Childbirth is a significant event in a woman’s life. Thus, all women deserve to receive respectful care during labor and childbirth. As simple as it may sound, the adoption of respectful maternity care during labor and birth is actually a complex process for it is not only a component of crucial quality care but rather a fundamental human right.
Several studies have been conducted around the world to investigate the components of respectful maternity care. Generally, these include providing safe and timely care, nurturing positive interactions between midwives and women, protecting confidentiality, remaining active in the labor process, obtaining the women's consent before performing procedures, providing information about procedures to women, respecting patient privacy, and promoting freedom of choice in labor and birth position. In a study conducted in two non-teaching hospitals in Iran last 2018, midwives were interviewed regarding their perspectives on respectful maternity care during childbirth. This centered around 3 main themes namely “showing empathy”, “woman-centered care”, and “protecting rights”.
Empathy reflected the need to instill trust and confidence in women. Women-centered care emphasized the importance of providing the best possible care and preventing complications, as well as involving women in their care by providing adequate information and obtaining informed consent on care. Protecting rights also reflected a need to protect women's dignity through privacy, confidentiality, equality, and the provision of a suitable environment.
Showing Empathy
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Establishing friendly relationship
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Majority of the midwives believed that establishing a good relationship was critical to providing respectful maternity care for this can help create a very friendly environment. In that way, communicative trust and comfortability can be established. This can be done by using kind words and respectful language.
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Being with women
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One of the most important aspects of respectful care, according to some midwives, is understanding the different circumstances of the laboring women and their families. Another important aspect of providing respectful care for women is the presence of a companion that would stay with her all throughout the course of the laboring and birthing process. This can allow the mother to have a better experience of childbirth.
Women-centered care
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Keeping women safe
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Midwives believed that science and ethics are interrelated thus unnecessary interventions without a medical indication should be avoided, as should any harm to mothers and babies.
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According to some midwives, timely presence at the bedside helps to maintain women's health and is an important part of respectful care.
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Participating in decision making
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Most midwives saw involving women in the care process and decision making as an important component of respectful maternity care. Knowing their preferences and expectations would contribute to woman-centered care. Midwives also believed that women needed information about the progress of their labor, and that this information could help them make decisions about their care and interventions.
Protecting rights
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Safeguarding dignity
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Some midwives stated that maintaining dignity and privacy is essential to preventing mistreatment of laboring women. This could be done by draping their bodies during examination and inhibiting the presence of unnecessary individuals in the room.
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Giving equal care
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Caregivers should respect everyone and avoid discrimination based on women's culture, customs, and religion. Prior knowledge of different cultures, as well as consideration of cultural and religious differences, aid in providing equal and fair care for women.
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Preparing an appropriate environment
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Midwives believed that having a comfortable, clean, and quiet labor and birth environment with enough equipment for laboring women was critical to providing respectful maternity care. According to them, these services provide women with a feeling of security and comfort.
Moridi, M., Pazandeh, F., Hajian, S., & Potrata, B. (2020). Midwives’ perspectives of respectful maternity care during childbirth: A qualitative study. PLOS ONE, 15(3), e0229941. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229941