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Birth Experiences of Immigrant Latina Women in a New Growth Community

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Abstract

A woman’s birth experience can impact the physical and mental well-being of mothers long after the birth of their child. Little is known about the experiences of Latina women in areas with small, yet growing Latino populations. To understand Latina’s perceptions of their childbirth experience and to see how insurance status impacts that experience, we conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a non-proportional quota sampling of ten Latina women, five with and five without health insurance. Most women reported a positive global experience; the birth of a healthy child was the most important factor influencing birth experiences for all of them. Locus of control and support from medical providers and loved ones also shaped experiences. Uninsured women reported lower levels of perceived control and support, which did impact their birthing experience. These differences could be influenced by social status and position. Medical provider, hospital, and policy recommendations are made which could lead to improvements in uninsured Latinas’ childbirth experiences.

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Compliance with Ethical Standards

Meagan Niebler, Patricia Documét, Diego Chaves-Gnecco, and Thomas Guadamuz declare that they have no conflict of interest. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. The University of Pittsburgh Institutional Review Board reviewed and approved the study protocol.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Meagan Niebler, Patricia I. Documét & Diego Chaves-Gnecco

  2. Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand

    Thomas E. Guadamuz

Authors
  1. Meagan Niebler
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  2. Patricia I. Documét
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  3. Diego Chaves-Gnecco
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  4. Thomas E. Guadamuz
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Correspondence to Meagan Niebler.

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Niebler, M., Documét, P.I., Chaves-Gnecco, D. et al. Birth Experiences of Immigrant Latina Women in a New Growth Community. J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities 3, 466–472 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-015-0159-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-015-0159-y

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