Maternal identity change as a consequence of antenatal hospitalization.
Despite low fertility rates in Western countries, maternity remains one of the major goals of women from various socioeconomic backgrounds. While most women will have low-risk pregnancies, common serious disorders of pregnancy, such as preeclampsia, premature rupture of the membranes, placenta previa, or fetal growth restriction, may compromise maternal and infant outcomes. The experiences of urban and rural women in Australia who have had difficulties in maintaining their pregnancies are analyzed in this article. We study the impact of individual and social factors that facilitate or impede women's adjustment to the risks associated with these disorders. The analysis of in-depth interviews with 27 women hospitalized antenatally indicates that most women were unfamiliar with the diagnoses and acted as passive "decision takers," complying with medical advice to remain in the hospital. Admission to a tertiary hospital ward that provided care to women with pregnancy disorders promoted the formation of a new identity, that of a woman whose pregnancy did not follow the expected path. Further, hospitalization offered women the opportunity to interact with others in similar difficult situations and, hence, feel less isolated.
Markovic
Milica
M
School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychiatric Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia. milica.markovic@med.monash.edu.au
Manderson
Lenore
L
Schaper
Heather
H
Brennecke
Shaun
S
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001242:Assertiveness; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003657:Decision Making; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk / Q000523:psychology*; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012649:Self Concept; D012934:Social Isolation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014739:Victoria