Maternal satisfaction with childbirth is associated with a positive perception of the care received during labor, and is influenced by professional practices, the environment, women's expectations, and the support offered during this period. Studies indicate that the information provided to patients during labor is one of the most important predictors of high satisfaction and a positive experience. However, high satisfaction with childbirth is observed even in unfavorable scenarios, which may be related to low schooling and limited pre-partum education in emerging countries. Thus, we aim to understand maternal satisfaction with the previous childbirth experience through self-reporting in a public hospital in Brasília.

Describe previous experience of women’s childbirth in a public hospital in Brasília.

This was an observational study conducted at the Obstetric Center of a public hospital in Brasília, from August to December 2024. Women who were admitted to this hospital and agreed to participate by signing the Informed Consent Forms (ICF) participated in the research. Abortions and stillbirths were exclusion criteria. Trained researchers observed the hospital service routine twenty-four hours a day and collected demographic and obstetric data from patients, including reports of previous labor experiences.

56 parturients were included in the study, 39 (69.64%) with positive experience and 17 (30.36%) with negative experience. Among the parturients with positive experience, the most prevalent age group was 20 to 29 years (58.97%), with a mean age of 28.89 (SD: 5.44). The women were mostly brown (56.41%), had completed high school (53.85%) and were single (48.72%). Regarding the previous gestational history of these women, there was an average of 2.10 pregnancies (SD: 1.04), 1.74 vaginal deliveries (SD: (1.01), 0.20 abortions (SD: 0.40) and 0.15 cesarean sections (SD: 0.26). Among the patients with negative experiences, the age group that prevailed was 30 to 39 years (70.59%), with an average age of 30.76 (SD: 4.10). The parturients were black (70.59%), had completed elementary school (47.06%) and were single (67.71%). Regarding the previous gestational history of these women, there was an average of 1.88 pregnancies (SD: 1.23), 1.44 vaginal deliveries (SD: 1.19), 0.16 abortions (SD: 0.51) and 0.27 cesarean sections (SD: 0.46).

Most parturients reported a positive previous experience. This high level of satisfaction can be explained by the growing wave of humanization, evidence-based practices in obstetric centers and the recommendations of good practices suggested by the WHO and the Ministry of Health. However, it is worth noting that the low level of education and knowledge about childbirth tends to increase the level of satisfaction with labor.

The experience of women in labor is important data for health managers, since it is a data composed of several variables and can impact the subsequent pregnancy and childbirth experience, since a negative experience can lead to a worsening of sleep, self-rated health and fear of childbirth in subsequent pregnancies.