WOMEN’S PERCEPTIONS OF CHILDBIRTH EXPERIENCE: ASSOCIATION WITH SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC, CHILDBIRTH COURSE AND CARE FACTORS

Abstract

The aim. To analyze women’s childbirth experience and its connection with socio-demographic, maternity care and labor course factors in Lithuania. Methods. Research data was collected as part of the international Babies Born Better survey of women’s experiences of maternity care. Data of 603 women who gave birth in Lithuania were included in the analysis. Results. 76.5% of women in the study gave birth normally with no assistance. A larger proportion (54%) of women said that giving birth was mostly a very good or mostly quite a good experience, but almost 25% of women reported that giving birth was mostly quite a bad or mostly very bad experience and 21% of women reported that some of it was good, some of it was bad. Childbirth experience was not related to the sociodemographic factors of women and the composition of the team of specialists involved in maternity care. Women who gave vaginal birth and women who gave birth without medical interventions compared to cases of emergency cesarean surgery were more satisfied of childbirth experience.