The partner’s experiences of childbirth in countries with a highly developed clinical setting: a scoping review

Background In Western countries, it is common practice for a woman to be supported by a trusted person during childbirth, usually the other parent. Numerous studies have shown that this has a positive effect both on the woman’s satisfaction with the birth process and on physical outcomes. However, t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMC pregnancy and childbirth Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 742 - 13
Main Authors: Schmitt, Nadine, Striebich, Sabine, Meyer, Gabriele, Berg, Almuth, Ayerle, Gertrud M.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: London BioMed Central 03.10.2022
Springer Nature B.V
BMC
Subjects:
Child & adolescent mental health
Childbirth & labor
Childbirth experience
Delivery, Obstetric
Emotions
Families & family life
Fathers
Fathers - psychology
Female
Gynecology
Humans
Industrialized nations
Male
Maternal and Child Health
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mental health
Midwifery
Mixed methods research
Obstetrics
Partner
Parturition - psychology
Physiology
Post traumatic stress disorder
Pregnancy
Reproductive Medicine
Review
Support person
Surveys and Questionnaires
Womens health
Midwifery
Childbirth experience
Fathers
Support person
Review
Partner
ISSN:1471-2393, 1471-2393
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Background In Western countries, it is common practice for a woman to be supported by a trusted person during childbirth, usually the other parent. Numerous studies have shown that this has a positive effect both on the woman’s satisfaction with the birth process and on physical outcomes. However, there is little research on the birth experience of partners and their wellbeing. The aim of this review is to summarise the existing literature on partner experience, consider its quality and identify the underlying themes. Methods Both a systematic literature search in three databases and a manual search were conducted, for qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies from Western countries examining the experiences of partners present at a birth. Results A total of 35 studies were included. Only one study included same-sex partners (the other studies addressed fathers’ experiences only) and only one validated questionnaire examining partners’ birth experiences was identified. Four major themes were found to influence partners’ birth experiences: (1) intense feelings, (2) role of support, (3) staff support, and (4) becoming a father. Conclusions Partners may feel very vulnerable and stressed in this unfamiliar situation. They need emotional and informal support from staff, want to be actively involved, and play an important role for the birthing woman. To promote good attachment for parents, systematic exploration of the needs of partners is essential for a positive birth experience. Because of the diversity of family constellations, all partners should be included in further studies, especially same-sex partners.
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ISSN:1471-2393
1471-2393
DOI:10.1186/s12884-022-05014-1