Mothers' views of care in labour.

The management of labour was the main focus of interest in this study of mothers' views of their obstetric care. Most of the mothers, 63 per cent, were satisfied with their care by both the doctors and midwives during labour and delivery. Those who were not satisfied rarely questioned the technical competence of the staff but were more concerned with the manner in which care was provided. Thirteen per cent stated that they were not attended by a doctor at any stage during labour or delivery and 43 per cent said they were left alone for at least five minutes; both groups of mothers were more anxious during labour and delivery and were less satisfied with their overall care than those who did not have such experiences. The mothers' feelings about the various procedures which they had during labour and delivery, including induction, were generally favourable. Although overall satisfaction with care was expressed by 77 per cent of the mothers, the findings suggest that obstetricians and midwives need to give greater consideration to the social and psychological aspects of patient care.