Women valued being encouraged and supported to labour without using pharmacological pain relief by midwives with whom they developed a trusting relationship throughout pregnancy. Features of midwifery approaches to pain in labour and relational continuity of care have important implications for promoting normal birth and a positive experience of pregnancy, labour, and birth for women.
Available evidence suggests that group antenatal care is positively viewed by women and is associated with no adverse outcomes for them or for their babies. No differences in the rate of preterm birth were reported when women received group antenatal care. This review is limited because of the small numbers of studies and women, and because one study contributed 42% of the women. Most of the analyses are based on a single study. Additional research is required to determine whether group antenatal care is associated with significant benefit in terms of preterm birth or birthweight.
The concept of woman-centred care is fundamental to midwifery and underpins the philosophy statements of midwifery professional organizations. It has also been used as a framework in a range of policy documents and standards related to midwifery and maternity service provision, notably in the UK and Australia. This discussion article questions the conceptual and practical implications of substituting ‘women-centred care’ for ‘womancentred care’ in terms of addressing women's individual needs and shifting the locus of control away from the institution and professionals towards the woman herself. Contested meanings of woman-centred care and empowerment are explored in relation to conceptual interpretations and the development of projects involving midwifery continuity of care.
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