Childbirth experiences of professional Chinese Canadian women

Abstract

Objective: To explore the connections between culture and expectations surrounding the childbirth experience for professional Chinese Canadian women.

Design: Descriptive and qualitative, using ethnographic interview.

Setting: Women were recruited from a community health care center in metropolitan Toronto.

Participants: Six professional Chinese Canadian women who had experienced at least one childbirth.

Results: The respondents described adherence to many traditional values, beliefs, and practices throughout the pregnancy and childbirth experience. However, some practices were modified to address functioning in a context that could not support full expression of cultural traditions. Recent immigration to Canada was associated with less adherence to traditional Chinese rituals and beliefs.

Conclusion: Nurses cannot make assumptions about who will use traditional cultural practices or about the circumstances in which they are relevant. Nurses need to be aware of cultural expectations so they can provide culturally competent care, but they should also be aware of how to engage in discussions to clarify individual patient priorities.