Pain as motive to search for hospital labor assistance

Abstract

The study aimed to comprehend the pain influence as a motive to search for hospital labor assistance. We used a social-existential phenomenological approach proposed by Schütz. Nine pregnant women conducted to the maternity participated in the study, from February to June of 2013. The interview was guided by the questions: Tell me how the pain influenced your decision of looking for a hospital. What is meaning of pain to you in this phase of your pregnancy? The speeches were submitted to ideographic and nomothetic analysis that resulted in the following categories: pain identification, pain with vaginal losses, pain permanence and progression, influence of family members to identify pain. The study allowed comprehending the influence of pain in the complexity of labor, considering its subjectivity and its multi-factors. It was also seen that it is not always possible to rationalize about pain considering the socio-cultural environment in where the pregnant women are.