Better Preparation for Birth Needed
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study shows pregnant women need better preparation and understanding about how the delivery of their child may happen. Researchers say women are unprepared for operative deliveries including cesarean section or use of forceps.
For most women, the birth of their child is a joyous experience. But if the experience does not go as planned, it can have a detrimental impact on the woman. Researchers from the University of Dundee in England conducted a study to obtain the views of women on the impact of an operative delivery in the second stage of labor.
The study included information from 27 women who had undergone an operative delivery between January 2000 and January 2002. The women were asked about their preparation for birth, understandings of the indications for operative delivery, and explanation after the experience.
Results show the women felt unprepared for an operative delivery and thought their birth plan classes had not adequately prepared them. The women also said they had difficulty understanding the need for operative delivery despite review by medical or midwifery staff before they were discharged. Furthermore, an operative delivery had a negative impact on the women's views about pregnancy and delivery for the future. Some women said they want another child but they can't bear to go through a delivery like that again.
Study authors say this research shows improvements are needed in preparation for delivery and explanations to the woman after an operative delivery. They say maternal satisfaction also needs to be addressed. They suggest the medical staff give a woman an in-depth explanation of the delivery when they have recovered from the trauma.
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SOURCE: British Medical Journal, 2003;327:1132
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