[Recognition and communication of early preventive services in obstetrics : A qualitative interview study with...

The perception of patients' needs of support and sensitive communication about psychosocial stress all represent new, exacting tasks for nursing staff, midwives, social workers and physicians in obstetrics. As part of Good Start into the Family (GuStaF), a learning and teaching project in a university hospital, we were able to interview parents about their experiences with the intervention.

Evaluation of the process of establishing contacts, the communication with professionals in obstetrics and the support offered from the perspective of parents.

Qualitative guided interviews with seven families one year after the delivery.

Problem areas reported by parents were predominately related to increased parental care and the feeling of being overwhelmed in addition to social stress. Core themes in communication addressed the entry into conversations, which was remembered negatively when advice was perceived as improper, patronizing or stigmatizing, and positively when professionals had listened sensitively and had provided tangible support. Some conversations increased stress. Relating to assistance and support, parents reported both positive and negative experiences. Justness and reliability emerged as particularly important topics.

The attendance of families around the time of the delivery poses varying demands upon the hospital staff, not necessarily in keeping with traditional professional attitudes and competencies. Careful attention to the personal physical and emotional well-being of mothers and newborns, non-stigmatizing entry into the conversations, justness of the support and avoiding inconsistencies within the institution and the network all appear to be of great importance.