Pregnant women's experiences of models of care in some hospitals in Victoria.

During the data analysis of a much larger study on 13 women's experiences of their first pregnancy, their interactions with the health system emerged as significant. Two grounded theory procedures, the making of comparisons and the asking of questions were used to analyse their experiences. Elements of three models of care were identified, medical/technocratic model, midwifery model, and a feminist perspective model. In some instances, there was blurring and overlapping of models. Tape-recorded, individual interviews were held with 13 pregnant women (aged 34-42 years) in their homes at the end of each trimester and with 10 women again 10-14 days post birth. (Three women were unavailable.) All the women delivered their babies in hospital. Eleven women had an epidural anaesthetic and 11 women had an episiotomy. Information received at antenatal education classes had a marked effect on the women's expectations and the reality of their experiences. The future of implementing midwifery models of care into the hospital system will depend on effective change management and an acknowledgment of consumer needs by administrators.