Table 1 Illustration of the data analysis process
Verbatim | Codes | Sub themes | Themes |
|---|---|---|---|
“I used to get sleepless nights. I would spend the whole night awake. Whenever it would get to 2.00 am, I would sit in bed with no sleep at all because of this stressful relationship that was lacking the basic needs (B 25).” | Disturbed sleep | Insomnia & headache | Somatic experiences |
“After delivering my breast started swelling, I tried using herbal medicine but all in vain and I decided to go to … to seek treatment but instead I was told to go to … Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough money, instead I decided to get some local treatment by burning the boil at the traditional healer but the wound from the burns have never healed until now … Right now I use only one breast to feed my child and also buy milk because milk from one breast is always not enough. So this is a very big challenge to me and my baby because she gets poor feeding and she is always crying (KHCIV 11).” | Pain | Breast pain | |
“I think lack of breast milk disturbed me, because when I lost weight due to lack of appetite and as a result, my breast milk reduced… it was challenging to feed the baby which maybe… I think it is because of weight loss and lack of energy (BHCIV 27).” | Lack of breast milk | Poor milk production | |
“Okay I lost weight after losing appetite because I was not feeding well … at the health facility they asked me what happened that I reduced weight, my kilograms have reduced. I reduced weight, count from 97kgs to 65kgs due to too much stress (MRRH 6).” | Losing weight | Weight loss | |
“… after delivering I bled so much and the blood would just flow. It was not an easy experience since I was feeling very tired and weak due to losing a lot of blood and sometimes I failed to eat or had no food to eat and drink as the doctors had advised leading to dizziness ... (KHCIV 12).” | Fatigue | Lack of energy | |
“Otherwise I do most of the work like washing, cooking, sweeping, mopping myself and when I feel tired and sometimes fail to eat … Yes, there is when I think that maybe I leave or that I sleep the whole day but the baby’s clothes need to be washed yet my husband can never support me… not even to hold the baby as I do them (MRRH 04).” | Not assisted with house chores besides the new baby roles | Overwhelming domestic chores | Difficulties in home and family life |
“My husband lost his first wife leaving him with five children. I have given him three more children. My in-laws are just full of hate, they complain about me not taking good care of the children and all this just increases my stress and high blood pressure (KHCIV 15).” | Deficient family social support | Lack of social support from other family members | |
“When my husband drinks, he starts quarrelling from say 10:00 pm until morning without sleeping … but as a man, he cannot fail to give you some slaps (BHCIV 33).” | Conflict with partner | Fighting at home | |
“I stopped working because I got challenges with my spinal cord. Right now, it is difficult to support myself and my children. My husband does not support us in any way. This is driving me crazy (KHCIV 11).” | Income challenges | Financial constraints during COVID-19 pandemic |