The way in which midwives relate to expectant parents during the process of childbirth greatly influences the parents’ childbirth experiences for a long time. We believe that examining and describing ways of relating in naturally occurring interactions during childbirth should be considered as an ethical responsibility. This has been highlighted in relation to parents’ experiences and in the light of the relational ethics of Løgstrup. Four couples’ and nine midwives’ ways of relating were documented by 27 hours of observation, including 14.5 hours of video-recorded sessions. A qualitative content analysis was conducted. The midwives strongly influenced the different ways of relating and three aspects of professional competence were disclosed. The results can contribute to reflections about current praxis as an ethical demand for midwives.
Hodnett ED , Gates S , Hofmeyr GJ , Sakala C.Continuous support for women during childbirth (Cochrane Review). In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 3, 2003. Oxford: Update Software , 2003.
2.
Bowers BB.Mothers’ experiences of labour support: exploration of qualitative research . J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs2002; 31: 742-752 .
3.
Hunter LP.Being with woman: a guiding concept for the care of labouring women . J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs2002; 31: 555-562 .
4.
Halldorsdottir S , Karlsdottir S.Empowerment or discouragement: women’s experiences of caring and uncaring encounters during childbirth . Health Care Women Int1996; 17: 361-379 .
5.
Berg M , Dahlberg K.A phenomenological study of women’s experiences of complicated childbirth . Midwifery1998; 14: 23-29 .
6.
Goldberg L.In the company of women: enacting autonomy within the perinatal nursing relationship . Nurs Ethics2003; 10: 580-587 .
7.
Barclay L , Donovan J , Genovese A.Men’s experiences during their partner’s first pregnancy: a grounded theory analysis . Aust J Adv Nurs1996; 13(3): 12-24
8.
Somers-Smith MJ.A place for the partner? Expectations and experiences of support during childbirth . Midwifery1999; 15: 101-108 .
9.
Hallgren A , Kihlgren M , Forslin L.Swedish fathers’ involvement in and experiences of childbirth preparation and childbirth . Midwifery1999; 15: 6-15 .
10.
Chandler S , Field PA.Becoming a father. First-time fathers’ experience of labour and delivery . J Nurse Midwifery1997; 42(1): 17-24 .
11.
Draper J.Whose welfare in the labour room? A discussion of the increasing trend of fathers’ birth attendance . Midwifery1997; 13: 132-138 .
12.
Vehvilainen-Julkunen K , Liukkonen A.Fathers’ experiences of childbirth . Midwifery1998; 14: 10-17 .
13.
Chapman L.Expectant fathers’ experiences during labour and birth . J Perinat Neonatal Nurs1991; 4: 21-29 .
14.
Nichols MR.Paternal perspectives of the childbirth experience . Matern Child Nurs J1993; 21: 99-108 .
15.
Halldórsdóttir S. Caring and uncaring encounters in nursing and health care - developing a theory. [Dissertation]. Linköping: Linköping University, 1996.
16.
Hallgren A , Kihlgren M , Norberg A.Women’s perceptions of childbirth and childbirth education before and after education and birth . Midwifery1995; 11: 130-137 .
17.
Thompson FE.Moving from codes of ethics to ethical relationship for midwifery practice . Nurs Ethics2002; 9: 522-536 .
18.
Løgstrup KE.The ethical demand. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press , 1997.
19.
Thompson FE.The practice setting: site of ethical conflict for some mothers and midwives . Nurs Ethics2003; 10: 588-601 .
20.
Hallgren A , Kihlgren M , Norberg A.A descriptive study of childbirth education provided by midwives in Sweden . Midwifery1994; 10: 215-224 .
21.
Bottorff J.Using videotaped recordings in qualitative research. In: Morse J ed. Critical issues in qualitative research methods. Thousands Oaks, CA: SAGE , 1994: 244-262.
22.
Lotzkar M , Bottorff JL.An observational study of the development of a nurse-patient relationship . Clin Nurs Res2001; 10: 275-294 .
23.
Kihlgren M , Hallgren A , Norberg A.Disclosure of basic strengths and basic weaknesses in demented patients during morning care before and after staff training in integrity promoting care. Analysis of video recordings by means of the Eriksson theory of eight stages of man . Int J Aging Hum Dev1996; 43: 219-233 .
24.
Latvala E , Vuokila-Oikkonen P , Janhonen S.Videotaped recording as a method of participant observation in psychiatric nursing research . J Adv Nurs2000; 31: 1252-1257 .
25.
Hansebo G , Kihlgren M.Carers’ interactions with patients suffering from severe dementia: a difficult balance to facilitate mutual togetherness . J Clin Nurs2002; 11: 225-236 .
