Communicating choice: an exploration of mothers’ experiences of birth

Journal article


Hallam, Jenny, Howard, Chris, Locke, Abigail and Thomas, Melissa 2016. Communicating choice: an exploration of mothers’ experiences of birth. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2015.1119260
AuthorsHallam, Jenny, Howard, Chris, Locke, Abigail and Thomas, Melissa
Abstract

Birth is a significant life event for many women that can have profound, long lasting effects on how they see themselves as women and mothers. Within the literature the importance of control over the birth experience and the support that the birthing woman receives from midwives is stressed. This paper gives an in-depth insight into the ways in which communication between midwives and the birthing woman shape the birth experience. Six women who had recently given birth participated in one to one semi-structured interviews designed to explore the kinds of support they received before, during and after their birth. An inductive thematic analysis was employed in order to identify and explore key issues which ran throughout the interviews. Within the interviews the importance of being an active mother, someone who made decisions in relation to her labour, was stressed. The analysis explores the ways in which communication style and compassionate care either enabled or prevented women from adopting the position of ‘active’ mother. It is argued that a personal connection with midwives and clear and open communication which places the birthing woman in a position of control are key to positive birth experiences.

Keywordsbirth; active mother; qualitative methods
Year2016
JournalJournal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology
ISSN0264-6838
1469-672X
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2015.1119260
Web address (URL)http://hdl.handle.net/10545/619014
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
hdl:10545/619014
Publication dates19 Jan 2016
Publication process dates
Deposited29 Aug 2016, 10:27
Rights

Archived with thanks to Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology

ContributorsUNiversity of Derby
File
File Access Level
Open
File
File Access Level
Open
File
File Access Level
Open
Permalink -

https://repository.derby.ac.uk/item/94q3z/communicating-choice-an-exploration-of-mothers-experiences-of-birth

Download files

  • 56
    total views
  • 28
    total downloads
  • 1
    views this month
  • 1
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

