title: What do expectant mothers want?: a preliminary report on consumer demand for obstetric services.
abstract: A sample of 150 expectant mothers participated in pilot work for a large scale survey designed to identify and explain factors governing consumer demand for obstetric services in Australia. Preliminary findings indicated demand was greatest for practices which foster postnatal involvement with the newborn; medical intervention was in least demand and respondents were relatively indifferent to delivery room innovations characteristic of Leboyer births. A factual knowledge of childbirth, rather than childbirth experience (parity), explained a substantial proportion of the variation in consumer demand. Results suggested that expectant mothers' needs are not consistent with the attitudes toward maternity care expressed by obstetricians and their critics in much of the current literature.
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008427:Maternal Health Services; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011181:Postnatal Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires