Department of Family, Medicine and Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, 3939 Woodward, Ave, #220, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
Midwifery. 2011 Dec;27(6):e214-21. doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2010.09.006. Epub 2010 Nov 4.
To describe the perceptions of a US cohort of experienced birth doulas who were among the first in the country to be trained to provide postpartum support.
A qualitative, longitudinal study using ethnographic methods; participant observation and semi-structured interviews.
Midwestern, urban, US; postpartum home care over three months.
Four postpartum doulas; 13 families.
Participant observation during six postpartum home visits per family; 13 semi-structured interviews with doulas at the completion of each family's care; four summative interviews with doulas at the end of the study.
When describing their postpartum practice, four themes emerged: supporting women, taking the mother's perspective, empowering women and empowering families. When speaking of the motivations, three themes emerged: being 'called' to practice, interest in preventing negative experiences, and career development.
In the US, new mothers see midwives and doctors sporadically after discharge from the hospital. Postpartum doulas fill this gap in continuity of care by providing support for families as they transition to life with their new infant. Understanding the beliefs, values and practices of these important paraprofessionals will help midwives effectively integrate postpartum doula care into the care of women and infants.
描述美国一组有经验的分娩导乐的看法，她们是全美首批接受培训以提供产后支持的导乐之一。
使用人种学方法的定性、纵向研究；参与观察和半结构化访谈。
美国中西部城市；产后家庭护理持续三个月。
四位产后导乐；13 个家庭。
每个家庭的六次产后家访中的参与观察；每位导乐在完成每个家庭护理后的 13 次半结构化访谈；研究结束时对四位导乐进行的四次总结访谈。
在描述她们的产后实践时，出现了四个主题：支持女性、站在母亲的角度、赋予女性权力和赋予家庭权力。在谈到动机时，出现了三个主题：“被召唤”去实践、对预防负面体验的兴趣以及职业发展。
在美国，新妈妈在出院后偶尔会见到助产士和医生。产后导乐通过在家庭过渡到有新婴儿的生活时为他们提供支持，填补了护理连续性的空白。了解这些重要的准专业人员的信念、价值观和实践将有助于助产士将产后导乐护理有效地融入到妇女和婴儿的护理中。
