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Midwifery Communication for Childbirth: A Practical Approach.
Julie-Anne Fleet1,2, Laura Whitburn3, Elizabeth Newnham4
1College of Health, Adelaide University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Journal of Midwifery & Women'S Health
|February 4, 2026
Summary
Effective communication during childbirth can prevent negative nocebo effects. Midwives can use structured approaches like GREAT and LAURS to improve birth experiences and reduce distress.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Psychology
- Communication Studies
Background:
- Negative suggestions during childbirth, known as nocebo effects, are common and can lead to adverse birth experiences.
- Effective communication strategies can mitigate these nocebo effects, improving patient distress, birth experiences, and health outcomes.
- Limited literature exists on practical communication techniques for midwives and birth attendants during labor and birth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a structured communication approach for midwives and birth attendants to enhance communication during childbirth.
- To introduce the Greeting; Rapport; Expectation; Addressing Concerns; Tacit Agreement (GREAT) and Listening; Acceptance; Utilization; Reframing; Suggestion (LAURS) frameworks.
- To enable healthcare providers to optimize the birth experience and prevent inadvertent nocebo effects.
Main Methods:
- The article proposes the Greeting; Rapport; Expectation; Addressing Concerns; Tacit Agreement (GREAT) framework for general interactions.
- It introduces the Listening; Acceptance; Utilization; Reframing; Suggestion (LAURS) framework for building rapport and reshaping perceptions.
- These frameworks offer learnable structures for practicing and teaching intuitive (subconscious) communication.
Main Results:
- The GREAT framework provides a structure for any interaction during childbirth.
- The LAURS framework facilitates rapport-building and perception/behavioral changes through intuitive communication.
- Implementation of these techniques can help optimize the birth experience and avoid negative nocebo effects.
Conclusions:
- Conscious and subconscious communication techniques are crucial for positive and humanizing birth experiences.
- Structured communication approaches like GREAT and LAURS can empower midwives to improve patient care.
- Addressing nocebo effects through effective communication is vital, especially given rising rates of birth trauma.
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