Puerpério e suas vivências como um processo de transição à luz da teoria de Afaf Meleis

Abstract

Meleis (2000) states that pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period should be viewed as developmental and situational transition processes that require a definition or redefinition of the roles that the client or family is involved. The nursing care demands for these women go beyond biological questions, the midwife must heed the demands that mothers can have in order to facilitate the transition process in the postpartum period. Given the above, this study is engaged in the postpartum period as a transition. Objectives: To describe the experiences of women in the puerperal transition process; Analyze the vulnerabilities that arise in this process; Suggest a nursing model of care to women who are experiencing the puerperal transition process in the light of the theory of transitions Afaf Meleis Methodology: The research was a descriptive and exploratory study with a qualitative approach. The subjects were women who had a vaginal delivery and therefore experienced the postpartum experience. It was decided to use the Life History method and thematic analysis. This study complied with the ethical principles as recommended in Resolution CNS-466/12 (BRAZIL, MS, 2012). Results and discussion: The mothering is a phenomenon of puerperal transition process that brings experiences such as feeling more responsible after the baby's birth; give up their needs for the sake of the baby; breastfeeding, with their positive and negative experiences; sense of ownership for the baby; and (re)significance of the body; the mothering appeared as a process indicator. This research demonstrated that postpartum puts women in vulnerable situations and these are inhibiting factors for a healthy transition, they are the social and individual vulnerabilities. The nurse can act in different moments of the transition in order to facilitate the process. Promoting the facilitating factors, preventing inhibitors, planning and promoting care actions with the mothers of newborns and meet their real demands. Conclusion: This study brought implications for practice because it showed the important role of the nurse during the puerperal transition process, which may act before and during the process. Promoting facilitators processes, preventing the inhibiting factors hinder the transition, evaluating through the process factors if the transition is occurring in a healthy way and with the mother implement care as well as provide information about the process. This study was a starting point to understand the postpartum period, and used the Afaf Meleis theory to deepen the topic and proposes the deepening of the studies about this, so they can develop non-invasive technologies to care for this phase of a woman's life because there is a gap in this area of expertise.