title: The role of narrative medicine in pregnancy after liver transplantation.
abstract: Narrative medicine allows professionals from all fields of medical sciences to understand the patient's total experience of illness, and meet his/her needs in an empathetic environment. Narrative medicine helps spread holistic knowledge of a multitude of complex clinical conditions, including transplantation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To underline the role of narrative medicine in women who become pregnant after a liver transplant by using their narrations of this very special experience.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe our study with narration and listening to the stories of three women expecting their first child after a liver transplant, by analysing the structure and role of narration in the context of relationships between patients and caregivers. The narrations were transcribed verbatim with the main plot analysed in order to address all the aspects of this rare clinical condition and the transition to parenthood.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The women narrated this experience in three phases: transplantation, pregnancy and delivery, and post-partum. They described all phases of pregnancy as stressful but satisfying, whereas the fact of becoming a mother was perceived as a victory both as a woman and as a transplant patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that narrative medicine represents a significant professional tool for caring for transplant patients during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence , Florence , Italy and.
authors.forename: Gianpaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Donzelli
authors.forename: Erika Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Paddeu
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Alessandro
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nanni Costa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D033262:Narration; D010465:Perception; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D066027:Transplant Recipients / Q000523:psychology
keywords: High risk pregnancies; narration; narrative medicine; pregnancy after liver transplantation; story-based medicine; transplant patient