Table 3 Summary of women’s perceptions and experiences of childbirth
From: The quality of childbirth care in China: women’s voices: a qualitative study
Domains | Perceptions of quality | Actual experiences |
|---|---|---|
Place of childbirth | In hospital. | Majority delivered in township hospitals because: |
County or higher level hospital because: | • Close to home | |
• Comfortable, clean and quiet environment | • Doctors are good at NVDs | |
• Good equipment | • Knew doctors because of previous delivery or antenatal care | |
• Skilled providers who can manage emergencies | Environment: | |
Environment: | • Township hospitals: rooms, beds and linen were dirty | |
• Quiet and clean | • County hospitals: Labour and delivery rooms and wards were clean | |
• Both: noise from streets and corridors; shared room and toilets | ||
Type of childbirth | NVD: | NVD: |
• Quicker recovery | • Stay in hospital is shorter than for CS | |
• Less pain following NVD | • Fewer complications and quicker recovery | |
• Improves immunity and intelligence of baby | • First baby was NVD | |
• Less pain with NVD | ||
Experience of childbirth | • Pain relief which is safe for mother and baby | • Almost all women having NVD did not receive pain relief |
• Ill prepared for management of pain | ||
• Received oxytocin infusions to speed up labour and relieve pain | ||
Skills of birth attendants | • Cause little pain; able to comfort and relieve pain | Majority viewed skills as being good: |
• Good at watching progress | • Careful, gentle and quick at doing examinations, deliveries and suturing | |
• Disinfection of equipment and materials | ||
• Care for mother and baby after delivery | • Putting up IV fluids | |
• Older, experienced and confident | ||
Communication between women and birth attendants | • Treat with respect: | • Township hospitals: most received support from doctors |
◦ Showing concern | • County hospitals: most received little/no support from staff | |
◦ Being kind and friendly | • Both: Doctors did not explain what care they were providing; gave no choice about care; and did not ask consent for investigations or interventions | |
◦ Giving information about care | ||
◦ Seeking women’s views and consent | ||
Role of family | Husband and other relatives present for childbirth to provide support and encouragement and deal with problems | Township hospitals: all women had relatives present for NVD |
County hospitals: only half of women had relatives present |