Understanding Women's Experience of Compassionate Care During Childbirth

When women give birth, they often rely heavily on the support and kindness of healthcare professionals. However, there's a growing worry that this compassion can sometimes be lacking. To understand what makes care feel compassionate, researchers talked to 15 women in Norway who had given birth in the past year. They found that compassion isn't just about what professionals say, but also what they do. These actions were categorized into five areas: matching the woman's feelings (attuning), making her feel heard (validating), understanding her situation (contextualizing), giving her power (empowering), and doing small, kind things (small acts of kindness). The findings highlight how important it is for healthcare providers to make compassion a key part of their service, especially during childbirth.

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