In recent months, testimonies like these have been shared in the media and on social networks by new parents who have felt let down during pregnancy or childbirth.
But according to the answers in a new study from the regions, The Nationwide Study of Patient Experiences (LUP) 2020, the vast majority of parents are satisfied with the birth process.
Just over eight out of ten women tick that they are very or very highly satisfied.
– The great overall result of the survey can be surprising in light of the latest criticism in the media, says Ulla Astman (S), who is deputy chairman of the Danish Regions and regional council chairman of the North Jutland Region.
In total, more than 3,000 women have answered the questions, which in addition to the birth cover the time before and immediately after.
On a scale from one to five, where five is the highest grade, the overall satisfaction is 4.31.
The greatest satisfaction is with the birth itself (4.61), while the experience of birth preparation and help with breastfeeding lands at 3.32 and 3.66, respectively.
– In those areas, there is definitely room for improvement, says Ulla Astman.
In the association Parents and Birth, chairman Birgitte Halkjær Storgaard does not believe that the survey gives a credible picture.
She points out that only a good half of the women who have received the questionnaire have answered.
And among them, she believes that many have not yet had time to think through the birth.
They are in the stage where they are most of all relieved that the birth is over and that they have become mothers.
– The form is sent out two to six weeks after the birth, and at that time it is still very overwhelming for most women. It can take months before they start to reflect on what happened, says Birgitte Halkjær Storgaard.
According to Vice President Ulla Astman, the women’s reports and the study testify that there is room for improvement.
– Some of the courses that have been promoted have not been good enough. This may be due to the extreme bustle of the delivery room, but we also need to look at whether we can do better in terms of midwife consultations and birth preparation.
Source: The Nordic Page