The effect of supportive care provided by midwives during childbirth on birth memory and maternity blues

This study examined how supportive care provided by midwives during childbirth influences women’s birth memories and postpartum maternity blues. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 430 postpartum women recruited from three private hospitals in Istanbul, Türkiye. Data were collected using the Perception of Supportive Care During Childbirth Scale (PSCDC), the Birth Memory and Recall Questionnaire (BMRQ), and the Postpartum Maternity Blues Assessment Scale (PMBAS). Participants reported high levels of perceived supportive care (median PSCDC: 126.00), vivid and generally positive birth memories (median BMRQ: 92.00), and mild maternity blues symptoms (median PMBAS: 37.00). Higher perceived supportive care was significantly associated with lower maternity blues scores ( r = − 0.407, p < 0.01; β = − 0.619, p < 0.001). Although supportive care was not significantly associated with birth memory in the regression analysis, a weak negative correlation was observed between the two variables ( r = − 0.154, p < 0.01). Additionally, birth memory and maternity blues were weakly but positively correlated ( r = 0.119, p < 0.05). Supportive care by midwives plays an important role in promoting women’s postpartum psychological well-being, primarily by reducing maternity blues. Enhancing midwives’ communication and emotional support skills, fostering woman-centered care environments, and enabling partner presence during childbirth may improve maternal outcomes. Longitudinal and culturally comparative studies are recommended to further explore how supportive care influences postpartum mental health.