26.
Bergstrom L , Seidel J , Skillman-Hull L , Roberts J.‘I gotta push. Please let me push!’ Social interactions during the change from first to second stage labour . Birth1997; 24: 173-180 .
27.
Simkin P.Just another day in a woman’s life? Part II: Nature and consistency of women’s long-term memories of their first birth experiences . Birth1992; 19: 64-81 .
28.
Bergum V.A child on her mind. The experience of becoming a mother. Westport, CT: Bergin and Garvey , 1997.
29.
Dahlberg K , Drew N.A lifeworld paradigm for nursing research . J Holist Nurs1997; 15: 303-317 .
30.
Olsson P , Jansson L.Patterns in midwives’ and expectant/new parents’ ways of relating to each other in ante- and postnatal consultations . Scand J Caring Sci2001; 15: 113-122 .
31.
Kihlgren M , Kuremyr D , Norberg Aet al.Nurse-patient interaction after training in integrity promoting care at a long-term ward: analysis of video-recorded morning care sessions . Int J Nurs Stud1993; 30: 1-13 .
32.
Kihlgren M , Hallgren A , Norberg A.Integrity promoting care of demented patients. Patterns of interaction during morning care . Int J Aging Hum Dev1994; 39: 303-319 .
33.
Berelson B.Content analysis in communication research. Glencoe, IL: Free Press , 1952.
34.
Downe-Wamboldt B.Content analysis: method, applications, and issues . Health Care Women Int1992; 13: 313-321 .
35.
Baxter L.Content analysis. In: Montgomery B , Duck S eds. Studying interpersonal interaction. New York: Guilford Press , 1994: 239-254.
36.
Sandelowski M.Sample size in qualitative research . Res Nurs Health1995: 18: 179-183 .
37.
Ekberg M ed. I livets tiänst. Om barnmorskans ideologi och yrke.(In the service of life. On the ideology and profession of the midwife.)Stockholm: Svenska Barnmorskeförbundet , 1995 (in Swedish).
38.
Kirkham M.Reflection in midwifery: professional narcissism or seeing with women?Br J Midwifery1997; 5: 259-262 .
39.
Kvale S.Interviews. An introduction to qualitative research interviewing. Thousands Oaks, CA: SAGE , 1996.
40.
Norberg A , Axelsson K , Rahm Hallberg I.Omvårdnadens Mosaik.(The mosaic of nursing care.)Uppsala: Almqvist and Wicksell , 1992 (in Swedish).
41.
Leap N.The less we do, the more we give. In: Kirkham M ed. The midwife-mother. Basingstoke: Macmillan , 2000: 1-18.
42.
Eriksson K.Understanding the world of the patient, the suffering human being: the new clinical paradigm from nursing to caring . Adv Pract Nurs Q1997; 3(1): 8-13 .
43.
Eriksson K.Caring science in a new key . Nurs Sci Q2002; 15: 61-65 .
44.
McCrea BH , Wright ME , Murphy-Black T.Differences in midwives’ approaches to pain relief in labour . Midwifery1998; 14: 174-180 .
45.
Bottorff JL , Varcoe C.Transitions in nurse-patient interactions: a qualitative ethology . Qual Health Res1995; 5: 315-331 .
46.
Ricoeur P.Oneself as another. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press , 1994.
47.
Lundgren I , Dahlberg K.Women’s experience of pain during childbirth . Midwifery1998; 14: 105-110 .
48.
Bystrova K , Widström A-M , Matthiesen A-Set al.Skin-to-skin contact may reduce negative consequences of ‘the stress of being born’: a study on temperature in newborn infants subjected to different ward routines in St Petersburg . Acta Paediatr2003; 92: 320-326 .
49.
Anderson GC , Moore E , Hepworth J , Bergman N.Early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants . The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews2003: (Issue 2).
50.
Olsson P , Jansson L , Norberg A.A qualitative study of childbirth as spoken about in midwives’ ante- and postnatal consultations . Midwifery2000; 16: 123-134 .
51.
Stödiföräldraskapet.(Support in parenthood.) (Swedish Official Report Series 1997: 161-161.) Stockholm: Liber , 1997 (in Swedish).
52.
Johnson MP.The implications of unfulfilled expectations and perceived pressure to attend the birth on men’s stress levels following birth attendance: a longitudinal study . J Psychosom Obstet Gynecol2002; 23: 173-182 .
53.
Fredriksson L.Modes of relating in a caring conversation: a research synthesis on presence, touch and listening . J Adv Nurs1999; 30: 1167-1176 .
