ABSTRACT
Intrapartum care should take account of not only biological but also psychological and social factors. Together, these factors have a significant impact on clinical outcomes and on a woman’s wellbeing and her perceptions of childbirth. These perceptions influence the physical and psychological health of the woman, her bonding with the baby and family relationships. A positive experience of childbirth reinforces the woman’s confidence in herself and lays a good foundation for family health and future childbearing. A negative birth experience is associated with inhibition of breastfeeding, post-traumatic stress disorder, fear of birth, delay in having another baby, stress in the next pregnancy and maternal request for a planned caesarean delivery in the absence of medical indications. By adopting a biopsychosocial model of intrapartum care, doctors and midwives can enhance the birth experience of women under their care and achieve optimal clinical outcomes while also securing psychological wellbeing.
