Search and read at least one article on Respectful Maternity Care and share readings by replying in this discussion forum.
A study conducted by Moryam Moridi (2020) in Iran revealed three (3) main themes in respectful maternity care during childbirth, according to the midwives’ perspectives. This study, entitled “Midwives’ perspectives of respectful maternity care during childbirth: A qualitative study” is a qualitative study that used a conventional content analysis approach, and was conducted from September-December 2018 in two non-teaching public hospitals in Tehran, Iran. The three recurring themes were identified as, 1) Showing empathy, where it highlights “establishing a friendly relationship” and “being with women”; 2) Women-centered care, where it encompasses “keeping women safe” and “participating in decision making”; and 3) Protecting rights, where it reflected the laboring women’s need for “safeguarding dignity”, “Giving equal care”, and “Providing appropriate environment”. The study also suggests that providing safe care, implementing evidence-based treatment, and including women in their care, as well as providing a suitable atmosphere for women, families, and caregivers, all contribute to respectful care.
The first theme, Showing empathy, presents two aspects, namely Establishing friendly relationships and Being with women. According to one midwife, establishing a friendly relationship with women is exhibited through communicating with them in a way that they would trust them. She further specified that using kind words and respectful language will aid in laboring women trusting the midwives. In addition, Being with women refers to allowing laboring women to have a companion to stay with them during live birth as this will enhance their feelings and experience, especially when the companion has a significant contribution to the birth-preparation of the woman.
The second theme, Women-centered care, is classified into two aspects, specifically Keeping women safe and Participating in decision making. The timely presence at the bedside is one way of keeping women safe, saying that delay in the care during labor might have negative effects on the health of the mother and the child. On the other hand, Participating in decision-making is respected when women are asked about their preferences and expectations. Through this way, the care that they will receive is more anchored to what they personally need. This will, in turn, reduce stress on their part.
Lastly, the third theme, Protecting rights, identified three aspects, particularly, Safeguarding dignity, Giving equal care, andProviding appropriate environment. Safeguarding dignity aims to prevent any mistreatment of the mother. Specifically, in the context of Iran, this could be exhibited through providing privacy in overcrowded units, such as giving them a bed sheet to be used as a cover to their bodies. In Giving equal care, midwives stressed that having a piece of prior knowledge in one’s culture, traditions, and religions is beneficial in avoiding discrimination and maintaining respect. In Providing appropriate treatment, it is important that women are provided with a comfortable, clean, and quiet environment to further aid them in having a smooth experience towards motherhood.
In conclusion, Respectful Maternity Care, according to the midwives' perspectives in Tehran, Iran, was a larger idea than just eliminating disrespect and maintaining women's rights and dignity. Although this study is contextualized in another country, I believe that their points are valid and may be considered to be applied here in our country.
Reference:
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