Positive childbirth experience: A qualitative study.
Monirolsadate Hosseini Tabaghdehi, Afsaneh Keramat, Sakineh Kolahdozan and 3 others
PMID 32587743WHAT IT FOUND
Women described positive birth when they felt in control through preparation, coping, and support.
They said providers who explained labour progress, understood their needs, and supported family presence helped them feel safe.
Key findings
01Analysis identified two themes, control and empowerment, with subthemes of preparation, coping, support, self-efficacy, and self-esteem.
02Women described control as coming from preparation, coping, and support from healthcare providers, spouse, and relatives.
03Women said provider communication, informing about labour progress, and physical care helped them feel safe and in control.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Qualitative findings cannot be generalised to all women. The study included only ten women from a health centre in a small town without ethnic diversity. Participants were only women with uncomplicated vaginal delivery, cephalic presentation, and healthy infants, so it does not describe other birth experiences. Women were selected for positive childbirth experience, and the paper did not report how that was defined, so negative or mixed experiences were not explored. Some participants lacked sufficient motivation to interview.
Declared interests
The authors declared no relevant conflicts of interest. The work was funded by Shahroud University of Medical Sciences.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that preparation, coping, or provider support causes positive birth, or that they apply to all women. The study interviewed ten women who already had uncomplicated vaginal births and healthy infants, and qualitative findings cannot be generalised.