NDLI: A qualitative exploration of women’s expectations of birth and knowledge of birth interventions following antenatal education

Content Provider	Springer Nature : BioMed Central
Author	Davies, Anna Larkin, Michael Willis, Lucy Mampitiya, Narendra Lynch, Mary Toolan, Miriam Fraser, Abigail Rawling, Kate Plachcinski, Rachel Barnfield, Sonia Smith, Margaret Burden, Christy Merriel, Abi
Abstract	Background Expectations of birth, and whether they are met, influence postnatal psychological wellbeing. Intrapartum interventions, for example induction of labour, are increasing due to a changing pregnant population and evolving evidence, which may contribute to a mismatch between expectations and birth experience. NICE recommends antenatal education (ANE) to prepare women for labour and birth, but there is no mandated UK National Health Service (NHS) ANE curriculum. We aimed to explore women’s expectations of childbirth and their understanding of common interventions and complications following NHS and non-NHS ANE. Method Qualitative focus groups were conducted with postnatal women (< 12 months postpartum) aged ≥ 16, who had received antenatal care at a single NHS Trust. A semi-structured topic guide was used to explore birth expectations following attendance at ANE and knowledge of birth interventions and complications. Data were transcribed and thematic analysis was undertaken by at least two researchers. Results 46 women (mean age: 33.5years; 81% white British) participated across eight groups. 65% were primiparous, 35% had a caesarean birth. 50% attended NHS ANE and 59% non-NHS ANE. Participants perceived that a ‘hierarchy of birth’ was presented within ANE classes, where a ‘better birth’ involved vaginal birth, minimal pain relief and limited intervention. Participants described expectations of control and choice over their birth, though some described being encouraged to be open-minded about the course it may take. Participants identified a mismatch between their expectations and subsequent experiences, which adversely impacted their psychological wellbeing. While participants received information about common birth interventions and complications, limited time spent on these during classes resulted in expectations that they were rare. Participants felt that receiving sensitively presented information about the frequency of interventions could prepare women and support their psychological wellbeing after birth. Conclusions Women’s expectations of birth are informed by ANE which may precipitate a mismatch between expectations and experience. Better information about risk factors and frequency of labour and birth interventions may support women to develop evidence-informed expectations of birth, reducing the expectation-experience gap, with consequent impact on maternal postnatal wellbeing. A mandatory minimum curriculum for ANE is needed to ensure high-quality education is available to all.
Related Links	https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12884-024-07066-x.pdf
Ending Page	15
Page Count	15
Starting Page	1
File Format	HTM / HTML
ISSN	14712393
DOI	10.1186/s12884-024-07066-x
Journal	BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
Issue Number	1
Volume Number	24
Language	English
Publisher	BioMed Central
Publisher Date	2024-12-28
Access Restriction	Open
Subject Keyword	Reproductive Medicine Maternal and Child Health Gynecology Antenatal education Birth expectations Psychological wellbeing Focus groups Qualitative
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Obstetrics and Gynecology
Journal Impact Factor	2.8/2023
5-Year Journal Impact Factor	3.4/2023

Sl.	Authority	Responsibilities	Communication Details
1	Ministry of Education (GoI), Department of Higher Education	Sanctioning Authority	https://www.education.gov.in/ict-initiatives
2	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	Host Institute of the Project: The host institute of the project is responsible for providing infrastructure support and hosting the project	https://www.iitkgp.ac.in
3	National Digital Library of India Office, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	The administrative and infrastructural headquarters of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in
4	Project PI / Joint PI	Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon
5	Website/Portal (Helpdesk)	Queries regarding NDLI and its services	support@ndl.gov.in
6	Contents and Copyright Issues	Queries related to content curation and copyright issues	content@ndl.gov.in
7	National Digital Library of India Club (NDLI Club)	Queries related to NDLI Club formation, support, user awareness program, seminar/symposium, collaboration, social media, promotion, and outreach	clubsupport@ndl.gov.in
8	Digital Preservation Centre (DPC)	Assistance with digitizing and archiving copyright-free printed books	dpc@ndl.gov.in
9	IDR Setup or Support	Queries related to establishment and support of Institutional Digital Repository (IDR) and IDR workshops	idr@ndl.gov.in

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