PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Reis, Laena Costa dos
AU  - Beviláqua, Jannaina Campos
AU  - Alves, Valdecyr Herdy
AU  - Penna, Lucia Helena Garcia
AU  - Dias Da Silva, Sílvio Éder
AU  - Parente, Andressa Tavares
AU  - Vieira, Bianca Dargam Gomes
AU  - Pereira, Audrey Vidal
AU  - Carneiro, Marcia Simão
AU  - da Conceição, Natalia Tifanny
AU  - Calandrini, Tatiana do Socorro dos Santos
AU  - Pereira, Rafaela Chagas
AU  - Almeida, Malena da Silva
AU  - Rodrigues, Diego Pereira
TI  - Social support network of Brazilian Amazonian women to subsidise the decision-making power of planned home birth: a qualitative study
AID  - 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-080662
DP  - 2024 Nov 01
TA  - BMJ Open
PG  - e080662
VI  - 14
IP  - 11
4099  - http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/11/e080662.short
4100  - http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/11/e080662.full
SO  - BMJ Open2024 Nov 01; 14
AB  - Objective To understand the social support network of Amazonian women when making decisions about planned home births.Method Descriptive, exploratory, qualitative research.Setting Planned home birth care, accompanied by obstetric nurses, in the state of Pará, Brazil.Participants 20 women who had a planned home birth in the metropolitan region of the state of Pará, Brazil. These women were surveyed by a team of obstetric nurses working in home birth care. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted at the women’s homes between August 2021 and February 2022, with the audio captured on an mp3 device. The data were analysed at the same time as the data collection. Each interview was transcribed and content analysis was used to process the data.Results The social support network shares experiences and knowledge between women in order to guarantee knowledge and not perpetuate traumatic episodes during childbirth. This network is a link to women’s power of choice in relation to their own birth, which culminates in successful experiences in the birth process.Final considerations Understanding the social support network for women’s decision-making during planned home births is central to guaranteeing rights and expectations regarding the place of birth. Social support networks need to be expanded by non-governmental groups and by the Unified Health System itself, especially in primary healthcare.Descriptors Women; home childbirth; social support; access to information and nursing.All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as online supplemental information. All unpublished data related to this research project are available with the authors and can be requested by emailing to diego.pereira.rodrigues@gmail.com.