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Continuous midwife-led care is emerging as a powerful strategy for improving childbirth experiences by reducing labor pain, shortening labor duration, and strengthening perceptions of respectful maternity care.
The quality and continuity of maternity care increasingly influence both clinical outcomes and women's experiences during childbirth. Fragmented care models may compromise emotional support, comfort, and perceptions of dignity during labor. Investigators therefore evaluated whether continuous support provided by the same midwife throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period could improve labor outcomes and maternal experiences compared with conventional care delivered by multiple providers.
A single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted at a public maternity hospital and enrolled women undergoing childbirth into one of two care pathways. Participants in the intervention arm received continuous support from the same midwife across antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal stages, whereas those in the comparator arm received routine care delivered by different midwives during each phase of care. Outcomes included labor pain perception, labor duration, maternal comfort and perceptions of respectful maternity care.
A total of 85 women participated in the trial, including 43 women in the continuity-of-care group and 42 women receiving standard maternity care. Women who received continuous support from a single midwife experienced better outcomes across both clinical and experiential aspects of childbirth.
Overall, continuity of care from a dedicated midwife was linked to a better childbirth experience and improved labor-related outcomes, highlighting the power of relationship-based maternity care. The outcomes suggest that midwifery care offers benefits beyond clinical management, with consistent caregiver relationships helping women feel more comfortable, trusted, respected, and dignified during childbirth. These results support broader adoption of continuity-of-care models as a way to strengthen maternal wellbeing, satisfaction, and personalized maternity services.
Clinical Nursing Research
The Effects of Midwife-Led Care on the Perception of Labor Pain, Labor Duration, Labor Comfort, and Respectful Maternity Care: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial
Betül Uncu et al.
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