'They know best': women's perceptions of midwifery care during labour and childbirth.

The aims of the study were to examine women's experiences of their labour and the birth of their baby. The use of qualitative method ensured that the research focused on the perspectives of the participants. The purposive sample consisted of 11 women volunteers in a maternity unit of a general hospital. Unstructured, tape-recorded interviews provided an opportunity for the informants to express their thoughts and feelings. The constant comparative method, a feature of Grounded Theory, was used to analyse the data. The research demonstrated that women trust midwives because the latter are seen as experts who 'know best'. In doing so, women place themselves in the hands of professionals giving them the authority to make decisions about procedures, drugs and types of care. This belief in the professionals' expertise influences the type of relationship between the women and midwives. Nevertheless, women also want to take an active part in the control of labour. The study identified a need for a flexible relationship between women in labour and their midwives.