DOI: 10.1590/S0080-623420140000800004 O RIGINAL Pregnancy and childbirth: What changes in the lifestyle of women who become mothers? A RTICLE GRAVIDEZ E PARTO: O QUE MUDA NO ESTILO DE VIDA DAS MULHERES QUE SE TORNAM MÃES? EL EMBARAZO Y EL PARTO: ¿QUÉ CAMBIOS EN EL ESTILO DE VIDA DE LAS MUJERES QUE SON MADRES? Emília de Carvalho Coutinho1, Cristina Bastos da Silva2, Cláudia Margarida Balula Chaves3, Paula Alexandra Batista Nelas4, Vitória Barros Castro Parreira5, Maria Odete Amaral 6, João Carvalho Duarte7 ABSTRACT RESUMO RESUMEN Pregnancy is a period influenced by the O decurso da gravidez é determinado pela El desarrollo del embarazo está determina- interaction of several factors, therefore interação de diversos fatores, pelo que este do por la interacción entre varios factores. this study aimed to identify changes in estudo teve como objetivo conhecer as En este estudio fueron evaluados los cam- lifestyles due to pregnancy and childbirth mudanças nos estilos de vida provocadas bios en el estilo de vida causadas por el in Portuguese and immigrant women in pela gravidez e pelo parto em mulheres embarazo y el parto en mujeres inmigran- Portugal. This is a qualitative study, using imigrantes e portuguesas. Estudo de natu- tes y portuguesas. El estudio posee un ca- the semi-structured interview, with eighty- reza qualitativa, exploratório, que recorreu rácter cualitativo y exploratorio recurrió a two Portuguese and immigrant women. à entrevista semiestruturada, em oitenta e entrevistas semiestructuradas, en ochenta Content analysis was used, with verbatim duas mulheres imigrantes e portuguesas. y dos mujeres inmigrantes e portuguesas. classification supported by Nvivo 10. It was Foi utilizada a análise de conteúdo com a Se utilizó el análisis de contenido apoyado authorized by an Ethics Commission. Re- categorização do verbatim suportada pelo por el programa QSR Nvivo10El estudio fue sults revealed that the primary changes in Nvivo 10. O estudo foi autorizado por uma aprobado por un Comité de Ética. Los re- lifestyles due to pregnancy were in eating Comissão de Ética. Os resultados apontaram sultados mostraron cómo grandes cambios habits (nutrition), daily activity, exposure como principais mudanças ocorridas nos es- en los estilos de vida causados por el em- to danger, sleep and rest patterns, social tilos de vida, provocadas pela gravidez, as barazo, relacionados con la alimentación, and family relationships, going out, self- relacionadas com a alimentação, atividade la actividad diaria, la exposición a riesgos, care, work, clothing and footwear, travel, diária, exposição a perigos, sono e repouso, el sueño, el descanso, las relaciones socia- health monitoring and sexual activity and relações sociais e familiares, saídas, cuidado les y familiares, salidas, cuidar de sí misma, substances consumption. The main change consigo própria, trabalho, vestuário e calça- el trabajo, la ropa y el calzado, viajes, vigi- after the birth, manifested by these wom- do, viagens, vigilância de saúde, vivências lancia de la salud, las experiencias de la se- en, was that their lives began to revolve da sexualidade, e consumos. A principal xualidad y el consumo. El principal cambio, around their baby. mudança, após o parto, manifestada por es- después de la entrega, que se manifiesta tas mulheres, foi que a sua vida passou a ser por estas mujeres, era que su vida tiene gerida em função do bebé. que ser manejado de acuerdo a la bebé. DESCRIPTORS DESCRITORES DESCRIPTORES Pregnancy Gravidez Embarazo Lifestyle Estilo de vida Estilo de vida Change Mudança Cambio Childbirth Parto Parto 1 PhD in Nursing Sciences, School of Health of Viseu IPV/CIDETS, Viseu, Portugal. 2 Nurse, currently unaffiliated, Viseu, Portugal. 3 PhD in Education Sciences, School of Health of Viseu IPV/CIDETS, Viseu, Portugal. 4 PhD in Education Sciences, School of Health of Viseu IPV/CIDETS, Viseu, Portugal. 5 Master in Nursing Sciences, School of Nursing of Porto, Portugal. 6 PhD in Public Health, School of Health of Viseu IPV/CIDETS. Viseu, Portugal. 7 PhD in Mental Health, School of Health of Viseu IPV/CIDETS, Viseu, Portugal. Pregnancy and childbirth:Português What / changesInglês in the lifestyle of Received: 30/04/2014 Rev Esc Enferm USP women who becomewww.scielo.br/reeusp mothers Approved: 16/07/2014 2014; 48(Esp2):17-23 Coutinho EC, Silva CB, Chaves CMB, Nelas PAB, Parreira VBC, www.ee.usp.br/reeusp/ 17 Amaral MO, Duarte JC INTRODUCTION Considering the context presented, this study aimed to identify changes in lifestyles due to pregnan- Pregnancy is a requirement for the survival of human cy and childbirth in Portuguese and immigrant women life, being essential to the generational renewal, and rep- in Portugal. resents the period of formation of a new being. This starts with the conception, extends over a period of about 40 METHOD weeks, and ends with the delivery(1). It is a period of pro- found changes, concerning lifestyle, not only in the per- This is qualitative research study, using semi-struc- sonal