Exploring the medicalisation of childbirth through women’s preferences for and use of pain relief

Sweden, along with other countries, is facing rising intrapartum intervention rates. To explore the medicalisation of childbirth through women’s preferences for and use of pain relief, and to investigate whether the presence of a birth plan had any impact on use of pain relief, rate of intervention, and satisfaction with the birth experience. The study was cross-sectional, and included 129 women with birth plans and 110 without, all of whom gave...