title: Partners' perspective on care-system support before, during and after childbirth in relation to parenting roles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore (i) ways in which partners experience support from care systems before, during, and after childbirth in relation to their parenting roles and (ii) ways in which support can improve.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four focus group interviews (n = 17; median age = 35; age range = 24-46) and inductive content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis revealed the following three categories: (1) Care staff include or exclude in relation to partners' parenting role; (2) Care systems continuity; (3) Being a supportive partner. The latent content of the categories was formulated into a theme: being engaged and wanting to be included.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because partners are engaged parents, who support the woman giving birth, they must feel included during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care and during encounters within child health care units. This would require (i) information that directly targets partners before and after childbirth, (ii) specially adapted venues for parent education, and (iii) personal, partner-focused discussions with care staff.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Academic Primary Health Care Centre, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden. Electronic address: anna.vikstrom@sll.se.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vikström
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Reproductive Health, Karolinska Institutet, SE- 171 76 Solna, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barimani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016487:Parenting; D010290:Parents; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012944:Social Support; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Childbirth; Focus group study; Partner support; Pregnancy; The infant period