An expression of love - midwives' experiences in the encounter with lesbian women and their partners

Journal of Advanced Nursing

Volumn 68, Issue 4, 2012, Pages 796-805

  Spidsberg, Bente Dahl ^a   Sørlie, Venke ^b  

^a University College   (Norway)

^b OSLO METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY   (Norway)

Author keywords

Co mother; Lesbian; Lesbian motherhood; Maternity care; Midwifery; Phenomenological hermeneutical

Indexed keywords

ADULT; ARTICLE; FEMALE; HEALTH PERSONNEL ATTITUDE; HEALTH SERVICE; HUMAN; HUMAN RELATION; LESBIAN; LOVE; MIDDLE AGED; MIDWIFE; MOTHER; MOTHER CHILD RELATION; NURSE PATIENT RELATIONSHIP; PREGNANCY; PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT; QUALITATIVE RESEARCH; ROLE PLAYING; SEXUALITY;

ADULT; ATTITUDE OF HEALTH PERSONNEL; FEMALE; HOMOSEXUALITY, FEMALE; HUMANS; INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS; LOVE; MATERNAL HEALTH SERVICES; MIDDLE AGED; MIDWIFERY; MOTHER-CHILD RELATIONS; MOTHERS; NURSE-PATIENT RELATIONS; PREGNANCY; QUALITATIVE RESEARCH; ROLE; SEXUAL PARTNERS; WOMEN;

EID: 84858298183     PISSN: 03092402     EISSN: 13652648     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2011.05780.x     Document Type: Article

References (50)

