Maternal satisfaction regarding anaesthetic services during childbirth

Maternal satisfaction regarding the experience of childbirth is influenced by a unique combination of factors. This study presents an overview of obstetric anaesthesia in a District General Hospital, in order to determine the relative contribution of analgesia towards satisfaction. 199 mothers were asked to evaluate their chosen methods of pain relief and responses were analyzed in reference to features of their respective deliveries. Results showed that 94% of women requested analgesia, of which 13% reported subsequent dissatisfaction. Almost two-thirds of dissatisfied mothers were primipara. Ten per cent of women attributed their dissatisfaction to unacceptable side effects and 60% described inadequate administration of their pain relief. Overall only 30% of dissatisfied women were concerned with the actual efficacy of their analgesia, suggesting that maternal satisfaction does not simply equate to sufficient pain relief. Mothers wish to receive their preferred mode of analgesia, within an appropriate period following their request, under the assurance that inadequate pain relief will be recognized and resolved.