Mothers' experiences of midwifery support during labour.

Abstract

This study aimed to gain an insight on mothers' experiences of midwifery support during labour. The objectives for this study were to explore which supportive midwifery behaviours are present and perceived as most helpful to women giving birth and to explore the relevance of midwifery support during labour by assessing maternal satisfaction leading to a positive experience of childbirth. Ethical approval and other permissions were acquired from all respective authorities. To fulfill the study's aim, a self-administered structured questionnaire was utilized. The sample included 40 Maltese women recruited by convenience sampling. Participants gave birth to healthy newborns by normal vaginal delivery. A response rate of 100% was obtained. Data was analyzed manually using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The overall experience of childbirth was positive and mothers were satisfied with the midwifery support offered during childbirth. The positive character traits of the midwife were predominant and mothers received more emotional support behaviours than practical support behaviours from the midwife. Although mothers were satisfied with the amount of midwifery support offered during labour, they felt troubled when the midwife was replaced due to the end of shift. Results were discussed and compared to other similar studies. Recommendations include recognizing the importance of the midwife's competence and character characteristics, paying more attention to the role of the child's father as a support person during childbirth and repeating the study on a larger scale to make it more generalisable. Future studies on midwifery support during labour should also gather information on its effectiveness on mothers having a natural birth. Finally, increasing awareness of midwifery support amongst midwifery students and midwives was also discussed.