Postnatal care: Is it based on ritual or a purpose? A reflective account

Abstract

Postnatal care has for too long been the Cinderella of the childbirth continuum and marginalized within maternity care services. Most women in the UK are hospitalized after giving birth and spend time on a postnatal ward. Women tend to view this aspect of their childbirth journey as the least satisfying, and in-depth analysis as to the reasons for this perspective is limited. This article presents a thought-provoking debate on postnatal hospital care and is underpinned by data that have emerged from observing postnatal wards as part of a larger research study. Two main points are pursued: reflections on carrying out ‘fieldwork’ and the notion that postnatal care is becoming deficient in purpose. Questions are raised as to the intention of hospitalization after birth, given the culture and context of a busy ward. Many factors impinge upon the woman's experience of the postnatal ward: the availability of midwives, the status/value of postnatal work and having enough time to spend with women on a busy ward. However, the essence of midwifery and intention of postnatal care must not be lost. Evidence to support postnatal care by midwives needs to be visible.