A experiência de mulheres que utilizaram o Plano de Parto

Abstract

The Birth Plan is the pregnant woman's personal plan for the birth process , in which she expresses her decisions and preferences regarding it. The World Health Organization suggests that, in addition to developing it, the woman shares the plan with her husband/partner and family, as they will be able to support her and advocate on her behalf at the time of birth. The objective of this study is to describe the experiences of women who used the birth plan. This is a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study. It was conducted virtually via WhatsApp , with women who had experienced the use of a birth plan. The project was submitted to the Research Ethics Committee, obtaining approval by Opinion No. 7,154,031 and Certificate of Presentation for Ethical Appreciation No. 81827124.2.0000.5316, on October 13, 2024. A total of 22 women participated in the research, selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data collection took place between November and December 2024. Participants were recruited through the virtual snowball method, in which they were able to schedule an interview with the researcher. The semi-structured interviews took place via video call, being recorded and transcribed in full. The data obtained were subjected to thematic analysis. From the data analysis, the following categories emerged: Experience in preparing the birth plan; Experience in using the birth plan; which covers the subthemes: Use of the documented birth plan in the parturition process and Use of the mental birth plan in the parturition process ; and, finally, a documented birth plan: “As a means of including the woman in the labor process even when she is not conscious incase of a Caesarean Section''. With regards to the the experience in preparing the birth plan, the data showed that women can do so using documents, mentally or a mobile device application, with the help of health professionals, who must be equipped with the purposes of the birth plan, in order to clarify any concerns of the pregnant women and explain the main complications in the birth process. In addition to respecting the autonomy and dignity of women during this process. The experience in using the birth plan showed that the institutional reality was a barrier to the complete development of the birth plan due to resource restrictions, inadequate practices, lack of team training and rigid rules. In view of this, visits to the maternity ward are encouraged to learn about the environment and resources available for caring for women during pregnancy and childbirth. Secondly the pregnant women can learn more about the resources in the hospital that she attends pre-natal visits to know all the resources that would be available to her during child birth.