Space for human connection in antenatal education: Uncovering women's hopes using Participatory Action Research.

OBJECTIVE: the aim of this research was to initiate active consultation with women and antenatal educators in the development and delivery of antenatal education that was mutually relevant.

DESIGN: a Participatory Action Research approach influenced by feminist concerns was used to guide the research. Data were analysed by the researcher and participants using a Voice Centred Relational Method of Analysis.

SETTING: an Antenatal Education service in a consultant-led tertiary referral unit in Ireland.

FINDINGS: research findings revealed women's desires to build relationships through ANE to cope with anticipated loneliness and isolation after birth; however, environmental, structural, and organisational factors prohibited opportunity to build space for human connection. Participating women valued external and authoritative knowledge as truth, but concomitantly sought opportunity and space through classes to learn from the real life experiences of other mothers. Women lacked confidence in embodied knowing and their power to birth and demonstrated unquestioning acceptance of the predetermined nature of hospital birth and biomedical model of maternity care.

KEY CONCLUSIONS: in this research, we envisioned that hospital-based ANE, relevant and grounded in the needs and life experiences of women, could be developed, with a view to supporting women's decision-making processes, and understanding of pregnancy, birth and early motherhood. Participatory Action Research using a Voice Centred Relational Method of Analysis offered an opportunity to foster ethical and dialogic activity between learner and facilitator, underpinned by acknowledgement of the value of women's experiences; however, space for expression of new and useful knowledge in preparation for motherhood was limited by institutional context.