What the Lay Person Expects of Maternity Care: Are We Meeting These Expectations

Abstract

The questions, Who are the laity? and, Do all lay groups define maternity care in the same way? are considered. It is concluded that what any given lay person expects of maternity care ‐will reflect his or her life experiences, and the resultant problem of meeting an overwhelming variety of expectations is examined. The study points to the value of understanding the maternity patient's culture in our attempts to meet lay maternity needs and expectations.