1,523
Views
42
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Articles

First-time mothers preparing for birthing in an electronic world: internet and mobile phone technology

, &
Pages 240-253 | Received 17 Aug 2013, Accepted 18 Jan 2014, Published online: 19 Mar 2014
 

Abstract

Background: As the twenty-first century moves forward, we are witnessing a surge of self-educating with electronic media (e.g. internet sites, mobile phone technology, television and/or videos). This phenomenon is deeply embedded in perinatal education and warrants an in-depth investigation to uncover the meaning of how mothers self-prepare with electronic media for birthing in hospitals. Methods: A sequential mix of two qualitative designs commenced. A preliminary descriptive design, involving three focus groups (childbirth educators, n = 5; obstetric providers, n = 6; and labour and delivery nurses, n = 1), was conducted to inform researchers of provider perceptions of childbearing women self-preparing with electronic media. Then, a primary hermeneutic (interpretive) design was used to conduct one-to-one in-depth interviews from a purposive sample (n = 7) of young first-time mothers (FTMs). Results: The preliminary descriptive findings suggested that interviewing young FTMs self-preparing for birthing in hospitals was warranted. A primary hermeneutic (interpretive) design revealed that FTMs were preparing with electronic media for what ifs based on what is known about birthing. At times, this educated the mothers and some became more knowledgeable or informed; however, there was also a debilitating effect, which increased the mothers’ level of anxiety and fear. Conclusions: Providing credible electronic linkages, mobile phone technology, videos and access to provider and hospital websites, guided by their care providers, is imperative for educating mothers. By addressing mothers’ needs, women may be better able to birth with confidence as they enter the electronic world of preparing for birthing in a hospital.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.