Vaginal birth and the female body in the puerperum: Contributions to obstetric nursing

Abstract

Objective: to describe the meanings and feelings of women after vaginal delivery and to identify how the performance of obstetric nursing can contribute to better experiences in the puerperium. Method: Heideggerian phenomenological research with 14 women who underwent vaginal delivery. An open audio-recorded interview was carried out, for the constitution of the Meaning Unit and vague and median understanding. Result: The experience and feelings of the woman after vaginal delivery meant: being afraid of having sex, feeling pain in sexual intercourse, thinking that it would not go back to being normal, feeling the body different from before, thinking that the sexual relationship has changed, lose sexual desire. Conclusion: The performance of obstetric nursing is necessary for better outcomes in the face of fear and the adaptation of the puerperal woman to the return of sexual activity, punctuating simple actions for the sexuality of the puerperal woman/couple, such as: hygiene care, use of lubricants and encouragement to resume of sexual intimacy.