Access to Information and Support during Maternity Care and the Transition to Parenthood – An NCT Research Project
Mary Newburn, Head of Policy Research, National Childbirth Trust
The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) is well known for providing high quality information to new and expectant parents and is committed to making its services accessible to all women and their partners, whatever their needs. A UK-wide study funded by the NCT and the Department of Health has found that around the time of childbirth women and men want to know a lot more about pregnancy, birth, and life with a new baby.
Over the last three years the Access Project has been examining the information and support needs of expectant and new parents throughout the United Kingdom. A postal survey was sent to a randomly selected group of pregnant women and the partners of another group of pregnant women. Follow up questionnaires were sent to these women and men approximately four months after the birth. Altogether 1188 pregnant women answered the original questionnaire giving a response rate of 61%. Seventy percent of these responded to the follow up. 817 men answered the original questionnaire and 57% of these responded to the follow up.
When they were pregnant half of the women said that they wanted a great deal of information because they wanted to know as much as possible. A third of the partners of pregnant women felt this way.
Women and men emphasised the need for up-to-date evidence-based information. They also valued information that answered common problems, offered different options with the advantages and disadvantages of each, and included practical tips.
The NCT is calling for health professionals to spend more time:
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listening to women and men,
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providing the information they need,
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acknowledging and responding to their worries,
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and answering their questions.
There is a special need to address the needs of first time parents, young men and women, and those from ethnic minorities and lower socio-economic groups during this crucial transition in their lives.