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Left to their own devices: The postnatal experiences of 1260 first-time mothers |
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Left to their own devices: The postnatal experiences of 1260 first-time mothers.
A 98-page research report on first-time mothers’ experiences of postnatal care carried out in 2009-10. The report sets out the background to the NCT survey, including the government policy framework and previous literature, NICE recommendations and guidance. It includes the survey methodology and sample details, quantitative findings and many detailed comments from women about their experiences of physical care, emotional support and information – including experiences of breastfeeding and bottle feeding.
The analysis looks at the extent of adherence to NICE guidance, the experiences of women who had operative births, the impact of place of birth on levels of care and support. There are sections on use of NCT services and the structural and organisational aspects of NHS care, including the number of midwifery care contacts women had and the extent of continuity of fragmented care after discharge from the maternity unit or a home birth.
Authors Vanita Bhavnani and Mary Newburn concluded that ‘Around half of first-time mothers indicate that they had high quality care that was responsive to their needs but one in eight were highly critical of their postnatal care. Many more found some aspects of their care was inadequate, such as the 42% who said there were sometimes or never enough midwives on the postnatal ward and a similar proportion who reported a lack of feeding support.
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