Pragmatic Functions of Antenatal Songs among Pregnant Women in Selected Antenatal Clinics in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

This paper identified and classified the themes of antenatal songs, examined how the themes are used to perform certain pragmatic functions and discussed how the themes are taught at the antenatal clinics in Ile-Ife. The study is qualitative research with a focus on antenatal songs. Using convenient sampling, the researchers selected Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC) and Health Centre at Oke-Ogbo which provided unrestricted access and enabled the researchers to attend and observe the clinics. Each hospital was visited three times to record the songs used at the antenatal clinics and a total of 14 songs were recorded, transcribed, and analysed for this study. The study made use of andragogy as its theoretical framework. Results showed that the themes of the antenatal songs are: family planning, prayers and encouragement, breastfeeding, nutrition and cleanliness and exercise. Results also showed that the pragmatic functions of the songs taught are: educating, encouraging, advising, entertaining, warning, praising and praying the songs were taught by the health practitioners, who take into consideration the fact that the pregnant women were adult learners. The study concluded that songs function as very good instruments for education and entertainment of pregnant women at the antenatal clinics. Keywords: Antenatal songs, pragmatic functions, clinics, health practitioners, pregnant women