1. Alvsvåg H. (1996) Kjærlighet - et tidløst fenomen (Love - a timeless phenomenon). Klinisk Sygepleje 2, 97-102.
2. Alvsvåg H. (2010) Kjærlighet som grunnlag i helsevesenet (Love as a foundation in health care). Michael 7, 244-253.
3. Andersen S. (1998) K. E. Løgstrups etikk (The ethics of K. E. Løgstrup). In Nærhetsetikk (The Ethics of Closeness) (Vetlesen A.J., ed.), Ad Notam Gyldendal, Oslo, pp. 50-100.
4. Anderssen N. (2002) Does contact with lesbians and gays lead to friendlier attitudes? A two year longitudinal study. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology 12, 124-136.
5. Arnold O., Voracek M., Musalek M. & Springer-Kremser M. (2004) Australian medical students' attitudes towards male and female homosexuality: a comparative study. Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift 11(21-22), 730-736.
6. Bjerg S. (1982) Jakob Knudsen. Erfaring og fortælling (Jakob Knudsen. Experience and Story). Aros forlag, Århus.
7. Bjørkman M. & Malterud K. (2007) Being lesbian - does the doctor need to know? A qualitative study about the significance of disclosure in general practice. Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care 25, 58-62.
8. Bjørkman M. & Malterud K. (2009) Lesbian women's experiences with health care: a qualitative study. Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care 27, 238-243.
9. Bonvicini K.A. & Perlin M.J. (2003) The same but different: clinician-patient communication with gay and lesbian patients. Patient Education and Counselling 51, 115-122.
10. Buchholz S.E. (2000) Experiences of lesbian couples during childbirth. Nursing Outlook 48, 307-311.
11. Hinchliff S., Gott M. & Galena E. (2005) I daresay I find it embarrassing. Health and Social Care in the Community 13(4), 345-353.
12. Hunter B. (2001) Emotion work in midwifery: a review of current knowledge. Journal of Advanced Nursing 34(4), 436-444.
13. Hunter B., Berg M., Lundgren I., Ólafsdottir A. & Kirkham M. (2008) Relationships: the hidden threads in the tapestry of maternity care. Midwifery 24, 132-137.
14. International Confederation of Midwives, ICM (2008) ICM International Code of Ethics for Midwives. Available at: on 15 June 2011
15. Jakobsen R. & Sørlie V. (2010) Dignity of older people in a nursing home: narratives of care providers. Nursing Ethics 17(3), 289-300.
16. Kenney J. & Tash D. (1993) Lesbian childbearing couples' dilemmas and decisions. In Lesbian Health: What are the Issues? (Noerager Stern P., ed.), Taylor and Francis, London, pp. 119-129.
17. Larsson A.K. & Dykes A.K. (2009) Care during pregnancy and childbirth in Sweden: perspectives of lesbian women. Midwifery 25(6), 682-690.
18. Lee E. (2004) Lesbian users of maternity services: appropriate care. British Journal of Midwifery 12(6), 353-358.
19. Lee E., Taylor J. & Raitt F. (2011) "It's not me, it's them": how lesbian women make sense of negative experiences of maternity care: a hermeneutic study. Journal of Advanced Nursing 67(5), 982-990.
20. Lincoln Y.S. & Guba E.G. (1985) Naturalistic Inquiry. Sage Publications, Newbury Park, CA.
21. Lindseth A. & Norberg A. (2004) A phenomenological hermeneutical method for researching lived experience. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences 18(2), 145-153.
22. Løgstrup K.E. (1976) Vidde og prægnans (Range and Pregnancy). Gyldendal, Copenhagen.
23. Løgstrup K.E. (1997) The Ethical Demand. Notre Dame Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame.
24. Lundgren I. & Berg M. (2007) Central concepts in the midwife-woman relationship. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Science 21, 220-228.
25. Malterud K. (2003) Kvalitative metoder i Medisinsk Forskning - en innføring (Qualitative Methods in Medical Research - An Introduction). Universitetsforlaget, Oslo.
26. Martinsen K. (2003a) Fenomenologi og omsorg (Phenomenology and Caring). Universitetsforlaget, Oslo.
27. Martinsen K. (2003b) Fra Marx til Løgstrup (From Marx to Løgstrup). Universitetsforlaget, Oslo.
28. Mc. Manus J., Hunter L.P. & Renn H. (2006) Lesbian experiences and needs during childbirth: guidance for health care providers. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing 35(1), 13-23.
29. Mishler E. (1991) Research Interviewing. Context and Narrative. Harvard University Press, London.
30. Morse J. & Richards L. (2002) Readme First for a User's Guide to Qualitative Methods. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.
31. Nicholls L. & Webb C. (2006) What makes a good midwife? An integrative review of methodologically-diverse research. Journal of Advanced Nursing 56(4), 414-429.
32. Patton M.Q. (2002) Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.
33. Platzer H. & James T. (1997) Methodological issues conducting sensitive research on lesbian and gay men's experience of nursing care. Journal of Advanced Nursing 25, 626-633.
34. Renaud M.T. (2007) We are mothers too: childbearing experiences of lesbian families. Journal of Obstetric, Gynaecologic and Obstetric Nursing 36(2), 190-199.
35. Ricoeur P. (1976) Interpretation Theory: Discourse and the Surplus of Meaning. Texas Christian University Press, Forth Worth, TX.
36. Ricoeur P. (1994) Oneself as Another. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
37. Röndahl G., Innala S. & Carlsson M. (2004a) Nurses' attitudes towards lesbians and gay men. Journal of Advanced Nursing 47(4), 386-392.
38. Röndahl G., Innala S. & Carlsson M. (2004b) Nursing staff and nursing students' emotions towards homosexual patients and their wish to refrain from nursing, if the option existed. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences 18, 19-26.
39. Röndahl G., Bruhner E. & Lindhe J. (2009) Heteronormative communication with lesbian families in antenatal care, childbirth and postnatal care. Journal of Advanced Nursing 65(11), 2337-2344.
40. Ross L., Steele L.S. & Epstein R. (2006) Service use and gaps in services for lesbian and bisexual women during donor insemination, pregnancy and the postpartum period. Journal of Obstetrica and Gynaecology Canada 28(6), 505-511.
41. Sanchez N.F., Rabatin J., Sanchez J.P., Hubbard S. & Kalet A. (2006) Medical students' ability to care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered patients. Family Medicine 38(1), 21-27.
42. Sørlie V., Jansson L. & Norberg A. (2003) The meaning of being in ethically difficult care situations in pediatric care as narrated by female registered nurses. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences 3, 285-292.
43. Spidsberg B.D. (2007) Vulnerable and strong - lesbian women encountering maternity care. Journal of Advanced Nursing 60(5), 478-486.
44. Stewart M. (1999) Lesbian parents talk about their birth experiences. British Journal of Midwifery 7(2), 96-101.
45. Torjuul K. & Sørlie V. (2006) Nursing is different than medicine: ethical difficulties in the process of care in surgical units. Journal of Advanced Nursing 56(4), 404-413.
46. Vetlesen A.J. & Nortvedt P. (2000) Følelser og moral (Emotions and Moral). Gyldendal Norsk Forlag, Oslo.
47. Watson J. (2005) Caring Science as Sacred Science. F.A. Davis Company, Philadelphia, PA.
48. Wilton T. (1996) Caring for the lesbian client: homophobia and midwifery. British Journal of Midwifery 4(3), 126-131.
49. Wilton T. (1999) Towards an understanding of the cultural roots of homophobia in order to provide a better midwifery service for lesbian clients. Midwifery 15, 154-164.
50. Wilton T. & Kaufmann T. (2001) Lesbian mothers' experiences of maternity care in the UK. Midwifery 17, 203-211.