Page 17 - Non-western women in maternity care in the Netherlands • Exploring ‘inadequate’ use of prenatal care and the experiences of care professionals

Results
Several themes could be identified in the experiences of midwives providing maternity care to non-western clients. These aspects were categorised into three main themes: (1) Having a mixture of positive and negative feelings, describing the feelings midwives have about caring for non-western clients, (2) Facing challenges in the provision of care, describing the difficulties midwives experience when providing care to non-western clients, (3) Aiming for optimal care in the interests of both mother and child, describing the efforts and adjustments midwives make to guarantee good quality care for non-western clients and their babies.
Having a mixture of positive and negative feelings about caring for non- western women
All the midwives expressed feelings about caring for non-western women; some very outspoken, others less so. These feelings were best described as a mixture of positive and negative feelings, and concerned both the ethnic diversity and workload.
Finding the ethnic diversity fascinating but also quite difficult
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All the midwives liked the ethnic diversity in their client population and perceived differences in customs and traditions surrounding pregnancy and birth as fascinating and interesting. Some midwives spontaneously stated that working in a midwifery practice with non-western clients and thus having a variety of cultural backgrounds among their client population was a deliberate choice and that they would not want to miss it. Simultaneously with feelings of fascination and interest in non-western clients, midwives also encountered less pleasant feelings. Some non-western clients were also experienced as difficult, particularly those not proficient in Dutch. Communicating with these clients was perceived to be more awkward.
People who can handle the language well enough. . . yes that’s fine, no problem. They’re like anyone else and then it’s nice to notice the differences and deal with them. It gets a bit difficult with people who don’t speak the language. You have to use the telephone interpreter then. And dealing with asylum seekers: I thought I would really like that but I don’t, because it often doesn’t go smoothly. I find that tricky. (R5)
Chapter 5
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