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Working with home birth - Swedish midwives' experiences
1Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 457, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.
Summary
Swedish midwives find home birth rewarding, allowing focus on normal birth and skill development. However, they feel excluded from the broader healthcare system, impacting their professional experience.
Area of Science:
- Midwifery
- Sociology of Health and Illness
- Reproductive Health
Background:
- Home birth is an alternative to hospital-based childbirth.
- Understanding midwives' perspectives is crucial for maternity care development.
- Swedish maternity care context influences practice and professional integration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore Swedish midwives' lived experiences of attending home births.
- To identify factors influencing midwives' professional practice and satisfaction in home birth settings.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study employing focus group interviews.
- Eight midwives providing home birth services participated.
- Data analyzed using qualitative content analysis.
Main Results:
- Midwives perceive birth as a significant event centered on the woman's autonomy.
- Home birth allows midwives to work at their own pace, focusing on the woman and normal birth processes.
- Midwives enhance practical skills and knowledge with less technological reliance but report feeling marginalized within the healthcare system.
Conclusions:
- The work environment significantly shapes midwives' practice and support of normal birth.
- Home birth settings influence how midwives value their professional contributions.
- Lack of integration into the public healthcare system presents challenges for home birth midwives.