Marathon maternity oral history project: Exploring rural birthing through narrative methods

Area of Science:

• Medical Anthropology
• Rural Health Studies
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Understanding community perspectives on birthing and maternity care is crucial, especially in rural settings.
• Oral histories offer unique insights into personal experiences and societal values related to healthcare.
• The study focuses on a specific rural community to explore these nuanced understandings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the understanding and valuation of birthing and maternity care within a rural community.
• To gather personal narratives that illuminate the lived experiences of maternity care.
• To provide a platform for community voices regarding local healthcare services.

Main Methods:

• Employed oral history research methodology with a purposive sample.
• Conducted non-anonymous interviews with mothers, grandmothers, nurses, physicians, and community leaders.
• Edited interview transcripts into short, reflective narratives for broader accessibility.

Main Results:

• Eleven stand-alone narratives present the project's findings, intended for personal reflection.
• The narrative format encourages reader engagement and emphasizes the "voices" of participants.
• Findings are accessible to both academic and non-academic audiences across various disciplines.

Conclusions:

• Sharing personal birthing experiences can inspire reevaluation of maternity practices and services.
• Marathon's stories offer insights into the challenges of local birthing and the implications of service loss in rural Canada.
• The study underscores the importance of preserving local maternity services and understanding their community value.