Conservation volunteers’ experiences of connecting with nature during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interpretative phenomenological analysis
Furlong, R., Hallam, J. and Barnes, C. 2024. Conservation volunteers’ experiences of connecting with nature during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Discover Psychology. 4 (30), pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44202-024-00144-3
The Yin-Yang of Spirituality: An Introduction to the Special Issue
Childs, C. and Howard, C. 2023. The Yin-Yang of Spirituality: An Introduction to the Special Issue. Journal of Scientific Exploration. 37 (4), pp. 582-585. https://doi.org/10.31275/20233231
Understanding the attitudes towards breastfeeding amongst staff and students in a UK higher institutional setting–a mixed-method cross-sectional study
Jackson, J., Hallam, J., Griffiths, A., Leverton, J. and Safari, R. 2023. Understanding the attitudes towards breastfeeding amongst staff and students in a UK higher institutional setting–a mixed-method cross-sectional study. International Journal of Health Promotion and Education . pp. 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/14635240.2023.2273263
Exploring the healthcare experiences and support needs of chestfeeding or breastfeeding for trans and non-binary parents based in the United Kingdom
Jackson, J., Wild, R., Hallam, J., Graves. R, Woodstein B. J. and Stothard. P. 2023. Exploring the healthcare experiences and support needs of chestfeeding or breastfeeding for trans and non-binary parents based in the United Kingdom. International Journal of Transgender Health. pp. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/26895269.2023.2265371
Exploring the lived experiences of mothers of extremely preterm infants within the UK: An interpretative phenomenological analysis
Robinson, S, Williams, S., Hallam, J. and Jackson, J. 2023. Exploring the lived experiences of mothers of extremely preterm infants within the UK: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Journal of health visiting. 11 (2), pp. 74-81. https://doi.org/10.12968/johv.2023.11.2.72
Editorial: The Marketization of Higher Education: The State of the Union Between the Student as Consumer and the Free Market
Howard, C., Senior, C., Stupple, E.J., Corcoran, A., Igarashi, Y. and Stupple, E. 2022. Editorial: The Marketization of Higher Education: The State of the Union Between the Student as Consumer and the Free Market. Frontiers in Psychology. Vol 13 (Article: 932122). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.932122
The dark side of humanity scale: A reconstruction of the Dark Tetrad constructs
Katz, L., Harvey, C., Baker, I. and Howard, C. 2022. The dark side of humanity scale: A reconstruction of the Dark Tetrad constructs. Acta Psychologica. 222, pp. 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2021.103461
A narrative synthesis using the ecological systems theory for understanding a woman’s ability to continue breastfeeding
Jackson, J., Safari, R. and Hallam, J. 2022. A narrative synthesis using the ecological systems theory for understanding a woman’s ability to continue breastfeeding. International Journal of Health Promotion and Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/14635240.2022.2098162
“I’m not the best at art”: An exploration of children's growing sense of artistry within an outdoor, arts-based intervention
Hallam, J., Gallagher, L and Owen, K. 2022. “I’m not the best at art”: An exploration of children's growing sense of artistry within an outdoor, arts-based intervention. Thinking Skills and Creativity. 44, pp. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2022.101038
An exploration of partners’ experiences of breastfeeding beyond 1 year
Jackson, J. and Hallam, J. 2022. An exploration of partners’ experiences of breastfeeding beyond 1 year. Journal of health visiting. 10 (4). https://doi.org/10.12968/johv.2022.10.4.161
An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis exploring the experiences of mothers who relate to the term ‘Gender Disappointment’
Young, Nina, Hallam, Jenny, Jackson, Jessica, Barnes, Christopher and Montague, Jane 2021. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis exploring the experiences of mothers who relate to the term ‘Gender Disappointment’. Journal of health visiting. https://doi.org/10.12968/johv.2021.9.11.470
‘I don’t wanna go. I’m staying. This is my home now.’ Analysis of an intervention for connecting young people to urban nature.
Hallam, Jenny, Gallagher, Laurel and Harvey, Caroline 2021. ‘I don’t wanna go. I’m staying. This is my home now.’ Analysis of an intervention for connecting young people to urban nature. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127341
‘It’s quite a taboo subject’: an investigation of mother’s experiences of breastfeeding beyond infancy and the challenges they face
Jackson, Jessica and Hallam, Jenny 2021. ‘It’s quite a taboo subject’: an investigation of mother’s experiences of breastfeeding beyond infancy and the challenges they face. Women and Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/03630242.2021.1938790
Student Primacy and the Post Pandemic University
Carl Senior, Howard, C., Edward J. N. Stupple, Rowena Senior and Stupple, E. 2021. Student Primacy and the Post Pandemic University. Frontiers in Education. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.712767
The secret language of flowers: insights from an outdoor, arts-based intervention designed to connect primary school children to locally accessible nature
Hallam, Jenny, Gallagher, Laurel and Owen, Kay 2021. The secret language of flowers: insights from an outdoor, arts-based intervention designed to connect primary school children to locally accessible nature. Environmental education research. 28 (1), pp. 128-145. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2021.1994926
Against all odds—why UK mothers’ breastfeeding beyond infancy are turning to their international peers for emotional and informative support
