Sanhujori Experience of the Recipient of Postpartum Lay Helper's Service for Effective Clinical Communication

Abstract

Sanhujori is Korean traditional postpartum care composed of the specific principles devised by experienced women for the recovery of a mother after childbirth, and for the newborn baby's health. The purpose of this research was to explore the experiences of women receiving Sanhujori at home with the help of the postpartum lay helper's service for effective communication among postpartum women, lay helper and professional care giver for the best health outcome of postpartum woman. Data was collected by 2 focus groups interviews with twelve women who utilized postpartum lay helper services from August 1 to August 31, 2013. And qualitative analysis of the qualitative data by focus group interview was done. Their experiences were elaborated as following six major categories: (1) Frustration of having no place to lean on, (2) Feeling of relief that comes from receiving help, (3) Happiness of receiving postpartum care with family, (4) Human to human interaction, (5) Craving for information, (6) Disappointment with the lay helper services. Not only positive results were ascertained, but negative results were also found when mothers received inadequate Sanhujori from the inexpert postpartum lay helpers, during a critical period when mothers need help with postpartum health recovery and newborn baby's adaptation to external environment. This implies that the necessity of the systematic education program to foster postpartum lay helpers with expertise on postpartum care and the importance of Sanhujori at home with proper and active help of the prepared and knowledgeable postpartum lay helper by adequate education program. Furthermore, the development of education program would take a leading role in activating clinical communication between healthcare professionals and women in need of postpartum care.