A psychosocial analysis of women planning birth outside hospital.
Most of the women requesting out-of-hospital delivery considered delivery a natural process, not an illness requiring hospital care. The women cited freedom of choice concerning the delivery, less anxiety in the home than in the hospital environment, a more personal relationship with the midwife, and, as far as possible, making do without medical equipment. The interviewed women were a selected collective regarding age, parity, socioeconomic status and obstetric risk profile. Nonetheless, the results suggest ways that in-hospital obstetrics can be adapted to meet the requirements of pregnant women. Individualized, family-oriented obstetrics with judicious use of medical technology should be possible in the clinical setting.
Neuhaus
W
W
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Cologne, Germany.
Piroth
C
C
Kiencke
P
P
Göhring
U J
UJ
Mallman
P
P
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003696:Delivery Rooms / Q000592:standards*; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006700:Home Childbirth / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008880:Midwifery / Q000639:trends*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires