Abstract
Background
Place of birth can impact on a woman’s labour and birth experience. Planning to birth at home offers women more control over their environment, with less unnecessary intervention. Appropriate support from maternity care providers can enhance the woman’s experience and optimise outcomes. This study aimed to examine women and maternity care providers’ experiences and perceptions of home birth service provision in Northern Ireland.
Method
Online surveys were administered to women aged over 18 years, who planned a home birth (from November 2018 - November 2020) or had a view on planned home birth and maternity care providers. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.
Findings
Sixty-two women and seventy-seven maternity care providers responded. The women were all multigravida, with over half (53.2%) having planned a home birth in their latest or current pregnancy. Women mostly found out about home birth service either through social media or friends (61.3%) and the majority (80.6%) discussed their plan to have a home birth with their maternity care providers. In relation to their antenatal care women were very satisfied (31%) or somewhat satisfied (32%) with the care they received while a few reported being very dissatisfied (9.7%).
Maternity care providers were mostly supportive of women having a choice about place of birth (57.1%) and highlighted the need for information about home birth to be more accessible for women and their families.
Conclusion
Experiences relating to either planning or providing home birth services highlight the importance of listening to women and service providers. Women need to be informed about place of birth and supported in their choices. Maternity care infrastructures that support home birth provision are required and midwives working in planned home birth teams need collegial support.
Place of birth can impact on a woman’s labour and birth experience. Planning to birth at home offers women more control over their environment, with less unnecessary intervention. Appropriate support from maternity care providers can enhance the woman’s experience and optimise outcomes. This study aimed to examine women and maternity care providers’ experiences and perceptions of home birth service provision in Northern Ireland.
Method
Online surveys were administered to women aged over 18 years, who planned a home birth (from November 2018 - November 2020) or had a view on planned home birth and maternity care providers. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.
Findings
Sixty-two women and seventy-seven maternity care providers responded. The women were all multigravida, with over half (53.2%) having planned a home birth in their latest or current pregnancy. Women mostly found out about home birth service either through social media or friends (61.3%) and the majority (80.6%) discussed their plan to have a home birth with their maternity care providers. In relation to their antenatal care women were very satisfied (31%) or somewhat satisfied (32%) with the care they received while a few reported being very dissatisfied (9.7%).
Maternity care providers were mostly supportive of women having a choice about place of birth (57.1%) and highlighted the need for information about home birth to be more accessible for women and their families.
Conclusion
Experiences relating to either planning or providing home birth services highlight the importance of listening to women and service providers. Women need to be informed about place of birth and supported in their choices. Maternity care infrastructures that support home birth provision are required and midwives working in planned home birth teams need collegial support.
| Original language | English |
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| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 12 Sept 2022 |
| Event | 21st International Normal Labour and Birth Conference 2022 - Aarhus, Denmark Duration: 12 Sept 2022 → 14 Sept 2022 |
Conference
| Conference | 21st International Normal Labour and Birth Conference 2022 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Denmark |
| City | Aarhus |
| Period | 12/09/2022 → 14/09/2022 |