Midwives' experiences of encountering immigrant women during labour and birth who do not master the host country's language. A lifeworld hermeneutic study.

BACKGROUND

Immigrant women are in a vulnerable position during labour and birth due to language barriers. Communication with women who do not master the host country's language is difficult for midwives, but there are few studies about midwives' experiences.

AIM

To explore Norwegian midwives' experiences of encountering immigrant women during labour and birth who do not master the native language.

METHOD

A hermeneutic lifeworld approach. Interviews with eight midwives working at specialist clinics and hospital maternity wards in Norway.

RESULTS

The findings were interpreted based on four concepts in the theory "Birth territory: A theory for midwifery practice" by Fahy and Parrat presented in five themes: language barriers can cause disharmony and prevent participation, language barriers can lead to midwifery domination and poorer care, midwives strive for harmony and to be a guardian, medicalisd birth due to language barriers, and disharmony can lead to crossing boundaries. The main interpretation shows that it is midwifery domination and disintegrative power that are prominent. However, the midwives strived to use their integrative power and be guardians, but in doing so they encountered challenges.

CONCLUSION

Midwives need strategies for better communication with immigrant women involving the women and for avoiding a medicalised birth. To be able to meet immigrant women's needs and to establish a good relationship with them, challenges in maternity care need to be addressed. There are needs of care that focus on cultural aspects, leadership teams that support midwives, and both theoretical and organisational care models that support immigrant women.