The meaning of caring in prenatal care from Swedish women's perspectives

Abstract

Aim: To deepen understanding of the meaning of caring in prenatal care from Swedish women's perspectives.

Method: Ten women, who had given birth between 1 and 2 months previously, were interviewed. The women have taken part in the routine programme that constitutes maternity care Sweden. A hermeneutic approach inspired by Gadamer was used to analyse the data and gain a deeper understanding of the women's experiences.

Findings: Three themes were identified in the hermeneutical analysis. The themes highlight an existential and ontological aspect for caring as experienced of the women in the study: invitation and caring promise, witnessing and confirmation, and caring emerges in vulnerability.

Conclusion: The life-changing gravidity and vulnerability motivates caritative care during pregnancy. Reception of caring is not just a superficial feeling, but gives a new understanding of life on an ontological level. In a genuine caring relationship, the pregnant woman not only receives something but also a power and an opportunity to go further and find her own inner strength.

Keywords: caring science; caritative caring; childbirth; experiences; hermeneutic; pregnancy.