Swedish study finds women prefer home births for autonomy and safety
A new Swedish study of women's online accounts reveals strong satisfaction with planned home births attended by midwives, citing greater control and confidence in the process. The findings could reshape maternity service policy and hospital resource planning in countries where home birth remains underutilized despite evidence of safety for low-risk pregnancies.
Originaltitel: Women's experiences of planned home birth in Sweden: a netnographic study.
Planerad hemförlossning kan öka patienttillfredsställelsen och autonomin bland lågriskgravida — en svensk kvalitativ studie visar att kvinnor upplever hemmet som en trygg miljö för förlossning. Forskare från Sophiahemmet universitet i Stockholm analyserade tolv offentliga berättelser från bloggar, diskussionsforum och Instagram där svenska kvinnor beskrev sina erfarenheter av hemförlossning med barnmorskeledning. Kvinnorna rapporterade att hemmet främjade lugn, självförtroende och kontroll över förlossningsprocessen. Stöd från en känd barnmorska, partner och familjemedlemmar bidrog till positiva förlossningsupplevelser. Studiepanelen identifierade två huvudteman: trygghet i hemmiljön och betydelsen av ett stödjande team. Studien betonar att val, informerat beslutsfattande och individualiserad vård är nyckelfaktorer för positiva förlossningsupplevelser. För regionala vårdgivare och förlossningskliniker indikerar resultaten efterfrågan på alternativ till sjukhusförlossning. Ökad tillgång till hemförlossning kan förbättra kvinnors autonomi och jämlikhet i mödravården — en marknadsmöjlighet för evidensbaserad omstrukturering av förlossningsvården.
BACKGROUND: Planned home birth is an option for healthy women with low-risk pregnancies and is attended by midwives in the home setting. While well established in several countries, planned home birth remains uncommon in Sweden. Available evidence suggests that, for selected women, home birth can be as safe as hospital birth and may be associated with greater autonomy, control, and more positive birth experiences. However, women's experiences of planned home birth in Sweden remain underexplored. OBJECTIVES: To explore women's experiences of planned home birth attended by midwives in Sweden. DESIGN: Qualitative study using a netnographic design. METHODS: Twelve publicly available online narratives were collected from blogs, discussion forums, and Instagram posts in which women described their experiences of planned home birth supported by a midwife. Data were analysed using Kozinets' netnographic analysis framework. RESULTS: Two themes and four categories were identified: Experiencing safety in the home environment and The importance of a supportive team. Women described the home as a calm and secure environment that promoted confidence, autonomy, and trust in the birth process. Freedom to manage labour according to individual needs and support from a known midwife, partners, and family members contributed to positive birth experiences. CONCLUSION: Planned home birth was experienced as safe, positive, and empowering. Choice, informed decision-making, and individualised care emerged as key factors influencing positive birth experiences. Providing alternatives to hospital birth may support women's autonomy within an equitable and person-centred maternity care system.