Importance of the midwife in the first-time mother's experience of childbirth

The aim of this study was to examine factors related to how the first-time mother experiences childbirth. The data were collected by questionnaire in a sample of 326 first-time mothers in Tampere University hospital in Finland. The multivariate method used was a stepwise regression analysis. The most important predictors for the nature of the childbirth experience were the characteristics of the midwife, such as empathy, Friendliness, tenderness, calmness and lack of hurry; the attitude of the child's father toward the pregnancy; the duration of delivery; and the mother's age and marital status. The more positive the experience the mother had of the: attending midwife caring for her, the more positively she experienced childbirth. The positive attitude of the child's father toward the pregnancy and a short duration of delivery were also predictors for a positive childbirth experience. Young and unmarried mothers also had more positive experiences of childbirth. On the basis of the research results, we can state that positive childbirth experiences of first-time mothers are enhanced by the positive characteristics and professional skills of the attending midwife, positive attitude of the spouse/child's father toward the pregnancy, and a short duration of delivery.