Health Information Needs of Mothers with Physical Disabilities

In addition to surviving and thriving more than ever before, more women with physical disabilities are assuming typical social roles, including those of mother. Yet thriving as a mother with a disability often means dealing with systems that are unfamiliar with one's needs and which provide little information about how to manage the process of bearing and raising a child as a woman with a disability. Using semi-structured qualitative interviews with 26 women with physical disabilities, we explored women's own understanding of pregnancy, childbirth and childrearing and their need for information. We found substantial variation in the amount of knowledge with which women entered pregnancy. Some women, largely because of their own research, were in a position to educate their health care providers about their medical conditions and what they could expect during pregnancy. Others had very little knowledge about what to expect and went through the entire childbirth process and into childrearing with very little knowledge of what would be required along the way. This presentation will describe the level and sources of knowledge among mothers with physical disabilities regarding pregnancy and childbirth and the implications for health care and public health, including health education.