Black women perceptions regarding the birthing experience: A qualitative study

Positive experience of labour and birth is an outcome that should be sought in all maternity services. Negative birthing experiences are associated with poorer health outcomes and preventing them improves the quality of maternity care. Racial disparities impact negatively in maternal health and reflect structural inequalities in health. Understanding Black women's perspectives and expectations regarding birth can help to improve the quality of care.

this study aims to realize the meanings Black women attribute to their birthing experiences.

We developed a qualitative study through open, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with postpartum Black women in a maternity care service in Southeast Brazil. For data analysis, we conducted a thematic analysis to identify codes, themes, and subthemes of the data based on the academic work of researchers on the ethno-racial theme in the Brazilian context and woman-centered care framework.

We interviewed 21 postpartum women between October 2023 and February 2024. Based on the analysis, three themes were identified: (1) The unspoken: experiences of skin colour and maternity care; (2) The many manifestations of pain in the birth experience; (3) Autonomy and information: the lack of information can lead to a feeling of losing control of the process.

In our study, Black women denied skin colour influence over their birthing experience and reported pain in its various manifestations, both physical and psychological, and lack of information and autonomy. These reflect the complexity of racism regarding obstetric care, and highlights the importance of woman-centered and respectful maternity care.