title: Recovery from childbirth: looking back 6 months after delivery.
abstract: Women's perceptions of their recovery from childbirth were investigated by open-ended interviews of 96 mothers of health, full-term infants 6 months after delivery. Data included factors affecting physical, mental, and emotional recovery; sources of help and hindrance; ideas of what each women would do differently after the delivery of another child; and overall evaluation of how the months after delivery compared with expectations. Content analysis of the data revealed that 25% of the women did not feel physically recovered from childbirth at 6 months postpartum. Husbands and other family members were major sources of help. Prolonged labor and cesarean delivery were the major hindrances to recovery. More household and child-care help was desired after delivery of another child. Almost half of the women found the first 6 months after delivery more difficult than anticipated. The findings suggest that pregnant women need more information about lifestyle adjustments after childbirth.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tulman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fawcett
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012718:Set, Psychology; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires