Iranian Kurdish women's experiences of childbirth: A qualitative study

The experience of labor and birth, referred to as childbirth, is complex, multidimensional, and subjective, relating to both the outcome and the process that is experienced by an individual woman. The aim of this study was to describe the experience of childbirth among Kurdish women giving birth at Besat Hospital in Sanandaj, Iran. A qualitative study was conducted using phenomenological approach. Women eligible for the study were recruited from the postpartum ward. Inclusion criteria were being an Iranian Kurdish woman, being nulliparous, and having vaginal childbirth. Data collection was performed between 2010 and 2011. Women were interviewed by the fi rst researcher 6–12 weeks after they had given birth to their fi rst child. All participants had spontaneous vaginal births without their husbands present. None of them received any analgesia or anesthesia during labor and birth. The fi ndings are described under the following four themes: Feeling empowered, changing life, importance of being supported during labor, and the spiritual dimensions of giving birth. Women communicate through telling stories and create meaning as they articulate their feelings about pivotal life events such as childbirth. The fi ndings of this study provide a useful fi rst step toward the identifi cation of aspects of Kurdish women’s experience of giving birth. The women in this study identifi ed that the presence or absence of effective support had a signifi cant effect on their experience of labor and birth. It is important for midwives and other professionals to understand the benefi ts of support given for women during childbirth.