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- Olsson, Ann, et al.
(författare)
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Assessing women's sexual life after childbirth : the role of the postnatal check
- 2011
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Ingår i: Midwifery. - : Elsevier. - 0266-6138 .- 1532-3099. ; 27:2, s. 195-202
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: to describe midwives' reflections on counselling women at the postnatal check with special focus on sexual life after childbirth. Design: qualitative descriptive study with focus group discussions as the method of data collection. Setting: antenatal clinics in Stockholm greater catchments' area. Participants: during 2006 and 2007, a voluntary sample of midwives from 10 different antenatal clinics were invited. Analysis: content analysis was undertaken through identification of codes, categories and themes. Findings: Two themes emerged: balancing between personal perceptions of the woman's needs and the health system restrictions and strategies for counselling about sexual life after childbirth'. The midwives tried to create a picture for themselves of the woman coming for the postnatal check and her needs before the consulation. This picture guided the midwives, but lack of time and knowledge restricted them when counselling on sexual life after childbirth. Two different strategies in counselling were identified, one task-oriented and one subject-oriented. Demands and time restrictions led midwives to distance themselves from their clients. A task-oriented approach was more visible in midwives' encounters with foreign-born women, where linguistic difficulties, cultural diversity and narrow time frames restricted the midwives' effectiveness and/or sensitivity as caregivers. In contrast, the subject-oriented strategy meant 'getting in tune', i.e. listening to the woman when she expressed her feelings and emotions, encouraging the woman to be an active participant in decisions involving her care. This strategy is used for women who arouse midwives' empathy and when there is some form of recognition and understanding. Conclusion: The picture created of the woman and her needs guided the midwives, but lack of knowledge and time limitations restricted counselling on sexual life after childbirth. Two counselling strategies were identified, one task-oriented and one subject-oriented. Balancing these two counselling strategies improves both the ethical aspects and the quality of the counselling. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 2. |
- Olsson, Ann, et al.
(författare)
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Fatherhood in focus, sexual activity can wait : New fathers' experience about sexual life after childbirth
- 2010
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0283-9318 .- 1471-6712. ; 24:4, s. 716-725
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Becoming a parent is overwhelming for most men and women and alters the sexual relationship for many couples. Aim: To describe fathers’ experience about sexual life after childbirth within the first 6 months after childbirth. Method: A descriptive design, using content analysis with a qualitative approach, based on focus group discussions and one-to-one interviews. Participants: Eight first-time and two subsequent fathers participated. Results: Three subthemes were identified: Struggling between stereotypes and personal perceptions of male sexuality during transition to fatherhood; new frames for negotiating sex; a need to feel safe and at ease in the new family situation. The over-arching theme emerged as ‘transition to fatherhood brings sexual life to a crossroads’ and guided us to a deeper understanding of the difficulties men experience during the transition to fatherhood. To get sexual life working, a number of issues had to be resolved, such as getting involved in the care of the baby and the household and getting in tune with their partners in regard to sexual desire. The men needed to be reassured and prepared for this new situation by health care professionals. Conclusions: New fathers in our study put the baby in focus in early parenthood and were prepared to postpone sex until both parties were ready, although they needed reassurance to feel at ease with the new family situation. The fathers’ perceptions of sexual life extended to include all kinds of closeness and touching, and it deviated from the stereotype of male sexuality. This is important information for health care providers and midwives to be aware of for their encounters with men (and women) during the transition to fatherhood, and parenthood and can contribute to caring science with a gender perspective on adjustment of sexual life after childbirth.
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