Experiences of men whose partners have been admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) immediately after childbirth

Naturalistic Inquiry was used to explore, describe and discover the experiences and perceptions of men whose partners have been admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) immediately after childbirth. The sixteen men's experiences were explored using semi-structured open-ended questions. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis.<br><br>The research questions driving this study were: • What are men's experiences and perceptions of the incidence and impact of their partners being admitted to ICU following the complications of childbirth? • What is the nature of the relationships and interactions that men have with healthcare professionals before, during and after their partner's ICU admission following the complications of childbirth? • What impact did the experience of their partners being admitted to ICU, following the complications of childbirth, have on the men's relationships with their partners, newborn child, and other children? • What impact did the experiences of their partners being admitted to ICU following the complications of childbirth have on their future life plans? During the time of their partners' obstetric crisis the men, in this study, were left isolated, alone and struggling. The current healthcare policy and practice for men with their partners in life-threatening situations intrapartum and immediately postpartum failed 16 families.<br>