Table 3.
Categories, sub-categories and examples of codes
| Categories | Sub-categories | Code examples |
|---|---|---|
| Obstetric Violence | Physical Violence | Physical interventions that directly harm the woman’s body or that she does not want (hitting, pinching, etc.), interventions made without her consent (episiotomy, interventional action), vaginal examinations with excessive force, harsh interventions that increase pain (fundal compression, manual perineal applications, etc.) |
| Psychological Violence | Derogatory statements and shouting, intimidation or threats, ignoring women’s questions and feelings, failure to communicate, verbal violence | |
| Sexual Violence | Vaginal examination without information, procedures without consent, violation of privacy and disregard for confidentiality | |
| Social Violence | Excluding the support person (spouse or family member) from the delivery room, disregarding the woman’s religious or cultural sensitivities (male personnel present at the birth despite the fact that male personnel were not requested), emotionally isolating the woman by leaving her alone | |
| Systemic/Structural Severity | Lack of resources (lack of staff, lack of rooms), women’s decisions about childbirth being ignored by the system, standard practices that disregard their privacy | |
| Prevention of Participation in the Labor Process | Not Included in the Decision Process | Disregard for women’s opinions, unilateral medical decisions |
| Loss of Control over the Body | Not allowing choice of position, giving orders like: push now”, not allowing the woman to give birth at her own pace | |
| Failure to Meet Professional Care Standards | Lack of Professional care and treatment | Lack of necessary follow-ups, lack of education about the labor process, lack of pain relief |
| Routine Practices | Painful vaginal examinations, prolonged fasting and dehydration, absence of a partner or supporter during the labor process, frequent vaginal examinations, continuous supine positioning of the patient, frequent electronic fetal monitoring | |
| Inadequate Information | Not answering the mother’s questions, lack of interest, giving inconsistent information, not providing information about interventions and procedures | |
| Women’s Emotional State after Obstetric Violence | Trauma and Fear | Bad thoughts about childbirth, fear of the next birth or not wanting to give birth, feeling helpless |
| Anger and Frustration | Loss of trust in health personnel, anger against the system, self-blame | |
| Happiness and gratitude after violence | Joy of motherhood, gratitude and acceptance, love and attachment |