“They were quick, insipid, and stuck to the typical medical checkups”: A Narrative Study on Women's Expectations and Experiences of Maternity Care in Bangladesh

Abstract

The quality of healthcare service delivery is generally determined by how patients’ expectations were met successfully. This narrative study explores how women perceive and experience healthcare during childbirth in the context of Bangladesh. This study is inspired by Clandinin and Connelly's three-dimensional paradigm of narrativity that combines temporality, social interaction, and place. To unearth patient-driven narratives, the researcher purposely picked 12 women who gave birth in different private and public health facilities in Bangladesh. Four themes standout from the women's narratives. Excerpts of women's stories have been included in discussing the themes as well as author's conviction on this phenomenon. Most of the participants experienced a shared level of difficulty in choosing the health facilities (private vs public), motivated primarily by delivery costs and social background. Women with a higher level of education and financial means often opted to give birth in private facilities due to their negative perception and experience of the public facility. There was evident discontent when doctors decided for cesarean deliveries. Women were dissatisfied by providers’ general lack of empathy and vicarious emotion. However, those women who gave birth in public hospitals expressed some degree of satisfaction which might be attributed to their low expectations and moderate social standing. Women's stories also delved into how societal norms, taboos, and elderly relatives put them in uncomfortable situations. To improve patient–provider interactions, healthcare practitioners should prioritize patient-centered care and collaborative decision-making. Reducing healthcare disparity and resolving superannuated pregnancy norms are also critical challenges.