VOICES OF CLIENTS AND CAREGIVERS IN A MATERNITY HOME

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived health-related needs of women who spent part of their pregnancy, labor delivery, and immediate postpartum days in a maternity residence that provided adopt ion placement services. The method was qualitative; semistructured int erviews and content analysis were used. The authors concluded that the perceived needs of this population were essentially congruent with th ose of the nurse caregivers. Information and support in labor were cit ed as primary needs. The authors suggest that this population may sign ificantly underestimate postpartal needs. A second finding was that th ese mothers seemed to express a heightened sense of joy and relief in their newborn's health, which may reflect the compressed time they hav e to demonstrate maternal behaviors.