A qualitative study of postpartum practices and social support of Chinese mothers following childbirth in Switzerland.

BACKGROUND: Asian migrants follow many traditional postpartum beliefs and practices after childbirth to protect both mother and child. Chinese mothers are often expected to stay at home for 4-6 weeks while observing certain restrictions known as postpartum confinement, or "Zuo Yue Zi." AIM: To explore how Chinese mothers followed postpartum practices and the social support they needed while in Switzerland. METHODS: Twenty-seven Chinese mothers and their families were interviewed at an average of six months postpartum. Thematic analysis was performed on the data. RESULTS: Chinese mothers in Switzerland continued following postpartum practices, including home confinement, cold avoidance, a minimum involvement in household chores, and hot dietary consumption. Meanwhile, they modified and abandoned certain restrictions, such as avoiding prolonged bed rest or excessive high-protein diets and preserving personal hygiene. Family members were their primary supporters, while mothers from "cross-cultural" families faced difficulties obtaining substantial support from their foreign partners or in-laws. Social support from independent midwives (sage femmes), privately paid helpers (yue sao), and Chinese migrant communities was important during this transitional period. CONCLUSION: The conventional concept of "confinement" has evolved into a more supportive approach that prioritises physical and psychological comfort. It plays a crucial role in postpartum recovery and serves as a connection with cultural identity and an opportunity for family reunions for Chinese women living abroad. There is a need for Western maternity caregivers to understand and recognise the postpartum traditions of Asian migrants and to provide them with culturally sensitive care and professional support.

What matters to migrant women during labor and birth: Chinese mothers' experiences in Switzerland.

BACKGROUND: In Switzerland, foreigners account for 25.3% of the permanent resident population, and the fertility rate of migrant women is higher than that of Swiss women. However, migrant women from non-European countries are more likely to report having negative childbirth experiences than Swiss women. For example, during pregnancy, Chinese migrant mothers often felt dissatisfied with the follow-up pregnancy complications and lacked information on medical procedures and prenatal courses. In this paper, we explored their childbirth experiences in Swiss hospitals and how Swiss healthcare providers supported them. METHOD: A qualitative study employing in-depth, semi-structured interviews was conducted with 14 Chinese mothers and 13 family members. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and translated into English for data analysis. Thematic analysis was employed to generate a detailed description. RESULTS: Three main themes were extracted from the transcripts: (1) Sense of security, (2) Intrapartum care, and (3) Postpartum needs. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows Chinese migrant mothers prioritized giving birth in a physically and psychologically safe environment, with pain control and practical and emotional support from their intimate partners. They desired a physiological labor and birth with minimal obstetric interventions. Our research also reveals their postpartum needs, emphasizing the importance of postpartum support and obtaining culturally sensitive care during their postpartum hospital stay. The study adds new knowledge of specific migrant studies in Switzerland, as called for by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health. The results call for the transcultural care skills training of Swiss healthcare providers to enable migrant women to have a more positive childbirth experience.

The pregnancy experiences and antenatal care services of Chinese migrants in Switzerland: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Differences in reproductive health outcomes according to the mothers' origins have been reported in Switzerland, for example, women from European countries and non-European countries. The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health has therefore called for specific Swiss-wide studies on migrant populations. This study explores the pregnancy and antenatal care experiences of Chinese migrants in Switzerland, intending to clarify their maternity care needs. METHODS: In-depth interviews of 14 Chinese mothers and 13 family members were conducted in Chinese or English and audio recorded. All audio-recordings were transcribed verbatim. All Chinese transcripts were translated into English. Thematic analysis was performed with the assistance of the qualitative data analysis software, MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2020. RESULTS: Five themes were extracted from the transcripts: (1) Motivations and concerns about having children, (2) The merits of the Swiss maternity care system, (3) The inconveniences and barriers of accessing Swiss maternity care services, (4) Strategies to deal with the inconveniences of the Swiss maternity care system, and (5) The need for culturally sensitive care. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study provide new knowledge and understanding of pregnancy experiences and antenatal care services of Chinese mothers and their families in Switzerland. Their unique positive experiences included: family planning, the continuity of maternity services, humane care with the privacy respected, personalized sensitive care needs, preferences for female obstetricians and obstetricians of Asian origin. Several barriers were highlighted, such as information seeking difficulties, communication difficulties, and a rigid appointment system. Reducing barriers enabling access to maternity care services within the Swiss healthcare system is necessary to provide equal quality maternity care for individuals, irrespective of their origins.