title: Women's choice of childbirth setting.
abstract: As part of a larger study on women's views of the childbirth experience, this study was focused on women's choice of childbirth setting. Sixty-one Lamaze-prepared, married multigravidae between the ages of 21 and 37 and experiencing a normal pregnancy were interviewed twice: at 36-38 weeks gestation in their homes and during their postpartum stay in the hospital. Data were collected using (a) two semistructured interview guides consisting of open-ended questions about choosing a caregiver and the place of birth and about describing the actual childbirth experience, (b) a self-administered sociodemographic questionnaire, and (c) an obstetrical and infant data form. The tape-recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim. Qualitative data analysis was focused on reasons for choosing a hospital and a physician, reasons for choosing or not choosing a birthing room, and the outcomes of the decisions. An understanding of women's childbirth needs as reflected in their choices can suggest areas where flexibility might be built into maternity care programs.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mackey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003696:Delivery Rooms; D005260:Female; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D015146:Midwestern United States; D009873:Operating Rooms; D011247:Pregnancy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013637:Tape Recording