life, but also in the lives of the couple and the whole tured interviews for data collection. Content analysis of family. This is a stage of physical and psychological prepa- ration for birth and parenting(2). verbatim interviews was done resorting to the Qualita- tive Analyses Software Certified Partner (NVivo version Studies reveal that physiological changes occurring 10). The study abided by the ethical principles with the during pregnancy result in increased nutritional needs of study participants, the institutions involved and the Na- the pregnant women, which, although similar to those of tional Commission for Data Protection (Case 85/2011, non-pregnant women have some particularities regarding No. 191/2011). The interviews took place in the period the need for energy, protein, certain vitamins such as thia- between February 2011 and February 2012, with the mine, folic acid, vitamin C, and minerals such as iron, zinc, use of the recording and subsequent transcription of (3) copper and magnesium . verbatim. It is also common knowledge that although physical The study population consists of Portuguese and exercise is an increasingly present practice in everyday immigrant women in Portugal, recent (less than a year) life, due to the growing worldwide awareness of healthy mothers, from two districts of the Central Region of lifestyles, and although pregnancy is not illness, it is, how- ever, a period that involves several changes in the mater- Portugal. The sample comprises of 82 women, 22 of nal body, so that physical exercise should be balanced and which are Portuguese and 60 are immigrants. In this take into account the woman’s habits before the pregnan- sample 22 nationalities are represented, with 28.05% cy. On one hand, the practice of physical activity can lead Portuguese women, 17.07% Brazilian, 13.41% Ukrai- to the risk of hypoglycaemia, hyperthermia, decreased nian, 9.76% Chinese, 4.88% Moldovan, 3.66% French, blood flow to the placenta, and musculoskeletal injuries, 3.66% Russian, 2.44%, Spanish, 2.44% Indian, and on the other, it also has health benefits such as improving 1.22% of each of the other nationalities. Inclusion crite- body fat control, promote psychosocial interactions, and ria were: to be Portuguese or Immigrant in Portugal, to the eventual facilitation of labour(4). Hence physical exer- be a recent mother (less than a year); knowledge of the cise should be of low intensity and the average duration Portuguese language, and acceptance to participate in should be forty minutes not to cause complications for the study. the mother and the foetus(4). Studies also relate that consumption of harmful sub- Table 1 – Socio-demographic characterization of the sample stances such as tobacco and alcohol, and exposure to pol- luted environments is detrimental to the general popu- N=82 lation and pregnant women, due to the phase they are Age Group going through, are no exception. <21 1 21-35 61 Since pregnancy is a time of intense physical and psy- >35 20 chological changes in women’s lives, it can and should be Marital status (5) an opportunity to adopt healthier life styles . married/de facto union 69 Single/divorced/widow 13 Literature denotes that sexuality is one of the most Academic Qualifications natural characteristics of being human(6); it is a biological, ≤ 9º grade 19 physiological reality and one of the engines of human ex- 10-12º grades 20 istence. Higher Education 43 In this framework, considering the changes in lifestyles Professional status presented, the birth of a child marks the lives of women Employed 63 and the family as a period filled with changes and with Unemployed 19 enormous impact on their individual and family lives. The pregnant woman, in addition to having to adapt to physi- cal changes caused by childbirth, is now faced with a new Figure 1 represents the sample in terms of number of being that depends on her. pregnancies. Rev Esc Enferm USP Pregnancy and childbirth: What changes in the lifestyle of 2014; 48(Esp2):17-23 women who become mothers 18 www.ee.usp.br/reeusp/ Coutinho EC, Silva CB, Chaves CMB, Nelas PAB, Parreira VBC, Amaral MO, Duarte JC Figure 1 – Number of pregnancies “... I had an addiction to drinking coke during pregnancy” (CP Brazil); “…during pregnancy I was careful to eat everything well washed, and have a healthy diet” (AO Congo); “I ate more fish during pregnancy” (AE Brazil); “With the pregnancy I ate more fruit” (CN Moldova); “I started eating more vegetables in pregnancy” (AC Ukraine); “I never drank milk and started drinking it after becoming pregnant; I started to eat more yogurt” (DA Ukraine); “I cut a lot in fats and fried food” (AE Brazil); “I began drinking plenty of water during pregnancy” (BT RESULTS Romania). To achieve the goal defined in the introduction, the There were also changes in daily activity which be- study was developed in order to bring out the changes in came more moderate, as evidenced by the participants’ lifestyles due to pregnancy and childbirth in Portuguese speech.