The impact of childbirth experiences on women's sense of self: a review of the literature.

This paper presents a review of the literature that informed research undertaken to determine what features of childbirth have a positive effect on women's sense of self. The literature looked at control: of women or with women, trusting relationships, balancing self-empathy, self understanding through an instinctual response, altered concious states, childbirth and mother/baby relationships.