title: Birth talk in second stage labor.
abstract: In this secondary analysis of videotape data, we describe birth talk demonstrated by caregivers to women during the second stage of labor. Birth talk is a distinctive verbal register or a set of linguistic features that are used with particular behaviors during specific situations, has a particular communication purpose, and is characterized by distinctive language features. Birth talk is found cross-culturally among speakers of diverse languages. Our findings show that birth talk occurred mainly during contractions and co-occurred with two general styles of caregiving: "directed toward forced bearing down" and "supportive of physiologic bearing down." We also describe talk that occurred during rest periods, which was similar across the two styles. Caregivers' use of language tended to be either procedural (giving directions, instructions) or comfort related (encouraging and supporting). Linguistic features of the talk consisted of utterances of short duration, level pitch patterns with no sudden pitch shifts, and a restricted pitch range.
authors: University of Utah College of Nursing, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
authors: Linda
authors: L
authors: Bergstrom
authors: Lori
authors: L
authors: Richards
authors: Adele
authors: A
authors: Proctor
authors: Leticia Bohrer
authors: LB
authors: Avila
authors: Janice M
authors: JM
authors: Morse
authors: Joyce E
authors: JE
authors: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007748:Labor Stage, Second; D008037:Linguistics; D011247:Pregnancy; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D014705:Verbal Behavior; D014743:Videotape Recording