Mary Carolan1, Loris Cassar. 1. School of Nursing and Midwifery, St. Alban's Campus, Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne 8001, Australia. mary.carolan@vu.edu.au
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: to explore the experiences and concerns of an African-born sample of pregnant women receiving antenatal care in Melbourne, Australia. DESIGN: qualitative in-depth interviews. SETTING: the African Women's Clinic located in Melbourne's western suburbs, an area known for social deprivation and high numbers of recently arrived African migrants. PARTICIPANTS: 18 pregnant African-born women were interviewed. FINDINGS: African women receiving pregnancy care in Australia undergo a process of adjustment as they travel from a view of pregnancy as not 'special' to valuing continuous antenatal care. Five themes were identified along the trajectory: pregnancy is not special; resettlement is a priority; childbearing is a normal process; coming to value continuous pregnancy care; and cultural sensitivity is important. Throughout each stage, valuing and acceptance of Australian pregnancy care were mediated by the women's cultural beliefs. CONCLUSION: the African population in Melbourne is not homogenous, and women's experiences differ with cultural background, residential status, educational level and prior experience. All, however, seem to progress through phases of adjustment to value continuous antenatal care. In this climate of change, the provision of a supportive sensitive service appears to promote acceptance of services and attendance at appointments. Copyright 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
OBJECTIVE: to explore the experiences and concerns of an African-born sample of pregnant women receiving antenatal care in Melbourne, Australia. DESIGN: qualitative in-depth interviews. SETTING: the African Women's Clinic located in Melbourne's western suburbs, an area known for social deprivation and high numbers of recently arrived African migrants. PARTICIPANTS: 18 pregnant African-born women were interviewed. FINDINGS: African women receiving pregnancy care in Australia undergo a process of adjustment as they travel from a view of pregnancy as not 'special' to valuing continuous antenatal care. Five themes were identified along the trajectory: pregnancy is not special; resettlement is a priority; childbearing is a normal process; coming to value continuous pregnancy care; and cultural sensitivity is important. Throughout each stage, valuing and acceptance of Australian pregnancy care were mediated by the women's cultural beliefs. CONCLUSION: the African population in Melbourne is not homogenous, and women's experiences differ with cultural background, residential status, educational level and prior experience. All, however, seem to progress through phases of adjustment to value continuous antenatal care. In this climate of change, the provision of a supportive sensitive service appears to promote acceptance of services and attendance at appointments. Copyright 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors: Helen J Rogers; Lily Hogan; Dominiek Coates; Caroline S E Homer; Amanda Henry Journal: BMC Womens Health Date: 2021-05-27 Impact factor: 2.809