Impact of Labor Epidural Analgesia on Maternal Satisfaction and Childbirth Expectations in a Tertiary Care Center in Portugal: A Prospective Study (original) (raw)

Introduction: In the current century, increasing importance has been given to the opinions, expectations and experiences of women using healthcare services. The fulfillment of expectations is determined by satisfaction. This study aims to analyze both expectations and satisfaction during childbirth regarding labor epidural analgesia among parturients, with a focus on myths.Material and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in parturients at the Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte - Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon, Portugal, applying a questionnaire to 317 random women. SPSS v22.0 was used for data analysis.Results: Three hundred questionnaires were returned, from women with a mean age of 31. Among the respondents, 46.3% had a college degree and 64% were employed, 46% were primiparas and only 14% had a previous anesthesiology appointment for childbirth purposes. The overall degree of satisfaction surrounding the birth experience was good/excellent for 87% o...