States continually swing like a pendulum, changing their momentum from home birth, to institutionalized births. Prior to the twentieth century, most births occurred in the home setting and were viewed as a normal process. Today, home births only account for 1 % of the births in North America (Wong & Perry, 1998). With the increased dependency on medical professionals in this century, childbirth has become a medical process rather than a natural event. As healthcare consumers strive for greater control of their care, many women are choosing to give birth at home or in birthing centers, in environments in which they have control. The greatest concern that women face is the safety of their choice for both themselves and their unborn child. The purpose of this study was to compare maternal and perinatal outcomes of selected birthing methods. The methodology utilized was a literature review and synthesis, which includes publications from nursing, medical and related fields from 1990-2002. Birthing methods are defined, compared and contrasted based on outcome measures, and the safety and efficacy of each examined. This information will be used as a basis for recommendations for current practice, nursing education, and further research.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2999-01-01

The purpose of this study is to describe six-to twelve-year-old children's views of childbirth using words and drawings of children who were present when a baby was born in order to understand children's conceptualization of birth. As background to the study, the accessibility of childbirth to children through time and space was reviewed in the Human Relations Area Files. The information revealed cultural units both allowing and forbidding attendance of children at birth. Interviews and drawings were used to collect data from 14 informants. Audiotape-recordings of the interviews were transcribed, analyzed and organized into meaningful categories, which were validated by six key informants. The categories represented the knowledge used by children to interpret childbirth and included: people who do things at birth, steps in a baby being born, things people do at birth, best parts of being there, worst parts of being there, things that are gross at birth, things that are scary at birth, and things for kids to know about being there. The relationships of the categories were discussed in themes inferred from the data by the researcher. The themes identified were: I never seen it before; the first time you don't know; it might not be scary for you, but it was for me; the more often you see it, the less it bothers you; dads, kids and ladies help; I can't stand to miss it; it's kind of gross for the person who has to watch; and you learn by being there. The themes are discussed in relation to the research questions, health care and concepts that guided the study (childbirth as a sociocultural event, culture of childhood, child's-eye view, and cognitive development). Health professionals, especially nurses, have the opportunity to prepare parents and children for birth, to facilitate family-centered birthing practices and to minimize the strains related to life processes, such as birth and development. Childbirth through children's eyes communicates the birth event as a situational crisis as well as a developmental opportunity.

The following thesis seeks to inquire whether the recent phenomenon of women seeking out and indeed actively engaging with a medicalised birth stems from a shift in not only perceptions of risk, but also how a shift in responsibility, choice and control has impacted on the birthing women of Australian society. The thesis examines sociology of risk employing the work of both Beck and Giddens, although an emphasis will be placed on the work of Ulrich Beck. The three major themes that underpin the work of Beck, namely his risk society thesis, reflexive modernization and individualization are employed to explore some of the issues that concern the relationship between risk and society, the ramifications of this form of society on its inhabitants and specifically in relation to its impact on those experiencing pregnancy and childbirth. The Risk Society as an explanatory framework was empirically tested by conducting 45 interviews with women who had recently given birth from three separate birthing environments: private birth mothers, birth centre and home birth mothers. The argument is put forward that whilst previous research into the area of childbirth is clearly important in shedding a critical light upon childbirth practices, it does nevertheless neglect some important current social changes. In this respect, the application of Beck and Giddens work to the area of sociology of reproduction captures more adequately the ideological shift which this thesis examines. It is argued, through the scrutinizing gaze of the public, that the pregnant woman is the least able to escape the consequences of risk society where changed notions of health and responsibility have created a cultural acceptance of medical intervention of childbirth. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The labour pain experienced by 101 women giving birth in a Scottish hospital was assessed by the McGill Pain Questionnaire and Visual Analogue Scales during active first stage labour and post-natally. Labour pain was found to be on average severe, but not intensely negatively affective. Its intensity varied considerably and was related to parity and the duration of the first stage of labour reflecting underlying differences in levels of noxious stimulation. Other obstetric and pharmacological factors which might affect noxious stimulation were not significantly related to pain scores. Induction was related to higher,and complications of pregnancy, to lower levels of pain attributable to psychological modulation. The desirability of pregnancy, positive and accurate expectations of birth, ante-natal training and the welcomed presence of the husband at the birth were associated with significantly lower levels of labour pain, particularly of non-sensory pain. A few subjects had very minimal previous experience of pain. These subjects had the lowest levels of pain in childbirth, perhaps because they were relatively insensitive to noxious stimulation. Subjects whose previous experience of pain had been extensive had significantly lower levels of labour pain than subjects whose previous pain experience had been more limited. Subjects who had extensive experience of pain used a larger number of strategies to cope with that pain than subjects whose experience had been more moderate. They used more strategies during labour, a greater proportion of which they had used previously. The use of a number of strategies in labour, either in combination or in sequence was related to lower levels of labour pain but not to painless childbirth. So too was the use of strategies which had been previously utilised. The relationship between previous pain experience and levels of labour pain was mediated by the differential use of coping strategies.

Thesis (MMidwifery)--University of South Australia, 2001.

Thesis (MMidwifery)--University of South Australia, 2001.

Thesis (M.A. (Health Social Science))--Mahidol University, 2007. / LICL has E-Thesis 0024 ; please contact computer services.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1992.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1992.