Pregnant women's management of activity restriction during hospitalisation – A question of yielding and not feeling deprived of a sense of control

BackgroundMaternal activity restriction (AR) is an obstetric intervention recommended to prevent preterm birth, despite limited evidence of treatment effect and obvious adverse effects. Some pregnant women manage AR well, others poorly.AimWe aimed to explain why pregnant women respond differently to AR.MethodsUsing grounded theory, pregnant women were interviewed during inpatient AR.ResultsBeing without a sense of control was identified as core category which was shared by all the women, yet less stressful to manage when yielded in a self-determined way rather than experienced as involuntarily deprived. Good or poor management depended on five challenging dimensions: Having to find meaning, Being in a helpless and dependent state, Having to put aside personal values, Tolerating limitations of freedom and Having confidence in the AR therapy.ConclusionIdentification of the challenging dimensions of AR can guide health care providers in tailoring their support to each individual woman's reaction.