Listening to Women: Recommendations from Women of Color to Improve Experiences in Pregnancy and Birth Care

This study aims to describe and thematically analyze the recommendations to improve pregnancy and birth care made by women of color with lived experience of perinatal health care.MethodsTwenty ‐two women of color living in the San Francisco Bay Area and receiving support services from a community‐based nonprofit organization participated in semistructured interviews about their experiences receiving health care during pregnancy and birth. Interviews were audio‐recorded and transcrib ed, and transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis to highlight recommendations for improving perinatal care experiences.ResultsParticipants shared experiences and provided recommendations for improving care at the individual health care provider level, including spending quality time, relationship building and making meaningful connections, individualized person ‐centered care, and partnership in decision making. At the health systems level, recommendations included continuity of care, racial concordance with providers, supportive health care system structures to meet the needs of women of color, and implicit bias trainings and education to reduce judgmen t, stereotyping, and discrimination.DiscussionParticipants in this study shared practical ways that health care providers and systems can improve pregnancy and birth care experiences for women of color. In addition to the actions needed to address the recommendations, health care providers and systems need to listen more closely t...
Source: Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health - Category: Midwifery Authors: Tags: Original Research Source Type: research