ABSTRACT
This chapter takes an experiential and emic approach to understanding night-time postnatal care in a UK hospital. We combine data from semi-structured interviews with descriptive video case studies to explore the experiences of mothers and their newborns, together with those of the postnatal ward staff. We interpret maternal and infant experiences and needs as biosocial processes. Cultural influences underlie the expectations, experiences, and interpretations of care on a postnatal ward at night. Research employing an experiential emic-focused approach can help to identify obstacles to optimal care for the mother–infant dyad and improve patient and staff experience of the hospital environment (Kleinman et al.,1978).
