The experiences of pregnant women at an advanced maternal age: an integrative review

Abstract OBJECTIVE To identify in the literature how the experiences of women age 35 or above are described in terms of pregnancy. METHOD Integrative review based on MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, LILACS, and SciELO databases, with no time period constraint. RESULTS Eighteen studies that dealt with the experiences of pregnant women at an advanced maternal age were selected and analyzed. The studies evidenced four theme categories: the search for information, which pointed to a deficit of information supplied by health care professionals; perceiving the risks, which pointed to women's concerns about their own health and their children's; the ideal moment for motherhood, with different reasons for postponing it; and adjusting to a new routine, showing a concern regarding changes in daily life. CONCLUSION From the results, it was possible to understand that other factors, in addition to those that include risks, are present in the experiences of older pregnant women and point to a need to involve such aspects in nursing care to create comprehensive strategies that are aligned with these women's needs.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Aldrighi,Juliane Dias, Wall,Marilene Loewen, Souza,Silvana Regina Rossi Kissula, Cancela,Franciane Zabloski Vieira
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Universidade de São Paulo, Escola de Enfermagem 2016
Online Access:http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0080-62342016000300512
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract OBJECTIVE To identify in the literature how the experiences of women age 35 or above are described in terms of pregnancy. METHOD Integrative review based on MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, LILACS, and SciELO databases, with no time period constraint. RESULTS Eighteen studies that dealt with the experiences of pregnant women at an advanced maternal age were selected and analyzed. The studies evidenced four theme categories: the search for information, which pointed to a deficit of information supplied by health care professionals; perceiving the risks, which pointed to women's concerns about their own health and their children's; the ideal moment for motherhood, with different reasons for postponing it; and adjusting to a new routine, showing a concern regarding changes in daily life. CONCLUSION From the results, it was possible to understand that other factors, in addition to those that include risks, are present in the experiences of older pregnant women and point to a need to involve such aspects in nursing care to create comprehensive strategies that are aligned with these women's needs.