Abstract
ObjectiveTo describe women's experiences of chronic pain related to childbirth approximately one year after labour. DesignA qualitative design with face-to-face interviews analysed using inductive qualitative content analysis. ParticipantsTwenty women who reported chronic pain, with onset during pregnancy and/or following labour, approximately one year after childbirth. FindingsThe analysis revealed an essential theme, “Grieving over the past and struggling forward”, and three categories “Mourning the losses”, “Struggling with the present” and “Managing the future”. ConclusionsThis study provides new knowledge about women's experiences of chronic pain one year after childbirth. The pain severely reduced women´s previous ability to perform physical and social activities, negatively impacted psychological well-being and altered their self-image. Most of the women adopted a positive attitude and hoped for improved health in the future, although constantly struggling with the pain and its consequences. Implications for practiceThis knowledge is particularly important as chronic pain may not diminish with time in predisposed individuals who may need help and support from health professionals in their endeavour to manage their pain. Healthcare providers, i.e. midwives, gynaecologists and general practitioners need to understand women´s experiences of chronic pain from their own perspective to improve identification and treatment of pain following childbirth, thus preventing women's suffering and potential long-term health problems. Future studies are warranted to further explore and discuss women's coping strategies, health seeking behaviour and experiences of health care.
Highlights
There is growing evidence of the scope and prevalence of chronic pain related to childbirth, there is still a gap in knowledge among healthcare providers, i.e., midwives and gynaecologists, of this serious health issue and its consequences
The analysis of experiences of living with chronic pain related to childbirth revealed an essential theme, “Grieving over the past and struggling forward”, as the experiences of chronic pain led to a sense of multiple grief in womens lives and as the women constantly struggled with the pain and its consequences
The women experienced a variety of negative feelings and mourned that they had changed as persons to the extent that some of them could not recognize themselves
Summary
There is growing evidence of the scope and prevalence of chronic pain related to childbirth, there is still a gap in knowledge among healthcare providers, i.e., midwives and gynaecologists, of this serious health issue and its consequences. Berger et al.2015) or on symptoms related to obstetric injuries, such as anal sphincter muscle injury (Heron-Marx et al, 2007, Lindqvist et al, 2018; O‘Reilly et al, 2009; Priddis et al, 2014) These studies have shown that pelvic girdle pain related to pregnancy has a significant negative effect on women’s health and quality of life up to 20 years after the pregnancy (Engeset et al, 2014; Gutke et al, 2018). Pain and other consequences, such as urinary and faecal incontinence, prolapses of vaginal walls and sexual dysfunction, after an obstetric injury during childbirth led to physical, psychological, and social limitations as well as shattered expectations of family life (Lindqvist et al, 2018; Priddis et al, 2014)
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