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Related Experiment Videos

Communication and decision-making in labour: do birth plans make a difference?

Stephanie J Brown1, Judith Lumley

  • 1Centre for the Study of Mothers' and Children's Health, School of Public Health, La Trobe University, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.

Health Expectations : an International Journal of Public Participation in Health Care and Health Policy
|April 3, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Birth plans were used by 20% of women. While birth plans increased satisfaction with pain relief, they did not impact overall intrapartum care ratings or decision-making involvement.

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Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Maternal Health
  • Reproductive Health

Background:

  • Birth plans are tools for women to communicate preferences during childbirth.
  • Evidence on the effectiveness of birth plans in improving intrapartum experiences is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the utilization of birth plans among women in Victoria, Australia.
  • To compare social, obstetric, and intrapartum experiences between women who used birth plans and those who did not.
  • To assess the relationship between birth plan use and overall satisfaction with intrapartum care and decision-making.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based survey was conducted 6-7 months post-natally.
  • The survey included women who gave birth in Victoria, Australia, excluding those with stillbirth or neonatal death.

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  • Data collected included birth plan usage, perceived helpfulness, and intrapartum care experiences.

    • Main Results:

    • Twenty percent of surveyed women (270/1336) utilized a written birth plan and discussed it with caregivers.
    • Women using birth plans reported higher satisfaction with pain relief (OR = 1.74 [1.3-2.3]).
    • No significant differences were found in overall intrapartum care ratings or involvement in decision-making between users and non-users of birth plans.

    Conclusions:

    • The current study found limited evidence to support the widespread recommendation of birth plans.
    • The positive association with pain relief satisfaction warrants further investigation in controlled trials.
    • Future research should focus on well-designed randomized trials to definitively assess the effectiveness of birth plans.