Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
Thematic content analysis of the data was conducted and five
themes emerged that encompass the phenomenon of the first
antenatal booking visit from the woman’s perspective and in the
woman’s own terms.
Findings
The study was new and unique in Ireland. The findings are specific
to the Irish maternity services however due to the qualitative nature
of the study, the findings cannot represent the expectations and
experiences of all women attending for a first antenatal booking
visit.
During the focus groups the women freely discussed their
expectation of and their experience of the first antenatal booking
visit. They gave detailed descriptions of how the conduct, structure
and content of the first visit impacted their experience and differed
from their expectation.
The study findings are outlined in five themes using excerpts from
the women, however the focus of this presentation is women’s
expectation and experience of their first ultrasound scan at the first
antenatal booking visit.
The Scan
“ I think its all about the scan, the first is all about the scan”
“you don’t know until you’ve had the scan is everything OK or not”
“I was sitting there holding on for hours”
“they did a scan and she said everything was normal”
“I could see something with one eye”
Information Seeking
“at the time I was desperate for information”
“you need to have the information….then you’re armed with
power…”
“you need to be prepared”
Conduct, Structure and Content
“I didn’t expect all the different parts or to see so many different
people”
“one stop shop”
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