Satisfaction with the Birth Experience: Does Attendance at Prepared Childbirth Classes Make a Difference in Primiparous Women?

In today’s cost conscious health care environment, patient satisfaction is an important outcome that is used by health care providers and administrators to assess quality of care.   Research findings from studies that have examined whether women with childbirth preparation were more satisfied with their birth experience than those without preparation have reported conflicting results (Goodman et al, 2004; Hart & Foster, 1997; Quine et al, 1993; Slade et al, 1993).  Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare satisfaction with labor and delivery 2 weeks after vaginal birth in primiparous women who attended prepared childbirth classes and women who did not attend prepared childbirth classes.  It was hypothesized that primiparous women who attend prepared childbirth classes would report increased satisfaction with their childbirth experience when compared to women who did not attend prepared childbirth classes.
         A convenience sample of primiparous women (N = 158) who gave birth vaginally to healthy newborns has been recruited for this descriptive comparative posttest only design. Women who attended prepared childbirth classes (n = 105) and women who did not attend prepared childbirth classes (n = 53) responded to the Postpartum Self Evaluation Questionnaire (PSQ) (Lederman et al, 1981) and a Mother Information Form at 2 weeks postpartum.
        A multiple regression analysis was computed to determine if significant differences exist between the two groups on their reports of satisfaction with the childbirth experience.   Primiparous women that attended prepared childbirth classes were more satisfied (p = .006) with their childbirth experience when compared with primiparous women that did not attend prepared childbirth classes.   Primiparous women need to be encouraged by health care professionals to attend prepared childbirth classes.