Stress of the parturition process

Abstract

This descriptive study identified the stress factors of the parturition process. It was developed by an individual interview with 42 puerperal women whose has had abnormal childbirth in a public maternity ward in Goiânia-GO, Brazil. We concluded that the factors that cause stress are related with the environment, the assistance, and the parturition physiology. The environment factors that caused stress, due to characteristics of infirmary of pre childbirth were the no privacy (50%) and the collective bathroom (31%); by the assistance were related the gynecology exam (62%) and the epsiorraphy (45%); and by the parturition physiology, were related the uterine contraction (90%), the tiredness (74%), the ache at the sacral and lumbar region (71%) and the repose necessity (74%). In short, the nurse must know and comprehend the social and cultural, environmental, aid and parturition physiology factors, responsible for the stress of the parturition process, to promote human and total obstetric assistance.