WOMEN’S PERCEPTION OF THEIR FIRST LABOR EXPERIENCE: IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

Abstract

Objective: To study the perception of primiparous women in the obstetric context of a maternity hospital in Recife. Method: This is a descriptive and qualitative research. Ten primiparous women admitted at a University Hospital of Pernambuco were interviewed for three months. The instrument of data collection was a semistructured interview. After full transcription, the speeches were subjected to content analysis, thematic modality, and later interpreted according to Jean Watson’s Theory of Transpersonal Care. Results: Women reported having created a bond with the health team and feeling satisfaction from the first contact with their child. They had lack of knowledge about their health condition and could not participate in decisions made about their health. Conclusion: There is persistence of conservative interventionism in the memories of their first delivery, thus revealing the need for further discussion about the subject and the construction of nursing care models in favor of humanization and autonomy.