Mothers’ and fathers’ learning needs during pregnancy

Abstract

Background: The adjustment to pregnancy implies that those who experience it incorporate a set of skills for health promotion. The disciplinary knowledge supporting the identification of learning needs is still limited. Objective: To identify mothers’ and fathers’ learning needs to promote self-care during pregnancy. Methodology: Cross-sectional and qualitative study with 80 mothers and 20 fathers intending to become pregnant or with a previous or current pregnancy. Ethical principles were safeguarded. Interviews were conducted between January and June 2016. Data were subjected to content analysis (grounded analysis) using NVivo11. Results: The learning needs identified by mothers and fathers were divided into the following categories: preparing for pregnancy, adjusting to pregnancy, caring for oneself, caring for the baby (fetus), and ensuring health surveillance. Conclusion: Three domains of care needs emerged in the adjustment to pregnancy: body process, self-care/self-monitoring, and fetal health. Mothers and fathers have overlapping needs, so the couple can be considered a client of care.