A phenomenological study on the traces of obstetric violence in women's birth experiences

In this study, we aimed to examine women's birth experiences in the context of obstetric violence.

This is a qualitative study examining women's birth experiences phenomenologically. The research data were collected from 25 pregnant women who visited the Training and Research Hospital Electronic Fetal Monitorization outpatient clinic who were in the last trimester of pregnancy and who had previously given birth vaginally. Descriptive information form and semi-structured interview form were used for data collection. A thematic content analysis approach was used to analyze the data. Thematic content analysis was performed based on the obstetric severity classification proposed by Bohren et al. and Bowser and Hill. MAXQDA 20 software program was used to code the data.

Women's birth experiences were grouped under three themes linked to obstetric violence: dignified care, loss of autonomy, abandonment in care. Under these themes, eight categories were created: physical violence, verbal violence, deprivation of privacy, it was as if I did not exist, the medicalization of childbirth, intimidation/threatening with bad consequences to get what they wanted, midwives were like robots, I felt forgotten.

It was determined that women were exposed to different types of obstetric violence during the delivery process. In order to prevent obstetric violence, it is important to increase the awareness of midwives, obstetricians, and care recipients on the issue and to solve structural problems such as lack of resources.