Journal
JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY CANADA
Volume 40, Issue 11, Pages 1424-1436Publisher
ELSEVIER INC
DOI: 10.1016/j.jogc.2018.03.010
Keywords
Postpartum period; postnatal care; hospitals; maternity; maternal health services patient experience
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Funding
- BCWomen's Hospital Health Centre
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Objective: To explore and understand postpartum inpatient experiences in a Canadian context. Methods: Inpatients at BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre were invited to complete a questionnaire during their postpartum stay. Completed responses were obtained from 178 women, representing 44% of all postpartum inpatients during the survey period. Results: Overall, women had positive experiences during their postpartum stay: 93% rated their experience as excellent or very good; 78% felt that nurses never seemed rushed or too busy to care for them; and 85% of women found the nurses to be very helpful with breastfeeding. Two-thirds of the women had concerns about going home that were related to infant feeding, feeling overwhelmed, and not knowing how to settle their baby. Other areas of improvement pertained to the hospital environment being less restful than desired. Certain groups needed additional support, such as primiparous women, women who had Caesarean deliveries, and women from certain ethnic groups. Conclusion: This exploration of women's inpatient postpartum experiences in a Canadian hospital provides valuable information for improving service delivery, including assessing hospital routines, providing information/education, and improving discharge planning. Given that postpartum experiences are not uniform across demographic groups, an alternative or augmented approach to postpartum care may be warranted for some women. Copyright (C) 2018 The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada/La Societe des obstetriciens et gynecologues du Canada. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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