Maternity experiences of mothers with multiple disadvantages in England: a qualitative study
<br/><strong>Background: </strong>Disadvantaged mothers and their babies are at increased risk of poor perinatal outcomes and have less positive experiences of maternity care.<br/><strong>Aim: </strong>To explore the maternity care experiences of mothers with mult...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
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Elsevier
2018
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| _version_ | 1797063956673593344 |
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| author | McLeish, J Redshaw, M |
| author_facet | McLeish, J Redshaw, M |
| author_sort | McLeish, J |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | <br/><strong>Background: </strong>Disadvantaged mothers and their babies are at increased risk of poor perinatal outcomes and have less positive experiences of maternity care.<br/><strong>Aim: </strong>To explore the maternity care experiences of mothers with multiple disadvantages.<br/><strong>Methods: </strong>A qualitative descriptive study based on semi-structured interviews with 40 mothers with multiple disadvantages, using thematic analysis.<br/><strong>Findings: </strong>Four themes emerged: ‘A confusing and frightening time’, ‘Longing to be respected as an individual’, ‘The importance of choice and control’, and ‘Needing trust to feel safe’. Mothers brought feelings of powerlessness and low self-esteem to their encounters with maternity professionals, which could be significantly worsened by disrespectful care. They needed support to navigate the complex maternity system. Positive experiences were much more likely where the mother had received continuity of care from a specialist midwife or small team.<br/><strong>Discussion and conclusion: </strong>Mothers with multiple disadvantages value being treated as an individual, making informed choices, and feeling safe, but they may lack the confidence to ask questions or challenge disrespectful treatment. Training and supervision should enable maternity professionals to understand how confusing maternity care can be to very disadvantaged mothers. It should emphasise the need to provide accessible and empowering information and guidance to enable all mothers to make choices and understand the system. Leaders of maternity services need to do more to challenge negative staff attitudes and ensure that that all mothers are treated at all times with kindness, respect and dignity. Specialist midwives can deliver a high quality service to mothers experiencing multiple disadvantages. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T21:07:23Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:3cf18648-55b8-4836-9cce-7b7636e77f1e |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T21:07:23Z |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:3cf18648-55b8-4836-9cce-7b7636e77f1e2022-03-26T14:16:32ZMaternity experiences of mothers with multiple disadvantages in England: a qualitative studyJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:3cf18648-55b8-4836-9cce-7b7636e77f1eSymplectic Elements at OxfordElsevier2018McLeish, JRedshaw, M<br/><strong>Background: </strong>Disadvantaged mothers and their babies are at increased risk of poor perinatal outcomes and have less positive experiences of maternity care.<br/><strong>Aim: </strong>To explore the maternity care experiences of mothers with multiple disadvantages.<br/><strong>Methods: </strong>A qualitative descriptive study based on semi-structured interviews with 40 mothers with multiple disadvantages, using thematic analysis.<br/><strong>Findings: </strong>Four themes emerged: ‘A confusing and frightening time’, ‘Longing to be respected as an individual’, ‘The importance of choice and control’, and ‘Needing trust to feel safe’. Mothers brought feelings of powerlessness and low self-esteem to their encounters with maternity professionals, which could be significantly worsened by disrespectful care. They needed support to navigate the complex maternity system. Positive experiences were much more likely where the mother had received continuity of care from a specialist midwife or small team.<br/><strong>Discussion and conclusion: </strong>Mothers with multiple disadvantages value being treated as an individual, making informed choices, and feeling safe, but they may lack the confidence to ask questions or challenge disrespectful treatment. Training and supervision should enable maternity professionals to understand how confusing maternity care can be to very disadvantaged mothers. It should emphasise the need to provide accessible and empowering information and guidance to enable all mothers to make choices and understand the system. Leaders of maternity services need to do more to challenge negative staff attitudes and ensure that that all mothers are treated at all times with kindness, respect and dignity. Specialist midwives can deliver a high quality service to mothers experiencing multiple disadvantages. |
| spellingShingle | McLeish, J Redshaw, M Maternity experiences of mothers with multiple disadvantages in England: a qualitative study |
| title | Maternity experiences of mothers with multiple disadvantages in England: a qualitative study |
| title_full | Maternity experiences of mothers with multiple disadvantages in England: a qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Maternity experiences of mothers with multiple disadvantages in England: a qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Maternity experiences of mothers with multiple disadvantages in England: a qualitative study |
| title_short | Maternity experiences of mothers with multiple disadvantages in England: a qualitative study |
| title_sort | maternity experiences of mothers with multiple disadvantages in england a qualitative study |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mcleishj maternityexperiencesofmotherswithmultipledisadvantagesinenglandaqualitativestudy AT redshawm maternityexperiencesofmotherswithmultipledisadvantagesinenglandaqualitativestudy |