Becoming a mother: The meaning of childbirth for African–Canadian women

Abstract

Increasingly, with globalization, various countries including Canada are becoming ethno-racially and culturally diverse. Health professionals face the challenge of working effectively across these ethno-racial and cultural boundaries. In acknowledgement of the need to generate knowledge that informs the development of effective health care policies, this paper discusses the findings of a qualitative study that examined the childbirth experiences of African–Canadian women. The meaning of childbirth, which is the primary focus of this paper, includes: sense of responsibility, childbirth as a positive life event, the uniqueness of childbirth as a life experience, childbirth as a bitter-sweet paradox, and childbirth as a spiritual event. The paper will conclude with a discussion of study implications including the need to provide opportunity for nurses to learn about the client’s values, beliefs, and practices. This is necessary for the attainment of desired health outcomes such as having a healthy mother and the safe birth of a healthy baby.