Decision-making regarding place of birth in high-risk pregnancy: a qualitative study.

This study investigated women's decision-making during high-risk pregnancies. Half the participants were planning hospital births and half were planning homebirths. METHODS: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews set in a hospital maternity department in the UK. Twenty-six participants with high-risk pregnancies, at least 32 weeks pregnant. Results were analysed using systematic thematic analysis. RESULTS: Three themes emerged: perceptions of birth at home and hospital; beliefs about how birth should be; and the decision process. Both groups were concerned about safety but they expressed different concerns. Women drew psychological comfort from their chosen birth location. Women planning homebirths displayed faith in the natural birth process and stressed the quality of the birth experience. Women planning hospital births believed the access to medical care outweighed their misgivings about the physical environment. DISCUSSION: Although women from both groups expressed similar concerns about safety they reached different decisions about how these should be addressed regarding birth location. These differences may be related to beliefs about the birth process. Commitment to their decisions may have helped reduce cognitive stress. PMID: 26984582 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynaecology - Category: OBGYN Tags: J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol Source Type: research