Fear of birth and modern maternity systems of care

Abstract

This chapter will examine the lived experience of maternity systems and how this shapes practice for obstetricians and midwives. In searching deeper into the care systems we will discover the way women present with anxiety and fear, how this is managed within maternity settings. Why recognising that pregnancy and birth leading to motherhood is more than a physiological event; the best care ensures that women’s psychological wellbeing is nurtured too. Who are these women and what can we learn from them in developing our services to support them. Using an example from a consultant midwife’s clinical setting some of these answers will be revealed.