Birth Dissonance - Using Pain Relief in Childbirth

Women develop expectations about childbirth and pain management in labour. Fifteen women expecting their first child and who were hoping for a 'normal/natural' birth were interviewed about how they developed their expectations of birth and labour pain (before they had their babies) and how they felt about their birth performance after they had given birth. Women reported various responses from health care staff to their requests for pain relief during labour. Six women reported feeling traumatised by their birth experience. Women who experience 'birth dissonance' - a mismatch between their expectations and their experience, appear more likely to develop trauma type symptoms.