The social conception of space of birth according to women with positive birth experiences: A trans-European study

The social space of birth-the birth environment, its occupants, and the human activities taking place-is interconnected with birth experiences.

To investigate how the reality of the social space of birth affects women's positive birth experiences.

We combined open-text responses to the Babies Born Better survey from 3633 postpartum women in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom and 39 interview transcripts from Czech and Dutch postpartum women. We conducted a textual and thematic analysis.

Three themes and 11 categories were generated: (1) Exercising fundamental human agency in the birth space consists of the categories: 'exercising rights', 'the protection of human vulnerability', and 'the freedom to be authentic', which women regard as prerequisite components of the birth space. (2) Regulatory frameworks & care philosophies in maternity services, including the categories '(financial) regulations', 'values of the care provider and the institution', and 'model of care', are regarded as attributes of the birth space. Theme (3) Building a nest for comfort and connection comprises the categories 'relational and affective atmosphere during labour & birth', 'performative atmosphere during labour & birth', 'shelter', 'implicit and explicit tacit doing & being' and 'symbol of deeper meaning'.

The reality of the birth space of women with positive birth experiences consists of human rights and birth rights, the quality of interactions with care providers during labour and birth in a relationship-centred and relation-continuity model of care, and a place to retreat from the world.