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'She would help me from the heart': An ethnography of Egyptian women in labour

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  • El-Nemer, Amina
  • Downe, Soo
  • Small, Neil

Abstract

This article reports an ethnographic study of the intrapartum care of women who were expecting normal births in an Egyptian hospital. The study involved observations of labouring women, and interviews with them shortly after they had given birth. The data were synthesised into three themes: the epistemology of hospital care, characterised by 'technical touch'; women's experience of hospital childbirth, which was contrasted unfavourably with home birth experiences; and women's epistemology of birth, which was characterised by 'helping from the heart'. This latter concept expresses the participants' preferred way of doing birth. We describe the impact of the paradigm clash experienced by these women, and propose an approach to the provision of childbirth care in Egypt and beyond which combines the clinical safety of evidence based and experientially developed technical skills with the emotional safety of trusting, respectful, loving relationships. We have termed this 'skilled help from the heart'.

Suggested Citation

  • El-Nemer, Amina & Downe, Soo & Small, Neil, 2006. "'She would help me from the heart': An ethnography of Egyptian women in labour," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 81-92, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:62:y:2006:i:1:p:81-92
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jenkins, Gwynne L., 2003. "Burning bridges: policy, practice, and the destruction of midwifery in rural Costa Rica," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 56(9), pages 1893-1909, May.
    2. Kabakian-Khasholian, Tamar & Campbell, Oona & Shediac-Rizkallah, Mona & Ghorayeb, Françoise, 2000. "Women's experiences of maternity care: satisfaction or passivity?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 103-113, July.
    3. Davis-Floyd, Robbie E., 1994. "The technocratic body: American childbirth as cultural expression," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 38(8), pages 1125-1140, April.
    4. Campero, Lourdes & García, Cecilia & Díaz, Carmen & Ortiz, Olivia & Reynoso, Sofía & Langer, Ana, 1998. ""Alone, I wouldn't have known what to do":A qualitative study on social supportduring labor and delivery in Mexico," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 395-403, August.
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    1. Spangler, Sydney A. & Bloom, Shelah S., 2010. "Use of biomedical obstetric care in rural Tanzania: The role of social and material inequalities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(4), pages 760-768, August.
    2. Lydia Aziato & Oluyinka Adejumo, 2014. "An Insight Into the Preoperative Experiences of Ghanaian General Surgical Patients," Clinical Nursing Research, , vol. 23(2), pages 171-187, April.
    3. Kruk, Margaret E. & Rockers, Peter C. & Mbaruku, Godfrey & Paczkowski, Magdalena M. & Galea, Sandro, 2010. "Community and health system factors associated with facility delivery in rural Tanzania: A multilevel analysis," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(2-3), pages 209-216, October.
    4. Wild, Kayli & Barclay, Lesley & Kelly, Paul & Martins, Nelson, 2010. "Birth choices in Timor-Leste: A framework for understanding the use of maternal health services in low resource settings," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(11), pages 2038-2045, December.

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