Mothers’ Perceptions of Midwives’ Labour and Delivery Support

Understanding what mothers perceive of their labour care and support is important for facilitating positive maternal and fetal outcomes across cultures. This cross-sectional study explored Tanzanian mothers' perceptions of midwives' caring and supportive behaviours during labour within the context of the midwife–woman interactions across two different birth settings. The study surveyed a convenience sample of 60 postpartum women and observed 37 midwife–woman interactions. In addition, focus group discussions were conducted to understand the women's perceptions of nursing, caring and supportive behaviour. The findings from the survey and observational data revealed that mothers from the private hospital reported more caring and supportive behaviours than mothers in the public hospital. These findings have implications for midwifery intervention related to the provision of effective caring and supportive care during labour and delivery across different birth settings.