D05-1 Childbirth for Survivors - Understanding the Childbirth Experiences for Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors
Authors: Caitlin Mathewson RN, BScN, MN; Sherry Espin BScN, MEd, PhD; Ryan Van Lieshout MD, PhD, FRCPC; Sharon Dore RN, PhD; Patricia McNiven RM, BSc, MSc, PhD
Presenter: Caitlin Mathewson, McMaster University, Hamilton ON
Purpose: Recent media attention has shed light on the pervasiveness of sexual abuse and its lasting impact. Despite this, child sexual abuse (CSA) and childbirth remain an understudied phenomenon and we subsequently understand very little of what birth is like for survivors of CSA. The purpose of this presentation is to outline the birth experiences of four women (extending from pregnancy to the postpartum period). The purpose is also to empower care providers with expertise on CSA and its sequelae, understanding that birth can be an empowering and healing experience when handled with skill and sensitivity.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the sequelae of CSA and its potential impact on childbirth.
- Identify how control, anxiety and detachment may be manifested/demonstrated by the survivor during the perinatal period.
- Identify strategies for providing therapeutic, sensitive care during the perinatal period.
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D05-2 When Fear Surrounding Childbirth Leads Women to Seek a Planned Cesarean
Authors: Janet Bryanton RN, PhD, PNC(C); Cheryl Tatano Beck RN, PhD, CNM; Stephanie Morrison BScN, RN, MN (student)
Presenters: Janet Bryanton and Stephanie Morrison, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown PE
Purpose: To explore womens' experiences of fear surrounding childbirth in relation to their decision to request a planned cesarean birth.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify relevant literature related to fear and childbirth.
- Describe womens' fears surrounding childbirth in relation to their decision to request a planned cesarean birth.
- Identify implications for practice and research, related to study findings.