Black Women’s Perceptions of Supportive Care During Childbirth.

With globalization and the subsequent increase in the ethno-cultural diversity of the population in most western societies, health care providers face the challenge of identifying innovative and meaningful ways of working effectively across cultural boundaries. This paper discusses the findings of a qualitative study that examined the childbirth experiences of Black women in one of Canada’s eastern provinces. The paper focuses on the theme of supportive care including family and care provider support, and their various manifestations in health care interactions. It concludes with some implications for health services delivery in general and the work of the childbirth educators and other perinatal health care providers in particular.