Cooperative Inquiry: Creating space for Maternity Care Professionals to reduce Postpartum Haemorrhage for Pregnant Women in Nigeria through collaboration and dialogue

Background Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is the leading contributing obstetric cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in resource-limited countries like Nigeria. Despite the conventional practice, such as active management of the third stage of labour (AMTSL), PPH is still the chief cause of maternal mortality in Nigeria. This study aimed to collaborate with midwives and obstetricians to identify the steps and actions required, including identifying existing barriers, to reduce Postpartum haemorrhage at a Hospital in Nigeria, West Africa. Method This study adopted a Cooperative Inquiry design, a form of Participatory Action Research. In total, seven Cooperative Inquiry meetings were held with maternity care professionals. The rich data collected was analysed using reflective thematic analysis. Results The analysis yielded many themes; however owing to word count, this paper focuses on four key themes: health education for pregnant and postpartum women to prevent PPH, Nutrition during pregnancy, Nutritional pictorial materials, and Financial preparedness for pregnancy and childbirth. Conclusion Our study reveals that through collaborative discussion and reflection, midwives and obstetricians can work together to empower women to address contextual and cultural factors that increase their risk of PPH.