Woman’s Needs and Satisfaction Regarding the Communication with Doctors and Midwives during Labour, Delivery and Early Postpartum

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the difference in communication needs of women giving birth and women during early postpartum. An additional goal includes the analysis of the experience and communication needs through the context of a woman’s approach to childbirth. The study is a cross-sectional, self-report survey; 521 women between 5 and 10 days after birth participated in the study. Women perceived information provided by the medical staff as the most helpful aspect of verbal communication both during labour and early postpartum. Maintaining eye contact with the medical staff was perceived as the most helpful aspect of non-verbal communication. Women were more satisfied with communication during labour and birth than in the maternity ward and those after non-instrumental childbirth were more satisfied with communication compared to the instrumental birth group. Women perceiving childbirth as the natural, physiological process considered verbal and non-verbal communication during and after childbirth as less helpful than women perceiving birth as more risky and requiring interventions. The results of the study emphasize the importance of verbal and non-verbal communication during birth and early postpartum and at the same time different communication needs during these two time points. It also showed that women who perceive labour as a physiological process seem to be less dependent on the communication with the medical staff than women who accept medical interventions during labour and birth as necessary.

Disrespect and Abuse Experienced by Mothers While Accessing Delivery Healthcare Services in Bangladesh

“…Firstly, education empowers mothers and their husbands, granting them greater autonomy to access healthcare services and advocate for their rights [31]. Additionally, they may possess better communication skills and assertiveness to claim their rights and preferences during childbirth, thereby reducing the likelihood of experiencing D&A [32]. Furthermore, higher education often leads to improved socio-economic status, re ected in higher wealth quintiles, which provide mothers with affordability to access private healthcare facilities where the quality of care and treatment may be higher, thereby reducing the risk of experiencing D&A compared to public facilities [33].…”

The Effect of Physician Communication on Inpatient Satisfaction

“…The results of the previous systematical review of physician-patient communication in primary care offices [ 46 ] also found that physicians verbal and nonverbal behavior can increase patient satisfaction. In addition, in the study of maternal needs, it was found that verbal and non-verbal physician communication was beneficial with regards to ensuring a healthy delivery [ 47 ].…”

The impact of effective communication-based care on the childbirth experience and satisfaction among primiparous women: an experimental study

“…Furthermore, Baranowska et al (2021) illustrated that midwives' communication skills in creating childbirth satisfaction with labor and delivery are important. In addition, verbal and nonverbal communication is one of the effective issues in maternal satisfaction during childbirth [30]. The findings of other studies emphasized that communication-based training programs result in the empathy and sympathy between care providers and women during childbirth and assist in enhancing childbirth satisfaction [31][32][33][34].…”