Factors associated with maternal well-being during childbirth among postpartum women in Minas Gerais.
Talyta Sâmara Batista Ferreira, Cinara Botelho Moutinho, Edmar Rocha Almeida and 5 others
PMID 39699354WHAT IT FOUND
Cesarean delivery and missing breastfeeding guidance were linked to higher distress during childbirth.
While over half of postpartum women reported adequate or excellent well-being, those without guidance or who had cesareans fared worse. This suggests nurses should prioritize clear breastfeeding education and support vaginal birth where safe.
Key findings
01The prevalence of distress during childbirth was 60.0% higher among women who had a cesarean delivery compared to those who had a vaginal delivery.
02Among women who did not receive breastfeeding guidance, the prevalence of distress during childbirth was 59.0% higher than among those who received guidance.
0354.1% of the women had a positive experience (adequate or excellent) with childbirth care, meaning they had scores above the cutoff point.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used non-probabilistic sampling, so the results cannot be generalized to all women in Brazil. Data collection shifted from in-person to online due to the pandemic, which may have introduced bias or limited participation. The sample size of 183 was smaller than the calculated minimum of 229 required for the phase. The study did not distinguish between elective and emergency cesarean sections, which may have different impacts on maternal well-being. Recall bias is possible because interviews occurred 40 to 70 days postpartum, a period of significant physical and emotional change.
Declared interests
Funding was provided by CAPES (Master’s scholarship) and CNPq (Research productivity grant). No commercial conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that cesarean sections cause distress. This is an observational study showing an association. The distress may be driven by the reasons for the cesarean (such as emergency labor complications) rather than the surgery itself, as the study did not distinguish between elective and emergency procedures.