Patterns in midwives' and expectant/new parents' ways of relating to each other in ante- and postnatal consultations.

Patterns in midwives' and expectant/new parents' ways of relating to each other in ante- and postnatal midwifery consultations were described by means of qualitative content analysis of 58 video-recorded consultations in a Swedish primary care setting. The midwives appeared to steer the consultations by adopting a basic pattern and occasionally including other patterns. Of the five patterns disclosed, three were revealed as basic and named 'the respectful gardener and her developing plants', 'the propagandist teacher and her ignorant pupils' and 'the steering inspector and the representatives of the population at disposal'. The midwives related in individually oriented ways in the first pattern while the latter two indicated generalized ways of relating. The expectant/new mothers were more active in the two additional patterns 'the mediating counsellor and the discreet seekers of guidance' and 'the personal women-friends'. The expectant/new fathers mostly had a minor role, only appearingly actively involved within the 'gardener' pattern. Midwives need to reflect over their ways of relating as these influence how expectant/new parents deal with the information given and their satisfaction with the care.