Women’s experiences of care during caesarean delivery
Authors:
K. Ratislavová; A. Boháčová
Authors‘ workplace:
Západočeská univerzita v Plzni Fakulta zdravotnických studií
Published in:
Prakt. Lék. 2025; 105(3): 99-104
Category:
Of different specialties
Overview
Introduction: One in four pregnancies in the Czech Republic ends in a caesarean section. It is one of the most common abdominal surgeries. Since 2000, the number of caesarean sections has more than doubled.
Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate women’s experiences of care during cesarean delivery.
Methodology: A retrospective cross-sectional study design was used. An invitation to participate in the study and an online questionnaire were posted on the Instagram account of the support group «Císařovnám», which brings together women who have given birth by caesarean section. A total of 1644 properly completed questionnaires were received.
Results: The experience was significantly different, particularly for elective (n = 664) and acute (n=980) caesarean sections. Respondents who delivered by elective caesarean section reported significantly higher satisfaction with information during care (p < 0.001), more frequent contact with the baby immediately after delivery (p < 0.001), and had significantly higher trust in the health care staff (p < 0.001) compared to respondents who underwent acute caesarean section. Significant negative findings were that 75.5% of the respondents reported that no one attended to them in the psychological area and also that the newborn baby was not seen for several hours after surgery even by 57.36% of the women.
Conclusion: Significant gaps in the care of women after cesarean delivery were identified, particularly in the areas of women’s information, skin-to-skin contact with the newborn immediately after delivery or as soon as possible, and women’s psychological care. Further research and training of midwives in this area is needed.
Keywords:
awareness – cesarean section – care – midwifery – skin-to-skin contact – psychological health
Sources
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adresa pro korespondenci:
Mgr. Kateřina Ratislavová, Ph.D.
Fakulta zdravotnických studií ZČU
Husova 11, 301 00 Plzeň
e-mail: ratislav@fzs.zcu.cz
Labels
General practitioner for children and adolescents General practitioner for adultsArticle was published in
General Practitioner
2025 Issue 3
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