Home
Issues
Aim & Scope
Open Access
Editorial Board
Indexing
Supporting Midwifery Associations
Contact us
Manuscript Types
Manuscript Formatting
How to submit
Special publications and Reprints
Authorship & COI
Principles of Transparency Checklist
Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement
CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
‘A parallel system of care’ - Women’s and caregivers’ perspectives of decision-making for mode of births: A qualitative descriptive study
1
Trinity College Dublin, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Dublin, Ireland
Eur J Midwifery 2026;10(Supplement 1):A39
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
There are growing concerns around rising rates of Caesarean Births (CB) with limited understanding of factors that influence decision-making for CB. It is essential to understand the care providers’ and women’s perspectives of factors that influence the decision to perform CB in nulliparous women.
OBJECTIVES:
To identify and explore factors that influence the decision to perform CB in nulliparous women.
METHODS:
A qualitative descriptive design was used. Following ethical approval, 20 women, 15 midwives and 20 obstetricians were recruited from three maternity units in the Republic of Ireland to participate in one-to-one semi-structured interviews in 2017 and 2018. Interview data were thematically analysed.
RESULTS:
Three key themes emerged from integration of findings from interviews with clinicians and women: (i) ‘A system within the system’ describing a lack of clarity around reasons to perform a CB, lost skill to perform vaginal breech births, influence of (or lack of) hospital guidelines and a difference in public versus private system of care; (ii) ‘Women’s involvement in the process’ shed light on perceived safety concerns among women, acquiescence and their request and preference for a CB; and (iii) ‘Clinician driven factors’ narrating clinicians’ perceived fear, preferences/attitudes, practice patterns, experience/skills, midwife being an advocate and role of communication.
CONCLUSIONS:
Findings revealed a ‘parallel system’ within the existing system of maternity care, where, on one side, clinicians believed their decisions to be appropriate and safe, and made in consultation with women, and on the other side, women described themselves as ‘agreeing’ or ‘going along with’ the professionals’ decisions.
KEY MESSAGE:
Factors that contribute to the decision to perform CB are complex. Understanding these factors has the potential to help reduce the rising rates of CBs. This can be achieved by revisiting policies and implementation of strategies to reduce CBs in nulliparous women, ultimately reducing the number of repeat CBs in subsequent pregnancies. Complications - decision making
There are growing concerns around rising rates of Caesarean Births (CB) with limited understanding of factors that influence decision-making for CB. It is essential to understand the care providers’ and women’s perspectives of factors that influence the decision to perform CB in nulliparous women.
OBJECTIVES:
To identify and explore factors that influence the decision to perform CB in nulliparous women.
METHODS:
A qualitative descriptive design was used. Following ethical approval, 20 women, 15 midwives and 20 obstetricians were recruited from three maternity units in the Republic of Ireland to participate in one-to-one semi-structured interviews in 2017 and 2018. Interview data were thematically analysed.
RESULTS:
Three key themes emerged from integration of findings from interviews with clinicians and women: (i) ‘A system within the system’ describing a lack of clarity around reasons to perform a CB, lost skill to perform vaginal breech births, influence of (or lack of) hospital guidelines and a difference in public versus private system of care; (ii) ‘Women’s involvement in the process’ shed light on perceived safety concerns among women, acquiescence and their request and preference for a CB; and (iii) ‘Clinician driven factors’ narrating clinicians’ perceived fear, preferences/attitudes, practice patterns, experience/skills, midwife being an advocate and role of communication.
CONCLUSIONS:
Findings revealed a ‘parallel system’ within the existing system of maternity care, where, on one side, clinicians believed their decisions to be appropriate and safe, and made in consultation with women, and on the other side, women described themselves as ‘agreeing’ or ‘going along with’ the professionals’ decisions.
KEY MESSAGE:
Factors that contribute to the decision to perform CB are complex. Understanding these factors has the potential to help reduce the rising rates of CBs. This can be achieved by revisiting policies and implementation of strategies to reduce CBs in nulliparous women, ultimately reducing the number of repeat CBs in subsequent pregnancies. Complications - decision making
| eISSN: | 2585-2906 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
