Abstract
BackgroundQuality midwifery care through respectful maternity care is the key to reducing maternal mortality rate. Several literatures implicated midwives as meting out disrespectful maternity care to women during childbirth, thus discouraging women from accessing facility-based childbirth. Hence, this study’s aim was to explore provision of respectful maternity care by midwives during childbirth in selected health facilities in Lagos State, Nigeria. MethodologyThis study adopted an exploratory descriptive research design. As a result, the collection of data was through semi-structured individual interviews. The purposive selection of 20 midwives was from two health facilities. FindingsThe study showed the adequate provision of confidentiality, availability of showers and water, availability of meals and drinks to women, and pain relief in labour and delivery. Findings further revealed other aspects of respectful maternity care poorly provided by midwives, included physical abuse, privacy, use of dignified tone/language/threat/neglect, obtaining consent for procedures during labour and delivery, discrimination, allowing birth companion, detention, mobility, positioning and availability of commodities. All the midwives claimed to be providing respectful maternity care and showed willingness to support provision of respectful maternity care. ConclusionTo foster provision, RMC requires an enabling environment where staff are highly motivated, there is adequate staff strength, reduced workload, continuous in-service training on evidence-based practices, training and support of midwives on RMC, adequate provision of supplies, commodities and modern equipment, and restructuring the ward to private delivery suites to accommodate birth companions and provide privacy.
Published Version
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