Mothers perceptions of one-week and six-weeks postnatal care at Mulanje Mission Hospital, Southern Malawi
This study explored mothers’ perceptions of one-week and six weeks postnatal care. This information is important in planning better ways of increasing utilization at one-week and six weeks postnatal care services. Postnatal period is the critical phase in the lives of mothers and neonates. Postnatal...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2021
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| Online Access: | http://nkhokwe.kuhes.ac.mw:8080/handle/20.500.12845/278 |
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Add Tag | Summary: | This study explored mothers’ perceptions of one-week and six weeks postnatal care. This information is important in planning better ways of increasing utilization at one-week and six weeks postnatal care services. Postnatal period is the critical phase in the lives of mothers and neonates. Postnatal care gives an opportunity to mothers to receive care, psychological support, as well as opportunity to promote health behaviors such as access to family planning, education on nutrition and PMTCT services. Lack of care at this time may results in death or disability. Studies have shown that despite free services offered by the Ministry of Health, and CHAM facilities, in Malawi statistics are still low on utilization of postnatal care with no significant improvement. This was a qualitative study that utilized in-depth interviews with mothers who had a normal delivery at Mulanje Mission Hospital, the southern region of Malawi and had come for reproductive health services including one-week and six weeks postnatal care. The key issues that emerged were, mothers’ understanding the need for one week and six weeks postnatal care services, barriers for not attending postnatal care services and mothers’ satisfaction on the postnatal care services. Purposive sampling was done to recruit participants. Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted, and data was analysed manually using thematic content analysis.
Findings showed that majority of mothers came for one-week postnatal care but six weeks postnatal services were being underutilized despite mothers’ knowledge and positive attitude regarding both services. The main factor that hindered utilization of postnatal care services in this study was mothers’ feeling that they are well because there were no obstetric complications. Other factors were: physical distance, and rudeness of the health workers. Mothers preferred timely postnatal care services, polite health workers and a good reception. There is a need to provide a friendly environment for the mothers to help in promoting compliance. Frequent supportive supervision of the health workers at a health facility is necessary to resolve problems they experience that negatively impact on the provision of care. One week and six weeks postnatal care services should be given priority just like other services provided at the hospital. |
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