Childbirth care: the oral history of women who gave birth from the 1940s to 1980s

Nathalie Leister,Maria Luiza Gonzalez Riesco

doi:10.1590/s0104-07072013000100020

Abstract

This study's objective was to gain a greater understanding of the changes that took place in the childbirth care model from the experience of women who gave birth in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil from the 1940s to the 1980s. This is a descriptive study conducted with 20 women using the Thematic Oral History method. Data were collected through unstructured interviews. The theme extracted from the interviews was "The experience of childbirth". The results indicate a time and generational demarcation in the 1970s. Childbirths from 1940 to 1960 occurred in a context of transition from home to hospital births. The 1980s represents a turning point in the elements that compose the childbirth care model, such as the type and place of birth and the professional assisting women, with an increased use of technology and obstetric interventions.

Highlights

At the end of the 19th century, most childbirth took place at home and was assisted by midwives
In 1894, were obstetrical beds installed in the São Paulo Hospital Maternity in São Paulo, Brazil, where midwives assisted normal deliveries and complicated deliveries were assisted by physicians.[2]
To understand the transformations that took place in the childbirth care model based on the experiences of women who gave birth in the state of São Paulo, Brazil from 1940 to 1980. This is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach that follows the Thematic Oral History method.[7,8]

Summary

Introduction

At the end of the 19th century, most childbirth took place at home and was assisted by midwives. And economically more accessible than a physician, a midwife offered an additional advantage, that of helping the laboring woman with house chores, replacing or helping her for a while after the delivery. Midwives provided care both at the women’s homes and at their own homes.[1,2]. The hospital environment was not a safe place for women to give birth. In 1894, were obstetrical beds installed in the São Paulo Hospital Maternity in São Paulo, Brazil, where midwives assisted normal deliveries and complicated deliveries were assisted by physicians.[2]

Methods

Results

Conclusion