Giving birth: the voices of Russian women.
OBJECTIVE
To gain an understanding of the meaning of childbirth to women living in St. Petersburg, the Russian Federation.


METHODS
Twenty-four Russian women who had given birth in the past 6 months participated in this phenomenological study and were interviewed and audio-taped about the meaning of childbirth. Data collection and analysis occurred concurrently.


RESULTS
The Russian sociocultural context of childbirth was identified in specific themes: (1) adhering to cultural traditions, (2) accessing information, (3) maintaining a healthy lifestyle, (4) articulating the spiritual and emotional meaning of giving birth, and (5) transforming as a mother and a person. Study participants reported reading extensively during pregnancy as well as accessing Web-based information about childbirth. Women chose to give their newborns traditional Slavic names and have their infants christened.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings of qualitative studies can be used to guide clinical practice, because they provide rich data about essential life events and reactions associated with them. Women from Russia are emigrating to countries all over the world, and thus, their cultural views of childbirth are essential knowledge for the provision of appropriate nursing care. With dramatic socioeconomic and political changes occurring over the past 15 years, along with major changes in healthcare delivery systems, listening to the voices of Russian childbearing women giving birth is vital information for nurses working in maternal-child health settings.
Callister
Lynn Clark
LC
College of Nursing, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA. lynn_callister@byu.edu
Getmanenko
Natalia
N
Garvrish
Natalia
N
Eugenevna
Marakova Olga
MO
Vladimirova
Zotina Nataliya
ZN
Lassetter
Jane
J
Turkina
Natalia
N
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008016:Life Change Events; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D036801:Parturition / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012426:Russia; D029181:Spirituality