Giving birth: the voices of Orthodox Jewish women living in Canada.

Objective: To describe the meaning of the childbirth experience to Orthodox Jewish women living in Canada.

Design: In this phenomenologic study, audiotaped interviews were conducted. Tapes were transcribed verbatim and analyzed for emergent themes. Demographic data also were collected.

Setting And Participants: Thirty Orthodox Jewish women who had given birth to healthy full-term newborns at a university-affiliated Jewish hospital in Montreal, Canada, participated in the study. Data were collected within 2 weeks after childbirth, either in the mother's postpartum hospital room or in her home.

Results: The following themes reflecting spiritual/cultural dimensions of the childbirth experience were identified: (a) birth as a significant life event, (b) birth as a bittersweet paradox, (c) the spiritual dimensions of giving birth, (d) the importance of obedience to rabbinical law, and (e) a sense of support and affirmation.

Conclusion: This study documents cultural, religious, and spiritual dimensions of the childbirth experience of Orthodox Jewish women living in Canada. Knowledge and appreciation of the multiple dimensions of childbirth reflected by this study's findings can contribute to holistic and culturally competent nursing care of women and newborns.