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Learning Objective 1: describe the phases involved in the process of pregnancy recognition
Learning Objective 2: identify factors that facilitate early pregnancy acceptance
A grounded theory approach was used for this qualitative study. Six focus group discussions were conducted among forty-one women of childbearing age who were pregnant or had experienced a pregnancy during the last three years. The discussions were held among racially homogeneous but four cultural groups- Caucasian, African American, Hispanic/Latino and Native Americans- until a point of saturation was reached. The sessions were tape-recorded, transcribed, and coded. The authors in a reiterative process analyzed the transcripts and used NVIVO to identify the main concepts related to the process of recognition and factors that facilitate early pregnancy acceptance.
Preliminary analysis revealed the process of pregnancy recognition to be comprised of three main phases; suspicion, confirmation, and acceptance. The process appeared non-linear, and not to follow same sequence for the women. Thus, some women did not suspect but had pregnancy confirmed during clinic/doctor’s visit, some accepted the possibility of a pregnancy before confirmation. The main factors that influenced the process of recognition were: experienced pregnancy signs and symptoms, knowledge of the body, pregnancy planning, pregnancy-testing /clinic visit, and contraceptive use/history. Knowledge of the body was identified as a dominant factor influencing pregnancy recognition. The process of pregnancy recognition is multifaceted; this study reveals the three main phases of the process. An increased understanding of these phases provides important information for the design of interventions on promoting early pregnancy recognition.