Discursive practices about the decisionmaking power of women in childbirth

This article analyzed the decision-making power of women in childbirth expressed discursive practices nurses and resident physicians area obstetrics. Qualitative study with 22 residents a maternity hospital. Data were collected through interviews submitted to discourse analysis following Michel Foucault’s views. The focus on risk control normalization cooperative behavior parturient woman, culminating restrictions women. They also value humanization childbirth, protagonism co-responsibility women, stressing medical knowledge-power. It was evident an anchor medicalization, reproduced by midwifery teaching, neoliberal logic, associating women’s self-government consumption. Autonomy health as rights need be strengthened social actors teaching assistance.