Mais que mães, mulheres… A voz das puérperas sobre os cuidados recebidos na Atenção Básica em Saúde

Abstract

A brief historical contextualization highlights how slow and conflict-ridden the process has been to broaden the understanding of women's health beyond reproductive characteristics and the maternal role, as well as the fundamental role the feminist movement has played, and continues to play, in this context. The search for bibliographic references that address women's health in a comprehensive manner reveals a significant gap regarding the postpartum period, especially within the context of Primary Health Care. This gap justifies the development of this study. It is a gap identified even in protocols and documents from the Ministry of Health, which consequently impacts the absence, or limited existence, of strategies for postpartum care in Primary Health Units, and leads to discrepancies in how health professionals and teams perceive the necessity of such strategies. When they do exist, these strategies are primarily focused on the physical health of the child and the mother, while women's broader needs are often relegated to a secondary role. This study was conducted at the Redenção Primary Health Unit, located in the municipality of São Carlos, in the interior of São Paulo state. Its objectives were to understand the postpartum care actions offered to women within Primary Health Care and to analyze, from these women’s perspectives, whether they received the care they expected. To achieve this, a field study with a qualitative, exploratory, and cross-sectional design was carried out. Data collection took place between august and december 2023, through semi-structured interviews containing guiding questions focused on the women's postpartum needs and the care strategies offered by the Primary Health Unit during this period. For data analysis, Bardin’s (2011) content analysis technique was used, and for the discussion, the theoretical framework of comprehensive care, proposed by Ayres (2009), was adopted. The results led to the identification of three categories that warrant further exploration: therapeutic itinerary, bond with health professionals, and constructing my own way of mothering. The initial objectives of this study were achieved and enabled a better understanding of the provision and challenges involved in postpartum care within the context studied. The findings underscore the urgent need for further research in this area, in order to improve the quality of care provided to women during this highly significant stage of human development.