives create their professional position in more psychological way. There is a competitive fight in which both group use strategy of their own professionalization and disprofessionalization of the rival group and different interpretation of the same data. Because of disadvantageous position of midwives in the process of childbirth, they create their own strategies against doctors.