International Confederation of Midwives 32nd ICM Virtual Triennial Congress - Abstract Book:ICMBALI-0046 - Negation in the childbearing continuum: an in-depth exploration of women’s narratives

Abstract

Negation can be used to describe the deliberate concealment, or unconscious denial (being unaware), of the childbearing continuum throughout pregnancy, labour, birth and the postnatal period. This lack of engagement with, and access of midwifery and maternity services, may put the women, baby and family at risk of increased morbidity and mortality, and poorer short and long term health outcomes. Research in this area is limited, mainly to quantitative evidence, with little exploration of women’s narratives and an overall poor understanding of the subject