Versorgung von Familien im Wochenbett – eine qualitative Studie

Due to the shortage of midwives in Germany, it is not always possible to provide comprehensive basic postnatal care for young families. Therefore, it is quite likely that general practitioners (GP), who serve as the first contact person in all health matters in our health care system, will be increasingly consulted regarding questions on postnatal care in the future. Consequently, the aim of this qualitative study was to explore central competencies for the care of families in the postnatal phase.

Midwives were questioned about their postnatal activities with the help of a semistructured questionnaire. Thereafter, the interviews were evaluated using the Mayring method.

Interviews were conducted with 25 midwives with an average age of 45 years. Knowledge about the (patho)physiological processes of the mother and child during the postnatal phase, a supportive basic attitude, and time are important elements in the work with young postnatal families. Additionally, it is important to obtain competences in psychosocial issues.

The acquisition of competences for the postnatal phase appears to be useful for GPs. Among other aspects, creation of a good networking structure with other health professions is important.