title: Midwifery care: reflections of midwifery clients.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experience of midwifery clients throughout the life span. A qualitative study using a phenomenological approach was employed. In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 12 midwifery clients. The research question was: What has been your experience with midwifery care? Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data saturation was achieved and analysis procedures from Colaizzi were used. Five themes emerged from the data: 1) decision to seek midwifery care; 2) working together in a therapeutic alliance; 3) formulating a birth plan; 4) childbirth education; and 5) nurse-midwives as primary health-care providers throughout the life span. There is much to learn from listening to the voices of midwifery clients.
authors.affiliation: MARY ELLEN DOHERTY is an associate professor in the Department of Nursing at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. She has been a nurse-midwife and childbirth educator for more than 25 years.
authors.forename: Mary Ellen
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Doherty