Jackson, Jessica and Hallam, Jenny 2020. Against all odds—why UK mothers’ breastfeeding beyond infancy are turning to their international peers for emotional and informative support. Informa UK Limited. https://doi.org/10.1080/07399332.2020.1744147
Opening doors to nature: Bringing calm and raising aspirations of vulnerable young people through nature-based intervention
Hallam, Jenny, Richardson, Miles, Richardson, Elizabeth and Ferguson, Fiona 2019. Opening doors to nature: Bringing calm and raising aspirations of vulnerable young people through nature-based intervention. The Humanistic Psychologist. https://doi.org/10.1037/hum0000148
'I felt like I was doing something wrong': A qualitative exploration of mothers' experiences of breastfeeding
Jackson, Jessica and Hallam, Jenny 2019. 'I felt like I was doing something wrong': A qualitative exploration of mothers' experiences of breastfeeding. Journal of health visiting. https://doi.org/10.12968/johv.2019.7.4.166
The good things children notice in nature: An extended framework for reconnecting children with nature.
Harvey, C., Hallam, J., Richardson, M. and Wells, R. 2019. The good things children notice in nature: An extended framework for reconnecting children with nature. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening. 49, pp. 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2019.126573
Empowering women through the positive birth movement.
Hallam, Jenny, Howard, Christopher, Locke, Abigail and Thomas, Melissa 2018. Empowering women through the positive birth movement. Journal of Gender Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2018.1469972
The state of the art in student engagement
Senior, Carl and Howard, Chris 2015. The state of the art in student engagement. Frontiers.
Learning in friendship groups: developing students’ conceptual understanding through social interaction
Senior, Carl and Howard, Chris 2014. Learning in friendship groups: developing students’ conceptual understanding through social interaction. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01031
An exploration of children's experiences of art in the classroom
Hallam, Jenny, Hewitt, Des and Buxton, Sarah 2014. An exploration of children's experiences of art in the classroom. International Journal of Art & Design Education. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-8070.2014.12022.x
An analysis of the presentation of art in the British primary school curriculum and its implications for teaching
Hallam, Jenny, Lee, Helen A. N. and Gupta, Mani Das 2007. An analysis of the presentation of art in the British primary school curriculum and its implications for teaching. International Journal of Art & Design Education. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-8070.2007.00530.x
Drawings as memory aids: optimising the drawing method to facilitate young children’s recall
Barlow, Claire, Jolley, Richard P. and Hallam, Jenny 2010. Drawings as memory aids: optimising the drawing method to facilitate young children’s recall. Applied Cognitive Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.1716
Governing the souls of young women: exploring the perspectives of mothers on parenting in the age of sexualisation
Howard, Chris, Hallam, Jenny and Brady, Katie 2014. Governing the souls of young women: exploring the perspectives of mothers on parenting in the age of sexualisation. Journal of Gender Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2014.952714
An investigation into the ways in which art is taught in an English Waldorf Steiner school
Hallam, Jenny, Egan, Susan and Kirkham, Julie 2015. An investigation into the ways in which art is taught in an English Waldorf Steiner school. Thinking Skills and Creativity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2015.07.003
Collaborative cognition: Co-creating children's artwork in an educational context
Hallam, Jenny, Lee, Helen A. N. and Das Gupta, Mani 2014. Collaborative cognition: Co-creating children's artwork in an educational context. Theory & Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959354314526088
An exploration of primary school teachers’ understanding of art and the place of art in the primary school curriculum
Hallam, Jenny, Das Gupta, Mani and Lee, Helen A. N. 2008. An exploration of primary school teachers’ understanding of art and the place of art in the primary school curriculum. Curriculum Journal. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585170802509856
Shaping children's artwork in English primary classes: insights from teacher–child interaction during art activities
Hallam, Jenny, Das Gupta, Mani and Lee, Helen A. N. 2011. Shaping children's artwork in English primary classes: insights from teacher–child interaction during art activities. International Journal of Early Years Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2011.629489
Multiple interpretations of child art–the importance of context and perspective.
Hallam, Jenny, Lee, Helen A. N. and Das Gupta, Mani 2012. Multiple interpretations of child art–the importance of context and perspective. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025793
Variation in the length of an undergraduate degree: participation and outcomes
Davies, Peter, Slack, Kim and Howard, Chris 2013. Variation in the length of an undergraduate degree: participation and outcomes. Studies in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2010.520698
Exploring the psychological rewards of a familiar semirural landscape: connecting to local nature through a mindful approach
Richardson, Miles and Hallam, Jenny 2013. Exploring the psychological rewards of a familiar semirural landscape: connecting to local nature through a mindful approach. The Humanistic Psychologist. https://doi.org/10.1080/08873267.2012.732156
Breastfeeding Experiences of Women Who have Survived Intimate Partner Violence
Stephanie Allen, Sophie Williams, Jenny Hallam and Jackson, J. 2012. Breastfeeding Experiences of Women Who have Survived Intimate Partner Violence. Journal of health visiting. 11 (5). https://doi.org/10.12968/johv.2023.11.5.204