Table 3.
Women’s obstetric and maternal healthcare characteristics and preferences during childbirth
| Variables | Pre-intervention n (%) |
Post-intervention n (%) |
P value for χ2 | |
| Total number of births | One | 88 (44.4) | 92 (48.4) | 0.43 |
| Two or more | 110 (55.6) | 98 (51.6) | ||
| Median (IQR) | 2 (1) | 2 (2) | ||
| Place of birth of previous child (n=206) | Health facility | 82 (75.2) | 68 (70.1) | 0.41 |
| Outside health facility | 27 (24.8) | 29 (29.9) | ||
| Number of previous facility-based childbirths | None | 22 (20.2) | 22 (22.5) | |
| One | 69 (63.3) | 53 (54.0) | ||
| Two and more | 18 (16.5) | 23 (23.5) | ||
| Median (IQR) | 1 (0) | 1 (0) | ||
| Antenatal visit during index pregnancy | Yes | 188 (94.9) | 184 (96.8) | 0.35 |
| One | 5 (2.7) | 9 (4.9) | 0.04 | |
| Two | 28 (14.9) | 44 (23.9) | ||
| Three or more | 155 (82.4) | 131 (71.2) | ||
| No | 10 (5.1) | 6 (3.2) | ||
| Experienced complication during index pregnancy | Yes | 34 (17.2) | 19 (10.0) | 0.04 |
| No | 164 (82.8) | 171 (90.0) | ||
| Experienced complication during index childbirth | Yes | 67 (34.0) | 70 (36.8) | 0.56 |
| No | 130 (66.0) | 120 (63.2) | ||
| Referral status on admission | Referred | 81 (40.9) | 86 (45.3) | 0.39 |
| Non-referred | 117 (59.1) | 104 (54.4) | ||
| Time of admission* | Day time | 106 (53.5) | 99 (52.1) | 0.78 |
| Night-time | 92 (46.5) | 91 (47.9) | ||
| Time of birth* | Day time | 94 (47.5) | 109 (57.4) | 0.05 |
| Night-time | 104 (52.5) | 81 (42.6) | ||
| Type of birth | Vaginal birth | 174 (87.9) | 147 (77.4) | 0.01 |
| Caesarean after trial of vaginal birth | 18 (9.1) | 38 (20.0) | ||
| Caesarean without trial of vaginal birth | 6 (3.0) | 5 (2.6) | ||
| Had intervention/s for vaginal birth (n=377)† | Yes | 89 (46.4) | 73 (39.5) | 0.15 |
| No | 101 (53.6) | 111 (60.5) | ||
| Types of assisted vaginal birth (n=162)‡ | Vacuum extraction | 12 (13.5) | 9 (12.3) | 0.83 |
| Forceps delivery | 8 (9.0) | 2 (2.7) | 0.10 | |
| Episiotomy | 82 (92.1) | 71 (97.3) | 0.16 | |
| Gender of main service provider | Female | 121 (61.1) | 98 (51.6) | 0.06 |
| Male | 77 (38.9) | 92 (48.4) | ||
| Woman wanted to have birth companion in the labour ward | Yes | 86 (43.7) | 34 (17.9) | <0.001 |
| No | 111 (56.5) | 156 (82.1) | ||
| Woman wanted to move around during birth | Yes | 57 (28.8) | 67 (35.5) | 0.16 |
| No | 141 (71.1) | 122 (64.5) | ||
| Woman wanted to have food or fluids during birth | Yes | 70 (35.4) | 63 (33.2) | 0.65 |
| No | 128 (64.6) | 127 (66.8) | ||
| Woman had a preferred birthing position | Yes | 69 (34.9) | 36 (19.1) | <0.001 |
| No | 129 (65.1) | 153 (80.9) | ||
| Woman wanted to have cultural practice in labour | Yes | 43 (21.7) | 17 (8.9) | 0.001 |
| No | 155 (78.3) | 173 (91.1) |
*A woman can have more than one procedure.
†Stayed in hospital for at least two hours between 20:00 and 08:00 immediately before childbirth.
‡Includes: episiotomy, vacuum extractor or forceps.