Social support network of Brazilian Amazonian women to subsidise the decision-making power of planned home birth: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVE: To understand the social support network of Amazonian women when making decisions about planned home births. METHOD: Descriptive, exploratory, qualitative research. SETTING: Planned home birth care, accompanied by obstetric nurses, in the state of Pará, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: 20 women who had a planned home birth in the metropolitan region of the state of Pará, Brazil. These women were surveyed by a team of obstetric nurses working in home birth care. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted at the women's homes between August 2021 and February 2022, with the audio captured on an mp3 device. The data were analysed at the same time as the data collection. Each interview was transcribed and content analysis was used to process the data. RESULTS: The social support network shares experiences and knowledge between women in order to guarantee knowledge and not perpetuate traumatic episodes during childbirth. This network is a link to women's power of choice in relation to their own birth, which culminates in successful experiences in the birth process. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: Understanding the social support network for women's decision-making during planned home births is central to guaranteeing rights and expectations regarding the place of birth. Social support networks need to be expanded by non-governmental groups and by the Unified Health System itself, especially in primary healthcare. DESCRIPTORS: Women; home childbirth; social support; access to information and nursing.