Using Bradshaw’s Taxonomy of Needs: Listening to women in planning pregnancy care

Abstract

The schedule of antenatal care is dominated by what ‘experts’ perceive to be appropriate and is dominated by a biomedical model of health care. When providing care, the needs of women must be heard and incorporated into service provision. The term ‘need’ is subjective and socially constructed and as a concept, it is widely loosely defined. This paper outlines how Bradshaw’s taxonomy of needs can be used by nurses and other professionals to identify women’s felt needs in pregnancy. This can lead to health care which is more likely to address the social determinants of health and improve health outcomes for pregnant women.