Background
Methods
Research design
Sampling and recruitment
Data collection
Data analysis
Results
Participants
Age | Country of origin | Number of years in CH | Educational level | Employment | Civil Status | Employment level of partner | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
| 38 | Spain | - | Tertiary | 0%1 | Married | 100% |
2
| 37 | Columbia | 1 | Tertiary | 0%1 | Married | 100% |
3
| 36 | Egypt | 14 | Primary | Unemployed | Single | |
4
| 37 | Sri Lanka | 17 | Primary | 100% | Married | 100% |
5
| 44 | Switzerland | Tertiary | 0%1 | Single | ||
6
| 23 | Somalia | 8 | Primary | 0%1 | Single | |
7
| 39 | Germany | Cross-border commuter | Tertiary | Unemployed | Married | 100% |
Research findings
Theme 1: complex postpartum situation
“At the beginning, it wasn’t easy,…after the birth I had problems with my leg, I could not walk properly…and I am overweight…and I am here alone, without family. I had problems with my boyfriend at that time and with my boyfriend’s father, yes, and I have another child…and she was kidnapped when she was one year old, and the problems plus my fear that my new child would also be kidnapped, that made my life quite difficult.“ (Interview 3).
Theme 2: “comprehensive postpartum care”
Sub-theme “what it comprised”
“She was always there when we needed her, always…” (Interview 1).“When I need help, when I write, she always calls.“ (Interview 4).“She really helped me and never minded, even if it was raining.“ (Interview 6).
“[Doctors] were often not available,…nobody came by…and I was…also not so well organized, but there was…a big gap…I somehow think that the midwifery care was a very personal, individual care.” (Interview 6).
“I think it was important for us that she was simply there, that she always took her time, sometimes she was even there for two hours and didn’t look at the clock, … that she wasn’t in a hurry, but that she took her time and asked three more times, with, um, is it everything now, is there anything else?… Yes. That was good.“ (Interview 7).
“Yes, and I liked the fact that she looked after us as a family and not just after me as a woman, because there wasn’t much to control in terms of the baby…that the family was looked after, that the brother was looked after, asked how he was dealing with it, right? Things like that.“ (Interview 7).
“Because once I was in a situation there, I couldn’t call the police or get help somehow, then I wrote to her and she got the police for me, you know?…I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t have a car, my baby was sick…so, or violence,…something happened to him,…I couldn’t go to the hospital right away, then she helped me, even though it wasn’t working time, or, so she came with her car, she helped me go to the hospital”. (Interview 6).
“And, she gave me a lot of contacts…la Leche ligue, and now I’m a member and other mothers…that was very good.“ (Interview 1).“So yes, so I was sad, so not good, since the birth and yes, the midwife, has found such a person…a therapist, and I had gone there with (child).“ (Interview 2).
“At the beginning, she just put away the toys…and then afterward she…asked at Spitex [home care service for domestic help], can someone cook there? And, do a bit of housework and a bit of cleaning. And they said, no, they just do the flat a bit. And then she …first asked in Canton X because the children were born there and then,…but I live in Canton Y…then she had asked if she could organize someone from the Red Cross if they would take over something. Then they said, no, have to ask Canton Y. She called Canton Y, and then they understood my situation, then Canton Y just took over and also organized it further.“ (Interview 4).
“Because the [other mothers] speak Spanish and it was…my midwife was the midwife of this mother and my midwife, and [she said] I know other Spanish mothers - do you want their phone number? And she asked for the other mother too, and we made contact and we are friends.“ (Interview 1).
“If I need some clothes or something bed and things like that…if I need that…all the organizing…for cot or something, you know…I didn’t buy much and she also tried to get [this] organized. That was also…great, how do you say, yeah because everybody thinks only about one health side, the other side…she helped on both sides, yeah.“ (Interview 4).
Sub-theme “what it meant”
“With the doctors a bit like that…so, ‘I do that, that’s my problem…They don’t see a collective problem…and he just looks at the child. I find the medicine a bit separate…The midwife! it’s in the middle…she’s worked with both of us so far, so that’s so her job, she’s doing great.“ (Interview 2).
“Because in hospital you are a patient with blood pressure, this and that and the values, but at home, with the midwife, you are a person with feelings and yes…that was a completely different approach. (Interview 7).
“I mean, it isn’t just the baby what the midwife works on…she helped me in other ways too.” (Interview 6).
“I felt that the midwife took more responsibility than she…had to.” (Interview 2).
Theme 3: Psychosocial and emotional impact
Sub-theme “psychosocial relief”
“Helped me to relax a bit, because I was always very stressed and so (groans), and I…was breastfeeding (child),…so and she helped me to relax a little bit like that, and to breathe…and to get a little bit, yeah, calm, so that was…that was good”. (Interview 2).
“It all sounds like a commercial now…she couldn’t have done it better. She was also great interpersonally…That really supported me insanely.“ (Interview 4).
“I could trust her…that was important for me, that I could trust her, I could also talk so openly with her.” (Interview 6).
“She was actually my contact person number one and I think that was actually almost the most important thing.” (Interview 5).
Sub-theme “empowerment”
“That made me a bit strong,…um, I don’t know, is there this expression in Switzerland or German, that you can stand on your feet? [Yes. That was like that for me. So I know where, where I can go for help if anything happens…yeah…And that made it a bit easier, the situation made that, became a bit easier. It’s not easy, but it has become easier.“ (Interview 3).
“During the birth or after the birth a little bit so, just, like nice, so, just, so, just, um, agreeing with the situation or so a little bit braver, we can help, we can organize something, not worrying or so a little bit, yeah, so just with the others, just helping would be nice (laughs)” (Interview 4).
“So yeah, now it’s, um, now it’s really like, I hope, I don’t know, but like…right now I’m somewhere good with my baby” (Interview 6).”
Sub-theme “feeling grateful”
“She just…helped a lot, a lot, and I’m very grateful that she kind of saved my life, twice.“ (Interview 5).
“She helped me in many ways, you know…in clothes, in healthy, in emotional, she was … a person…she did so many things with me, helped…she did it from the heart.“ (Interview 5).
“She has been like a god when she asked like that and organized the help like that, that’s, yeah, that’s a big help, you know? I won’t forget that.“ (Interview 3).