Work package 3
This work package is complete and involved a focus group discussion and individual indepth interviews with women and one partner.
What was the study about?
This qualitative study aimed to describe women's experience of IA. Interveiws and the focus group explored their experience of fetal monitoring and IA, and included discussions about?
- 'Risk' status in pregnancy and any conversations about monitoring, including any choices, e.g. in relation to intermittent auscultation or continuous electronic monitoring.
- How the monitoring was performed within the flow of labour.
- What went well (made women feel confident/safe) or not so well (made women feel uncomfortable/unsure).
- What women would have liked to have known before labour.
Data collection took place between February and May 2023.
What did the study tell us?
In summary the study found that:
- Women lacked information to make informed decisions about intrapartum fetal monitoring.
- Not all women for whom IA would be recommended according to current clinical guidelines were offered it.
- Some women experienced IA without understanding its functionor that other monitoring options were available.
A short film highlighting the key themes emerging from this study and featuring interviews with women about their experiences of IA was produced, and used as part of the co-design activities for this study.
Several women who took part in this study joined the Listen2Baby Lived-experience User Group and contributed to work package 4.
