Bryanton, J., Gagnon, A. J., Johnston, C., & Hatem, M. (2008).Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing, 37, 24-34.
Giving birth is an important life experience for women. Nurses and midwives are the healthcare professionals that have most contact with childbearing women during childbirth and therefore play an important role during the birthing experience. This Canadian study was conducted to determine which factors predicted women's childbirth experience and whether these vary with the type of birth. A total of 652 women participated in this prospective study. These women were 52% of the total number of women who gave birth at the two participating hospitals over the study period. The women were categorized into four groups: (1) all births, (2) women who had vaginal births (n = 436), (3) women who had emergency cesarean births (n = 77), and (4) women who had a planned cesarean birth (n = 69). All the women gave birth to singleton live infants, without any serious illnesses who weighed >2500 grams and were at least 37 weeks gestation. Participants answered the Questionnaire Measuring Attitudes About Labor and Delivery (QMAALD), a reliable instrument (Cronbach alpha 0.76-0.87). Women who had planned cesarean birth answered a modified version of the questionnaire. Results showed that the most important variables for all the women were being informed and aware of what was happening during labor and birth. Next most important to the women were helpfulness of partner support, being together with the infant, degree of relaxation, and the type of birth. For women undergoing an emergency cesarean birth, worries about the infant were the second most important variable after being informed. This study tells us as nurses that informing women of what is happening to them continues to be the most important thing they need and want during labor, and contributes strongly to their positive or negative perceptions of childbearing. Nurses and midwives can help meet these expectations with every patient in their care, every day.