Characteristics of childbirth and post childbirth experiences of Psychology students

Abstract

The period of pregnancy and the moment of delivery give rise to different feelings, depending on the characteristics of each woman’s experience, which can be a facilitator or a hindrance of motherhood. This research sought to investigate the general characteristics of childbirth/delivery and postpartum experiences of Psychology students. This is a quantitative study. A questionnaire was applied to 28 students from a higher education institution. In the analysis, descriptive measures were generated. The results showed that 46.4% had a normal delivery, 42.9% had a caesarean delivery, and 10.7% had both. From those who had normal delivery, 68.8% underwent induction, 93.8% had an episiotomy and 75% breastfed in the child’s first hour of life. Among those who had cesarean delivery, there was a lower rate of breastfeeding (46.7%) in this period. It is suggested that raising questions related to the experience of childbirth may allow the development of effective empowerment strategies for pregnant women in making decisions about their childbirth.

Keywords

• parto normal
• cesárea
• parturiente
• período pós-parto