Voices of Mother's Interaction with Midwives in Natural Childbirth: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Interaction between mothers and midwives during natural childbirth is one of the important factors in relationship between mothers and midwives in natural childbirth. In this qualitative study we explored experiences of mothers and midwives in interaction with each other in natural childbirth. This study was a part of a larger study which was carried out in Iran in 2013-2014. A total of 23 participants participated in this study. 12 primiparous and multiparous women planned to have natural deliveries and 11 midwives were purposefully included for semi-structured in-depth interviews in this study. For analysis and interpretation of mothers’ and midwives’ experience, conventional content analysis was used. Data were coded in MAXqda software (version 2). Interaction between mothers and midwives could be organized and categorized in one theme “relationship”. This theme consists of two subthemes: “respect for the mother” and “interaction” and five categories: “Feeling confidence, Feeling satisfaction, Associated with sensory relationship, Understanding mother’s situation, Understanding the meaning of interaction”. Good relationship between mothers and midwives in natural childbirth could improve the experience of natural childbirth for mothers. This experience could increase woman’s tendency toward natural birth instead of cesarean section in future pregnancies. Findings of this study can be seen as a challenge for health care professionals and policy makers to upgrade care of natural childbirth based on women’s preferences and needs.