“The ignored pain” - experiences of encounters with healthcare from the perspective of women with pain persisting after childbirth - a qualitative study

•Pain persisting after childbirth was often not recognized or adequately managed.•Many women experienced that their pain was ignored or trivialized.•The women felt alone and forced to navigate the healthcare system on their own.•Experiences of knowledge gaps among healthcare professionals were recurring. Although the prevalence of pain persisting after pregnancy or labour decreases with time, up to 35 % of women report pain 8 months to 12 years after childbirth. To prevent the development and reduce the impact of chronic pain, researchers and clinicians emphasize the importance of early diagnosis as well as timely and appropriate treatment. Previous studies have shown that when women with post-childbirth morbidities consult healthcare professionals during the first year following birth, their problems are often neglected, and they do not receive adequate treatment. To explore how women with pain persisting for eight months after childbirth experienced encounters with healthcare. A descriptive qualitative design with 20 face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using inductive qualitative content analysis. “Pain ignored by healthcare” was identified as an essential theme and included four categories: “Questioned pain experience,” “Inadequate pain management,” “Lost in healthcare,” and “Insufficient postpartum care “ The women experienced that their pain was often not recognized or adequately treated, but instead ignored or trivialized. Recurring were descriptions of experienced knowledge gaps among the healthcare providers regarding pain and its management. There was an overall desire among women for a well-defined and well-functioning chain of care with better accessibility and scope.