title: [Post-partum stay at the maternity ward vs. ambulatory delivery--seen from the women's point of view].
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to examine the benefit of post-partum in-hospital maternity stay among primi- and multipara and to explore the attitude to post-partum in-hospital stay versus outpatient delivery in the future. The study design was a prospective survey with 335 participants. Independent of parity 95% of the women in confinement found it important/very important to be able to have the reassurance and safety of staying on the maternity ward and to be able to obtain help when needed. Concerning future births, 86% of the women in confinement wanted to stay in the hospital post-partum, while 12.5% would consider outpatient delivery, if the same midwife visited them daily at home during the first week. Among the women wanting a future outpatient delivery, there was an excess of women who did not feel that their need for peace and quiet had been fulfilled at the present post-partum in-hospital stay, and the women had needed more help in establishing nursing. Twice as many primi- as third/fourth para wanted a future out-patient delivery. In conclusion, if it were decided to do away with the post-partum maternity in-hospital stay for multiparae due to budget cuts, it would clearly be against the women's wishes. The in-hospital maternity stay was appreciated among all women irrespective of parity.
authors.affiliation: Amtssygehuset i Gentofte, gynaekologisk-obstetrisk afdeling.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: de la Fuente Fonnest
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Thranov
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D020073:Gravidity; D006771:Hospitals, Maternity; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D007902:Length of Stay; D008427:Maternal Health Services; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D010045:Outpatients; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires