Giving birth: Guatemalan women's voices

To gain an understanding of the cultural meanings of giving birth for Guatemalan women.

Ethnographic, focusing on the birth stories of Guatemalan women and their perceptions of the sociocultural context of childbearing.

Thirty Guatemalan women (15 primiparae and 15 multiparae) of mixed Mayan and Ladino heritage who had given birth to healthy full-term infants were interviewed during the early postpartum weeks. These women lived in small villages in the Sacatepéquez District of Guatemala. These audiotaped interviews were conducted in the Nacional Pedro de Bethancourt Hospital, in clinics, in the homes of the women, or in central plazas.

The sociocultural context of giving birth in Guatemala is described, including common beliefs about pregnancy and childbirth and the meaning and significance of having children. The predominant themes found were the sacred nature of childbirth; the need for reliance on God during pregnancy, childbirth, and childrearing; and the bittersweet paradox of giving birth.

With increasing numbers of Central American refugees and immigrants of childbearing age entering the United States, it is important for nurses to recognize, acknowledge, and respect specific cultural practices related to childbearing.