Lived experiences on postnatal care among postpartum women in the Maldives: a phenomenological study.

OBJECTIVE: Postnatal care (PNC) is crucial for maternal and child health. Improving PNC services and policy cannot be achieved unless the experiences of postpartum women in the Maldives are thoroughly understood. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of postpartum women on PNC in the Maldives. DESIGN: A descriptive phenomenological design. SETTING: The study was conducted in a regional hospital in the northern Maldives between March and August 2023. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 16 postpartum women giving birth and receiving 24-hour care from the hospital, as well as postnatal follow-up care during the first 6 weeks postpartum, were interviewed. METHODS: Data were collected through face-to-face, semistructured interviews and then analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Five themes and corresponding subthemes were identified. Theme 1: mismatch between expectations and actual experiences (conflicts between received information and actual practice, and conflicts between prior experience and actual practice). Theme 2: overwhelming negative emotions (feeling frustrated with unconcerned care, feeling disappointed with unfriendly behaviour and feeling frustrated with insufficient knowledge). Theme 3: need for caring rather than doing a job (wishing for more caring and support from the heart, focusing on individualised care and expecting postnatal home visits). Theme 4: enablers for postnatal follow-up care (getting family support, getting positive emotions and getting beneficial health outcomes). Theme 5: hindrances for postnatal follow-up care (lack of awareness of PNC, and lack of privacy and convenience). CONCLUSIONS: The findings revealed the gap between individual expectations and actual experiences of PNC. Healthcare providers' understanding of postpartum women's needs was recommended to provide empathetic and compassionate individualised care. In addition, postnatal home visits should be recommended as a crucial part of PNC services.