VASCONCELOS, L. D. P. G. Representações sociais das mulheres grávidas sobre o cuidado pré-natal [Social Representations of pregnant women in the prenatal care]. 126 p. Master’s Dissertation – UECE. Fortaleza (CE), 2009.
Available on: http://www.uece.br/cmacclis/dmdocuments/lea_dias_pimentel_vasconcelos.pdf
Prenatal care aims to monitor the pregnancy during the whole period, trying to give conditions for the proper development of the fetus, identify high-risk pregnancy and thereby reduce maternal and perinatal mortality. The study aimed to apprehend the social representations of pregnant women about prenatal care, and it used the theory of social representations as the theoretical basis for the study. This was a descriptive study and took part in it pregnant women who were seen at the prenatal service of a maternity hospital belonging to SER VI in Fortaleza. Data collection occurred between June and August 2008. Data were collected through a form which contained sociodemographic and prenatal care data that characterized the quantitative aspect of the study. We used the Test of Free Association of Words with the stimuli: pregnancy, care, prenatal and itself and also the semi structured interview with the questions – How do you feel pregnant? What importance do you assign to prenatal care? What are the difficulties you have faced during pregnancy and the prenatal service? The data obtained from TALP were analyzed using the software Tri-Deux Mots and obtained through the interviews were analyzed based on the content analysis of Bardin. As a way of depth data it was used the technique of the Thematic Drawing-and-Story Procedure. Were shown three categories: 1) social representations of pregnant women on prenatal care, which contains six subcategories, feelings and difficulties of women in the pregnancy, with five subcategories and representations of pregnant women about the prenatal service offered, with three subcategories. Pregnant women represented prenatal care as a concern about child care, identifying problems, maintaining contact with their son and a concern for themselves. The feelings of women in relation to pregnancy were associated with ambivalence, happiness, gratitude to God, faith, insecurity and difficulty and the difficulties were with the organization of the service, access and reception. Felt satisfied with the service and care of profissionais. In the Thematic Drawing-and-Story Procedure women represented elements of nature such as flowers, the sun, water, wind to represent the happiness with the pregnancy, but pictures sometimes sad and happy to express the moment they were experiencing. Apprehending the social representations of these women is a path in the search of a prenatal care of quality that values the woman, addressing their needs in full, transposing, so, the vision that many people have of women as only the one who carries the baby in her womb. Thus, the prenatal made based on this approach will achieve the objectives set by the programs of the Ministry of Health, under which the work goes beyond the quantitative data and achieves the subjective questions that each woman brings.