Nurse Midwives’ Perspectives on Women’s Vocalization During the First and Second Stages of Labor: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Women’s vocalization during labor can be highly infl uenced by the attitudes and practices of nurse midwives. This study analyzed the perspectives of nurse midwives regarding women’s vocalization in the fi rst and second stages of labor (n = 16). Methods: Descriptive study using semi-structured interviews analyzed through lexical analysis with IraMuTeQ software. Data collection took place between February and April 2024. Results: The analysis revealed six thematic classes: “Attitude toward vocalization”, “Signifi cance of women’s self-image”, “Resistance and acceptance of vo- calization”, “Control and inhibition of vocalization”, “Advantages and disadvantages of vocalization”, and “Usefulness of vocalization in caregiving”. Conclusions: There are different attitudes among nurse midwives toward women’s vocalization, ranging from respect to paternalistic control. Practical implications include the urgent need for curricular modules on vocalization in midwifery training programs and the deconstruction of biases that silence women’s voices during childbirth.