Primiparous women's experiences of labour in Harare, Zimbabwe

Abstract

A study of primiparous women in Harare, Zimbabwe was undertaken to assess women's knowledge about the process of labour and to ascertain whether communication with health professionals increased women's knowledge and whether they understood thr risks of certain bahaviours in labour. A retrospective qualitative study was undertaken among primiparous women in Harare, Zimbabwe from which a purposive sample was selected. Qualitative interviews were used to collect data from a purposive sample of primiparous women in their homes, one week after delivery of their first babies. Data saturation was achieved after interviewing and collecting data from ten women. Modified grounded analysis was used in the analysis of the qualitative data. The results revealed that primiparous women who delivered in maternity units in Harare did not receive information about labour from health professionals before labour. There were areas of conflict during the labour process between the women's cultural teaching and health professionals' knowledge of labour. The women were most distressed by the pain of labour and the process of acquiring pain relief, as well as poor communication with health professionals in general. The results suggest a need for continuing education for midwives in management of labour and improved communication between health professionals and women before and during labour.