Postnatal Healthseeking Behaviours of Postpartum Mothers in Teshie

Abstract

This study aimed at exploring the postnatal healthseeking behaviors of postpartum mothers in Teshie. The specific objectives included to (a) explore the factors that influence postpartum mothers’ decision in seeking postnatal care in Teshie, (b) find out benefits of postnatal care to postpartum mothers in Teshie, (c) ascertain barriers postpartum mothers in Teshie face while seeking postnatal care and (d) identify strategies postpartum mothers adopt to address challenges in seeking postnatal care in Teshie. Twenty postpartum mothers, five midwives and five traditional birth attendants were recruited for the study. Data was gathered through in-depth interviews and was analyzed employing Braun and Clark’s (2006) six steps of thematic data analysis. The study found out that, postpartum mothers decisions in seeking postnatal care was influenced by their perceptions and knowledge of postnatal care as well as their place of delivery and the healthcare provider.The study established that postpartum mothers recognized postnatal as being beneficial to their health and that of their infants. Financial constraints, restriction from spouses, negative attitude of midwives as well as facilitybased challenges were barriers which hindered the successful utilization of postnatal care.The study further found out that, strategies adopted by postpartum mothers to cope with challenges included early or late arrival to the health facilities, savings and tolerance of the attitude of midwives. In view of these findings, the study recommended that midwives in health facilities should intensify education for postpartum mothers’ on the usefulness of postnatal care to mothers and newborns, inclusion of postnatal care in the National Health Insurance Scheme and management of the hospitals in collaboration with the Ministry of Health should ensure that facility-based challenges would be solved inorder to minimize challenges encountered by postpartum mothers and finally, seminars should be organized regularly for midwives to encourage them to relate healthily with postpartum mothers.