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
Women’s perceptions of compassionate midwifery caring actions: Sensitivity as the foundation of compassionate care
1
University of Southeast Norway, Department of Nursing and Health Sciences, Vestfold, Norway
2
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Department of Health and Caring Sciences, Bergen, Norway
3
University of Central Lancashire, ReaCH group- School of Community Health and Midwifery, Preston, United Kingdom
4
Oslo Metropolitan University, Research Group Midwifery Science- Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo, Norway
5
Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Department of Nursing and Health Sciences, Kongsberg, Norway
Eur J Midwifery 2026;10(Supplement 1):A609
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Women across the world emphasize the importance of receiving compassionate care during childbirth. Compassion involves sensitivity to distress and the motivation to alleviate it. Although compassion is a core value in midwifery, little is known about how women recognize and perceive compassionate care from midwives.
OBJECTIVES:
To explore what women perceive as compassionate midwifery actions during childbirth.
METHODS:
We conducted in-depth interviews with fifteen women who had given birth in Norway within the past year. The study draws on Paul Gilbert’s evolutionary theory of compassion as a basic social emotion, the psychology of compassion, and a concept analysis of compassionate midwifery. A reflexive thematic analysis was carried out, guided by this theoretical framework. The study was approved by the Norwegian Data Protection Services (ref. 447156).
RESULTS:
Five interrelated actions were identified: attuning actions, validating actions, contextualizing actions, empowering actions, and small acts of kindness. Women emphasized midwives’ sensitivity to their emotional and physical signals and needs as the foundation of compassionate care. Sensitively attuned responses, such as adjusting tone, timing, and presence, made them feel seen, safe, and cared for. The perception of midwives’ sensitivity distinguished meaningful expressions of compassion from routine or polite behavior.
CONCLUSIONS:
Women experience compassionate midwifery care as rooted in the midwife’s ability to attune and respond to their signals and needs. It is not the actions themselves, but the midwife’s sensitivity that gives the actions their compassionate quality. Developing these relational and perceptive skills should be a central focus in both midwifery education and practice.
KEY MESSAGE:
Midwives’ sensitivity to women’s signals and needs forms the foundation of compassionate care. It is the midwife's sensitive attunement that makes validating, contextualizing, and empowering actions and small acts of kindness feel authentic and compassionate. Poster session 2 (Group A)
Women across the world emphasize the importance of receiving compassionate care during childbirth. Compassion involves sensitivity to distress and the motivation to alleviate it. Although compassion is a core value in midwifery, little is known about how women recognize and perceive compassionate care from midwives.
OBJECTIVES:
To explore what women perceive as compassionate midwifery actions during childbirth.
METHODS:
We conducted in-depth interviews with fifteen women who had given birth in Norway within the past year. The study draws on Paul Gilbert’s evolutionary theory of compassion as a basic social emotion, the psychology of compassion, and a concept analysis of compassionate midwifery. A reflexive thematic analysis was carried out, guided by this theoretical framework. The study was approved by the Norwegian Data Protection Services (ref. 447156).
RESULTS:
Five interrelated actions were identified: attuning actions, validating actions, contextualizing actions, empowering actions, and small acts of kindness. Women emphasized midwives’ sensitivity to their emotional and physical signals and needs as the foundation of compassionate care. Sensitively attuned responses, such as adjusting tone, timing, and presence, made them feel seen, safe, and cared for. The perception of midwives’ sensitivity distinguished meaningful expressions of compassion from routine or polite behavior.
CONCLUSIONS:
Women experience compassionate midwifery care as rooted in the midwife’s ability to attune and respond to their signals and needs. It is not the actions themselves, but the midwife’s sensitivity that gives the actions their compassionate quality. Developing these relational and perceptive skills should be a central focus in both midwifery education and practice.
KEY MESSAGE:
Midwives’ sensitivity to women’s signals and needs forms the foundation of compassionate care. It is the midwife's sensitive attunement that makes validating, contextualizing, and empowering actions and small acts of kindness feel authentic and compassionate. Poster session 2 (Group A)
| 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.
