Perceptions on Oral Intake During Labour – Focus Group

Oral intake during labour has not yet been implemented in some Portuguese hospitals and maternity units, with the practice of fasting continuing in some institutions. Against this background, this qualitative study aims to provide methodological support for the development of a protocol for oral intake in full-term women in labour with no associated medical conditions, whose pregnancies and labour carry a low risk of maternal and fetal complications and a low risk of aspiration. To develop a protocol on the diet of full-term women in labour with no associated medical conditions for Specialist Nurses in Maternal and Obstetric Health within the context of the delivery room under study. A qualitative, descriptive and analytical study was conducted using a Focus Group as the data collection technique, involving a semi-structured interview with seven experts (three specialist nurses and four doctors). Content analysis followed Bardin’s methodology, with the support of NVivo14® software. The Focus Group enabled information to be gathered from experts in the field, based on their knowledge and clinical practice, and the content analysis of the data obtained identified three emerging domains: the woman in labour, Organisational Dimension and Procedure, which contributed to the development of a protocol on the diet of full-term labouring women without associated pathology for Specialist Nurses in Maternal and Obstetric Health in the delivery theatre setting. The experts are unanimous regarding the intake of clear fluids by full-term labouring women without associated pathologies and consider that epidural analgesia and the active phase of labour do not preclude such intake. The combination of scientific evidence, the Focus Group and content analysis proved useful for the context-specific development of the procedure, constituting a strategy that could be utilised in other clinical contexts, taking into account the respective institutional and professional characteristics.