Women's experiences of care during labour in a midwifery-led unit in the Republic of Ireland

Abstract

The first two midwifery-led units (MLUs) in the Republic of Ireland were opened in July 2004 in the north east of the country. This study explores women's experiences of a midwifery-led model of care during labour in a midwifery-led unit in the Republic of Ireland. Methods: A descriptive qualitative research study ( Sandelowski, 2000 ) using an interpretive phenomenological analysis and Colaizzi's (1978) process of phenomenological data analysis was used to explore and interpret women's experiences of a midwifery-led model of care during labour in an MLU in the Republic of Ireland. Individual in-depth semi-structured interviews were undertaken with eight women who had given birth in the unit. The interviews were transcribed verbatim. Findings: The themes that emerged were condensed and the findings focused on two categories: homely atmosphere and woman in control. Within the homely atmosphere, the women felt at ease in the MLU and were able to relax, which encouraged them to labour in their own time in their own way. Women felt in control of both the pain of their labour and in their ability to make decisions as they were encouraged to make choices throughout their labour, which served to empower them and provided them with a positive birthing experience. Conclusion: This research study provides a revealing insight into the components of midwifery-led care that are essential to women accessing this model. This includes them having the freedom to do their own thing, progressing their labour in their own way, and receiving support and assistance when requested from a supportive midwife. All of the women reported a thoroughly positive experience of giving birth in the MLU. These components of midwifery-led care could possibly be transferred to other models of maternity care provided the women were in the low-risk category.