Midwives' experience of delivering women with a life-threatening foetal diagnosis

Abstract

Introduction: Taking care of a woman in the delivery room who is giving birth to a baby affected by a life-limiting foetal condition is a difficult experience for a midwife. Material and methods: In a qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 midwives who are actively working in delivery rooms at four hospitals in various regions of Poland. The interviews were recorded, and then transcribed and analysed using the content analysis method with the MAXQDA tool. Results: From the experiences of midwives who deliver babies for women after an unfavourable prenatal diagnosis for the baby, two main themes and four sub-themes were identified. Within the first theme, “Impact in the scope of personal experience”, identified sub-themes included “Difficult but positive experiences” and “Confronting one's own emotions”. Within the second theme, “Impact in the scope of interaction with others”, identified sub-themes included “Empathising with the woman” and “Community with other midwives”. Conclusions: Taking care of a woman giving birth to a baby affected by a life-limiting fetal condition is for midwives an experience that is difficult, but ultimately positive and enriching for their personal and professional identity. Midwives need to be prepared through education to effectively deal with the problems which appear in their everyday practice. Psychological support for midwives is insufficient; an opportunity to participate in training courses would enable them to develop their skills related to handling difficult situations, coping with stress, and above all the ability to talk to mothers and fathers of the babies in those situations that are so difficult for the parents.