Primiparous women's narratives of confidence in the perinatal period

Abstract

BackgroundPregnancy and childbirth are described as transitional phases or existential thresholds that childbearing women have to cross.AimTo gather insights into the personal experiences of women in pregnancy, labour and the days immediately after birth.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative study in the postpartum ward at Westmead Hospital. We invited 16 primiparous women who had given birth to a single baby to participate in our study. After the participants signed the consent form, we conducted individual, in-depth interviews. We analysed the data using thematic analysis.FindingsConfidence was an overarching theme that contributed to the women's experiences of pregnancy, labour and the immediate days after birth. The experiences encompassed two main categories: positive experiences that aided in building confidence, and negative experiences that adversely affected women's confidence. The themes relating to positive experiences, including effective interpersonal relationships, knowledge promotion and positive self-concept, made the women feel more confident. The themes relating to negative experiences, including lack of control and feeling unprepared, made the women feel less confident in their mothering capabilities.ConclusionConfidence was the overarching theme in this study and knowledge was shown to be the fundamental feature of confidence.