Unplanned caesarean childbirth: some New Zealand women evaluate their experiences

Abstract

The incidence of caesarean childbirth has increased over recent years, both internationally and nationally. In this research eight women talked about their experiences of an unplanned caesarean birth. All of the births took place between March 1988 and March 1989 at Wellington Women's Hospital. To date there has been very little research undertaken on any aspect of caesarean birth in New Zealand. The study shows how one cannot assume that findings from U.S.A.-based research will necessarily apply to New Zealand. This study provides an important starting point for New Zealand-based research in that it documents caesarean birth from the women's perspectives. This research focused on women's subjective responses and involved women telling their birth stories and sharing their feelings about the key events of the birth. Qualitative methods were therefore used. To facilitate a maximum flow of information, interviews were of an open-ended, semi-structured nature, conducted between two to six weeks after the birth. The findings from this research help to inform social work and medical practice and highlight areas for continuing research in this field. A wide range of psycho-social variables were found to influence women's responses to their births. In some areas the findings supported those reported in much of the U.S.A.-based research particularly favouring the use of regional anaesthetic and the presence of a support person in theatre. By contrast, this research did not find evidence of the negative emotions reported in the U.S.A. literature, although these New Zealand women reported special and different feelings regarding their births. At the time of their births all of the women wanted to be informed about procedures regarding caesarean delivery before entering theatre, regardless of socioeconomic status. This highlights the need for women to be responded to as individuals no matter how they present. Further research is required in New Zealand from different professional perspectives which continues to inform practice in this field. A range of medical and community-based professionals come into contact with women who have experienced a caesarean birth, both at the time of the actual delivery and after the event.