Enablers and barriers to practice planned home birth for midwives in Spain: A qualitative study.

PROBLEM

Planned home birth is a practice that remains uncommon in Spain, and research on midwives' perspectives regarding the facilitation of planned home births is scarce.

BACKGROUND

The quality of care in planned home births assisted by midwives is increasingly improving. However, in Spain, the supported of planned home births remains a controversial topic and is a practice rarely undertaken by midwives.

AIM

The objective of this study was to describe the perceptions and views of midwives working in the clinical setting of the Spanish public healthcare system regarding the supported of planned home births.

METHODS

A qualitative descriptive design, using thematic analysis was employed. Semi-structured interviews and focus group were conducted in 2024 with midwives working in the Spanish public health care setting (n = 14).

FINDINGS

Three main themes were developed reflecting the patterns of meaning constructed through the data analysis: a) Perceived barriers and benefits of planned home birth with the subthemes "identifying obstacles to implementing planned home birth" and "motivations offered by the process"; b) The duality that accompanies home birth with the subthemes "in the shadows of the underground" and "demystifying the process"; c) The struggle for recognition with subthemes "integrating planned home birth into the public health system" and "promoting the path toward change".

DISCUSSION

Participants identified the factors and challenges that interfere with the facilitation of planned home births, emphasizing the need to develop strategies and initiatives with significant impact at governmental, professional, and social.

CONCLUSION

The data obtained provide an opportunity to reflect on the importance of including planned home birth support within the healthcare system.