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Problematic Integration of Uncertainty and Desire in Pregnancy

Ball State University

Austin S. Babrow

Purdue University

Although most women in the United States choose physicians for their prenatal care, a small but growing number are now turning to midwives. The disparity between these two models of care has clear implications for the communication that takes place with each type of provider. In this project, the authors seek to understand the mother-midwife relationship by employing a case study approach with multiple data collection methods to examine one woman's struggles with the uncertainties she faces during her pregnancy. The authors employed problematic integration (PI) theory, which illuminates struggles with uncertainty, profound values, and communication, to examine how one woman and her midwife jointly handle and negotiate the dilemmas posed by her pregnancy. The woman's relationship and interactions with her midwife exemplify the midwifery model of care and illuminate the implications that this model has for the joint confrontation of uncertainty and desire during pregnancy.

Key Words: midwifery • pregnancy • uncertainty • problematic integration • health communication

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