Results
14 women were interviewed: 13 women had at least one child and one woman was pregnant with her first child. Women had a range of birth experiences including home birth, birth in a stand-alone midwife led unit and birth in a large hospital. Some women had experienced two or more different birth locations.
Figure 1 summarises the main themes that emerged in the interviews (black boxes), the sub-themes related to these main themes (blue boxes and text) and the linkages between the themes and sub-themes (directional arrows). The figure highlights that the themes are independent factors. There is a very complex relationship between these themes and women’s attitudes toward and experiences of maternity care. Three main themes were identified: women’s perceptions about the safety of different models of maternity care and birth locations; the actual and perceived distance between home and the place of birth; and the type of maternity care available at a place of birth.
Fig 1
Any significant differences emerging in the views of participants are highlighted. Otherwise, the views expressed are a consensus view as perceived by the researchers.
Risk and safety of care
Women spoke about risks to themselves and their baby in terms of the safety of different types of care. There were diverse and opposing views about the ‘safest’ type of care. Women were aware of the risks that they faced during pregnancy and labour, and had discussed this with their midwives. Some women perceived they had no choice about where to give birth because they considered only one of their available options to be safe. For instance, one stated that a large hospital with obstetric and paediatric care is the safest option for all women. Another said: