Working with women: Semi-structured interviews with Australian complementary medicine maternity care practitioners

Despite the known prevalence of complementary medicine use by women during pregnancy and childbirth and the evolution of preferred models of maternity care, very little is known about the nature and characteristics of the care provided to women by complementary medicine practitioners during this important life stage.

Woman-centred care is a speciation of person-centred care which has achieved prominence in maternity care policy in recent years. There is also evidence that the core principles of some complementary medicine systems of medicine emphasise patient-centredness and that these principles are core drivers toward complementary medicine use in multiple populations.

This study aims to explore the approach to care delivered by complementary medicine practitioners to women during pregnancy and birth.

Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 23 complementary medicine practitioners who identified as specialising in maternity care. Data from the interviews were analysed using a framework approach.

The analysis of the perspective of complementary medicine practitioner's experiences providing care to pregnant and birthing women identified three main themes: Responding to women's expectations of care; providing woman-centred care; and the therapeutic relationship at the heart of woman-centred care.

The approach to maternity care reported by complementary medicine practitioners aligns with the principles of woman-centred care, possibly due to the similarities between woman-centred care and the core features of many systems of medicine within complementary medicine.

Complementary medicine practitioners may contribute to an overall experience of woman-centred maternity care for pregnant and birthing women.