Evaluating two childbirth education programs for improving birth outcomes and consumer satisfaction with their birth...

Childbirth education aims to inform women about labour and birth physiology, prepare them for parenting, promote health, and build support networks. However, evidence of its impact is mixed, necessitating further research.

This study investigated the effects of two childbirth education programs: a complementary therapies-based program (CTP) and a traditional model (EmpowerEd), on clinical outcomes and consumer's preparation, knowledge, and confidence related to labour and birth.

A quasi-experimental study was conducted with primiparous women from October 2023 to May 2024. Participants were randomly allocated to one of two antenatal education programs and were case-matched to controls who did not attend education at the health service. Clinical outcomes were extracted from hospital records. Surveys assessed satisfaction, knowledge, and confidence about birth and early parenting over three time points.

There was n = 179 women in CTP and n = 187 in EmpowerEd, with the same number of matched controls. No significant differences were found in caesarean section rates and most other clinical outcomes between the education groups and their controls. Significantly fewer women in the EmpowerEd group used epidurals (43.9 %(n = 75) vs. 55.3 %(n = 88), p < 0.05) compared to the CTP group. EmpowerEd participants were more likely to value pain medication (p = 0.046), report adequate support for labour (p = 0.04), and have higher literacy in pregnancy, postnatal self-care, and newborn care (p < 0.001). Satisfaction was high in both groups.

While childbirth education showed limited effects on clinical outcomes, both programs improved women's knowledge and confidence for labour and birth.