{
  "abstract": "Aim: This study aimed to explore pregnant women's experiences of obstetric abdominal ultrasound and examine the emotional, cognitive, and relational dimensions of these experiences. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted with 20 pregnant women attending routine obstetric ultrasound examinations in Türkiye. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Five themes were identified, reflecting the emotional, cognitive, relational, and embodied dimensions of women's ultrasound experiences. Women's experiences of obstetric ultrasound were characterized by emotional ambivalence, the transformation of pregnancy into a tangible and relational reality through fetal visualization, participants' evolving sense of maternal identity, reassurance associated with supportive communication, and perceptions of preparedness for childbirth and motherhood. Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of integrating woman-centered communication and emotional support into routine obstetric ultrasound to address women's informational, emotional, and relational needs during antenatal care.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Public Health Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur 15030, Türkiye.",
    "Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bucak State Hospital, Burdur 15300, Türkiye.",
    "Geriatric Care Department, Istanbul Atlas University, Istanbul 34408, Türkiye."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ayse Sezer Balci",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6520-1669"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Cigdem Can Bayrak",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5136-2744"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Meliha Akpınar Alaoglu"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fmqd6fdxhtk0d.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/healthcare14203472",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13704168",
  "id": "fmqd6fdxhtk0d",
  "issns": [
    "2227-9032"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42940519",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2729|Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7222458835",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13704168?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13704168",
  "pmid": "42940519",
  "published": "2026-10-16",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fmqd6fdxhtk0d.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:22:12Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42940519",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42940519"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2729|Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions",
      "subfield": "reproductive-child"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Pregnant Women's Experiences of Obstetric Abdominal Ultrasound: A Qualitative Study Exploring Emotional, Cognitive, and Relational Dimensions.",
  "title_text": "Pregnant Women's Experiences of Obstetric Abdominal Ultrasound: A Qualitative Study Exploring Emotional, Cognitive, and Relational Dimensions.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:22:12Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fmqd6fdxhtk0d",
  "venue": "Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)",
  "versions": []
}