Susanne Grylka-Baeschlin
Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW
Susanne Grylka is midwife, MSc midwifery and PhD candidate. She is working at the Research Unit for Midwifery Science at Zurich University of Applied Sciences and as a breastfeeding consultant. She worked in the German arm of the OptiBIRTH-Study before. Her research topics: VBAC, labour processes and postnatal QoL.
Background: Quality of Life (QoL) is a multidimensional concept lacking a uniform definition. The Mother-Generated Index (MGI) assesses postnatal QoL without providing a predefined checklist of questions. Mothers indicate areas of life affected by having a baby. Previous study did not consider the changes during the first weeks postpartum. Hence our study investigated: a) details and particularities of the areas of life affected after childbirth and thus to identify specific domains defining postnatal QoL; and b) differences in the relevance of these domains between weeks one and seven postpartum.
Methods: Two-stage survey at three days (124 participants) and seven weeks (83 participants) after birth. We applied a qualitative content analysis of MGI data deductively and inductively build categories. Two raters independently coded with 72% of agreement. Disagreements were solved by discussion. Frequencies of the responses, the diversity of mentioned aspects and their specificity for the life situation of women during the postpartum period were used for the interpretation of the relevance of categories and subcategories.
Preliminary results: Thirteen main domains defining postnatal QoL were identified, each with several subdomains: ‘physical wellbeing’ (e.g. fatigue, body consciousness), ‘psychological wellbeing’ (e.g. happiness, emotional confusion), ‘general wellbeing’ (not specified), motherhood (e.g. love and bonding to the baby, experience of giving birth, maternal feelings, breastfeeding), ‘family and partnership’ (e.g. responsibility for family, time for partner and other children), ‘social life’ (e.g. friends, being isolated), ‘everyday life’ (e.g. organisation daily routine, housework), ‘leisure’ (e.g. less time), ‘work life’ (e.g. worries about job), ‘financial issues’ (e.g. less money), ‘future’ (e.g. meaning in life), a ‘shift of priorities’ and a ‘changed role from being a working women’. The most frequently indicated and most specific domains at both stages were ‘family and partnership’ as well as ‘motherhood’. Working life was mentioned more often at three days than seven weeks postpartum. Social life in contrast, either positively or negatively affected, was noticed more often after seven weeks than after three days.
Discussion: Women after childbirth identified a wide variety of areas of life affected by having a baby. Some mothers faced challenges to find their new role inside and outside their families and lacked of time for themselves, their leisure, the partner and the other children. Other women welcomed the slowdown of the life rhythm and experienced overwhelming maternal feelings.
Conclusion: This study identified domains defining postnatal QoL which differed between weeks one and seven postpartum, suggesting that postnatal QoL is a concept that changes over time for new mothers by having a baby.
The identification and examination of relevant outcomes relating to labour and birth , Emotional and spiritual aspects of labour and birthing
