Birth Experiences of Immigrant Latina Women in a New Growth Community

A woman’s birth experience can impact the physical and mental well-being of mothers long after the birth of their child. Little is known about the experiences of Latina women in areas with small, yet growing Latino populations. To understand Latina’s perceptions of their childbirth experience and to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities 2016-09, Vol.3 (3), p.466-472
Main Authors: Niebler, Meagan, Documét, Patricia I., Chaves-Gnecco, Diego, Guadamuz, Thomas E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Birth
Birth experiences
Caregivers
Childbirth & labor
Communication
Emigrants and Immigrants
Epidemiology
Female
Health insurance
Hispanic Americans
Hospitals
Humans
Immigrants
Insurance
Interviews
Latin American cultural groups
Locus of control
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mental Health
Mothers
Parturition
Perceived control
Population
Post traumatic stress disorder
Postpartum period
Pregnancy
Quality of Life Research
Social Inequality
Social interactions
Social isolation
Social status
Social Structure
Uninsured people
Well being
Women
Womens health
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Summary:A woman’s birth experience can impact the physical and mental well-being of mothers long after the birth of their child. Little is known about the experiences of Latina women in areas with small, yet growing Latino populations. To understand Latina’s perceptions of their childbirth experience and to see how insurance status impacts that experience, we conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a non-proportional quota sampling of ten Latina women, five with and five without health insurance. Most women reported a positive global experience; the birth of a healthy child was the most important factor influencing birth experiences for all of them. Locus of control and support from medical providers and loved ones also shaped experiences. Uninsured women reported lower levels of perceived control and support, which did impact their birthing experience. These differences could be influenced by social status and position. Medical provider, hospital, and policy recommendations are made which could lead to improvements in uninsured Latinas’ childbirth experiences.
ISSN:2197-3792
2196-8837
DOI:10.1007/s40615-015-0159-y