Changing attitudes - women's experiences of negative reactions to their decision for home birth: a population-based study.
Being confronted with negative attitudes influences the self-concept of pregnant women. Few women in Sweden give birth at home, and Sweden does not have national home birth guidelines. This study describes women's experiences concerning reactions to their decision to give birth at home. One in five women experienced negative attitudes to a high extent from health care staff during the study period (1992-2005). Fewer women reported this during the latter part of the period compared to the earlier part. The change in attitudes may be related to the introduction in 2002 of guidelines for planned home births in Stockholm County Council.
Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden. ingela.sjoblom@mah.se
Ingela
I
Sjöblom
Ewa
E
Idvall
Helena
H
Lindgren
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006700:Home Childbirth / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D013548:Sweden