Knowledge of puerperas on reproductive planning

Abstract

The study aimed to identify puerperal knowledge about reproductive planning. This is a descriptive and exploratory study, with a qualitative approach and focus on Dorothea Orem’s Theory of Self-Care. Data collection took place in family health units of a municipality in the northern region of Mato Grosso, between June and July 2016, together with 17 puerperas, through a semi-structured interview. Data analysis was used to analyze the data. It was observed that the reproductive planning is not being carried out integrally, as well as the finding of absence of gestational follow-up by the nurse during the pregnancy-puerperal process. This professional behavior tends to represent problems in adhering to self-care practices at this stage and to induce women and their partners into unsafe attitudes. Finally, it was verified that the reproductive planning is little known by the women of the study and there is a strong relation with the inertia of the professionals. Thus, new studies must be carried out, verifying the relationships of the professionals with the new family configurations, liberating from the hegemonic conception of birth control and sterility, so present in the healthcare environments of the Brazilian health services.