Mother’s Experience Using the Semi-open System Including Hospital Transfer on the Third Day After Childbirth

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the experience of mothers using a semi-open system, including moving to the place they had pregnancy health check-ups on the third day after childbirth.

Methods: Data were collected from 13 mothers using a semi-open system in A Prefecture by semi-structured interviews and analyzed using modified grounded theory approach (M-GTA).

Results: The experience of mothers began with “an unavoidable choice”, and they felt “difficulty being in an unfamiliar environment” at the partner hospital. They recognized the partner and local hospitals as “a place of personal dependence and emotional reliance,” respectively. During local hospital transfer, they felt “the joy of the transfer that outweighed anxiety” and after the transfer, they felt “physical and mental support in the local community.”

Conclusions: Moving to a local hospital after childbirth helped mothers in overcoming the experience of using the semi-open system. Moreover, by returning to a familiar area, they could take the time to receive care from a midwife who has been involved since the pregnancy period.