Some Swedish women's experiences of prolonged labour

Abstract

Objective: to elucidate women's experiences of prolonged labour.

Design: qualitative research interviews were conducted and thematic content analysis was applied.

Participants: 10 primiparae who, 1-3 months previously, had a prolonged labour with assisted vaginal or caesarean delivery.

Findings: the narratives about giving birth were interpreted and formulated into three themes and six sub-themes. The first theme, 'being caught up in labour', described the sense of not making progress during labour. The second theme was 'being out of control', and was related to the women's insufficient control of their own bodily processes, and consisted of descriptions of exhaustion and powerlessness. The third theme was 'being dependent on others', and described the women's dependence on care and on the support of the caregivers, and included descriptions of caregivers' assistance with birth as an experience of being relieved from pain and distress.

Key conclusions: the experience of giving birth was not the experience of a healthy woman in labour, but one of severe labour pains that seemed to go on forever. The experience of prolonged labour could be understood as an experience of suddenly falling ill or finding oneself in a life-threatening condition associated with intractable pain, dependence on others and an overwhelming fear of losing oneself.

Implications for practice: women with prolonged labour are more dependent on their caregivers than are women without prolonged labour. They have a special need for extra support and encouragement during the delivery as well as increased nursing and midwifery care.