Understanding the experiences of receiving and providing maternity care for autistic adults: A Multi-perspectival Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study.
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| Title: | Understanding the experiences of receiving and providing maternity care for autistic adults: A Multi-perspectival Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Moore, Laura1, Foley, Sarah1 sarah.foley@ucc.ie, Larkin, Fionnuala1 |
| Source: | Autism: The International Journal of Research & Practice. Feb2025, Vol. 29 Issue 2, p435-446. 12p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Qualitative research, *Autism, *Experience, *Research methodology, *Asperger's syndrome, Maternal health services, Research funding, Midwives, Interviewing, Pregnant women, Descriptive statistics, Judgment sampling, Thematic analysis, Attitudes of medical personnel, Patient satisfaction, Phenomenology, Parents of children with disabilities, Psychosocial factors |
| Abstract: | Available research suggests autistic mothers experience greater dissatisfaction with maternity care compared to non-autistic mothers. Limited research exists exploring autistic mothers' experiences of maternity care, and no research to date has considered maternity care professionals' experiences of delivering care to autistic mothers. This qualitative study aims to explore the experiences of receiving and providing maternity care for autistic mothers. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with four autistic mothers and four midwives. Data were analysed using Multi-perspectival Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Three overarching themes emerged: 'challenges faced within maternity care, 'the importance of the caring relationship', and 'the challenge of navigating competing demands and priorities'. Findings highlight the unique challenges experienced by autistic mothers during labour and birth, the need for increased autism awareness in midwifery, and further suggest universal changes to the delivery of maternity care which would benefit autistic women. Autistic mothers may experience unique challenges when accessing maternity care. A better understanding of the experience of autistic mothers and maternity care professionals would help to create opportunities to support better maternity care. In this study, we interviewed autistic mothers and professional midwives, living and working across the United Kingdom and Ireland. In the interviews, the autistic mothers recalled challenges they faced in the hospital settings, difficulties in communicating their needs, and distress when being physically examined. The midwives we interviewed brought their personal experiences of autism (some were autistic themselves, while others had autistic family members) and made efforts to accommodate autistic mothers where possible. This included paying attention to potential sensory issues, trying to establish a relationship with the mothers and communicating what was going on without medical jargon. However, the midwives were limited in their ability to fully attend to the needs of autistic mothers due to time and resource restraints. Both the midwives and autistic mothers felt that midwife-led births were more attentive to the needs of mothers. Based on our findings, we recommend further training and awareness on autism in midwifery and suggest that changes relating to sensory and communication challenges would benefit both autistic and non-autistic. Our study provides important insight into this experience of maternity care from two perspectives and emphasises the need for greater inclusivity in maternity care services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Autism: The International Journal of Research & Practice is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 183028983 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Understanding the experiences of receiving and providing maternity care for autistic adults: A Multi-perspectival Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Moore%2C+Laura%22">Moore, Laura</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Foley%2C+Sarah%22">Foley, Sarah</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> sarah.foley@ucc.ie</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Larkin%2C+Fionnuala%22">Larkin, Fionnuala</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Autism%3A+The+International+Journal+of+Research+%26+Practice%22">Autism: The International Journal of Research & Practice</searchLink>. Feb2025, Vol. 29 Issue 2, p435-446. 12p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Qualitative+research%22">Qualitative research</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Autism%22">Autism</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Experience%22">Experience</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+methodology%22">Research methodology</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Asperger's+syndrome%22">Asperger's syndrome</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Maternal+health+services%22">Maternal health services</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Midwives%22">Midwives</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interviewing%22">Interviewing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pregnant+women%22">Pregnant women</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Descriptive+statistics%22">Descriptive statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Judgment+sampling%22">Judgment sampling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thematic+analysis%22">Thematic analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attitudes+of+medical+personnel%22">Attitudes of medical personnel</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Patient+satisfaction%22">Patient satisfaction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Phenomenology%22">Phenomenology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parents+of+children+with+disabilities%22">Parents of children with disabilities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychosocial+factors%22">Psychosocial factors</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Available research suggests autistic mothers experience greater dissatisfaction with maternity care compared to non-autistic mothers. Limited research exists exploring autistic mothers' experiences of maternity care, and no research to date has considered maternity care professionals' experiences of delivering care to autistic mothers. This qualitative study aims to explore the experiences of receiving and providing maternity care for autistic mothers. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with four autistic mothers and four midwives. Data were analysed using Multi-perspectival Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Three overarching themes emerged: 'challenges faced within maternity care, 'the importance of the caring relationship', and 'the challenge of navigating competing demands and priorities'. Findings highlight the unique challenges experienced by autistic mothers during labour and birth, the need for increased autism awareness in midwifery, and further suggest universal changes to the delivery of maternity care which would benefit autistic women. Autistic mothers may experience unique challenges when accessing maternity care. A better understanding of the experience of autistic mothers and maternity care professionals would help to create opportunities to support better maternity care. In this study, we interviewed autistic mothers and professional midwives, living and working across the United Kingdom and Ireland. In the interviews, the autistic mothers recalled challenges they faced in the hospital settings, difficulties in communicating their needs, and distress when being physically examined. The midwives we interviewed brought their personal experiences of autism (some were autistic themselves, while others had autistic family members) and made efforts to accommodate autistic mothers where possible. This included paying attention to potential sensory issues, trying to establish a relationship with the mothers and communicating what was going on without medical jargon. However, the midwives were limited in their ability to fully attend to the needs of autistic mothers due to time and resource restraints. Both the midwives and autistic mothers felt that midwife-led births were more attentive to the needs of mothers. Based on our findings, we recommend further training and awareness on autism in midwifery and suggest that changes relating to sensory and communication challenges would benefit both autistic and non-autistic. Our study provides important insight into this experience of maternity care from two perspectives and emphasises the need for greater inclusivity in maternity care services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Autism: The International Journal of Research & Practice is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1177/13623613241274518 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 12 StartPage: 435 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Qualitative research Type: general – SubjectFull: Autism Type: general – SubjectFull: Experience Type: general – SubjectFull: Research methodology Type: general – SubjectFull: Asperger's syndrome Type: general – SubjectFull: Maternal health services Type: general – SubjectFull: Research funding Type: general – SubjectFull: Midwives Type: general – SubjectFull: Interviewing Type: general – SubjectFull: Pregnant women Type: general – SubjectFull: Descriptive statistics Type: general – SubjectFull: Judgment sampling Type: general – SubjectFull: Thematic analysis Type: general – SubjectFull: Attitudes of medical personnel Type: general – SubjectFull: Patient satisfaction Type: general – SubjectFull: Phenomenology Type: general – SubjectFull: Parents of children with disabilities Type: general – SubjectFull: Psychosocial factors Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Understanding the experiences of receiving and providing maternity care for autistic adults: A Multi-perspectival Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Moore, Laura – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Foley, Sarah – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Larkin, Fionnuala IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 02 Text: Feb2025 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 13623613 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 29 – Type: issue Value: 2 Titles: – TitleFull: Autism: The International Journal of Research & Practice Type: main |
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