Satisfaction with childbirth: theories and methods of measurement

Two studies of women's birth experience emphasized the difficulty in evaluating satisfaction with the event. The first study used a quantitative, direct measure of satisfaction in which 91 postpartum women rated their satisfaction with labor and delivery overall and with different aspects of the experience. The second was a qualitative study that examined conceptual issues of women's satisfaction with childbirth using semistructured interviews with nine postpartum women. Content analysis was used to identify themes and categories that contributed to understanding why some women are satisfied and others dissatisfied with the birth experience. Both studies found support for a discrepancy theory of satisfaction. This paper discusses methodologic issues involved in measuring satisfaction with childbirth.