poród rodzinny

The birth of the child is the culminating point in the procreation process. The expectations of women and their partners with respect to maternity hospitals result from the greater awareness of the couples concerning modern methods of the management of labour. The objective of the study was the recognition of the expectations of married couples with respect to family labour. The study was conducted in Stefan Wyszyński Regional Specialist Hospital in Lublin. The study showed that 89.2% of married couples expressed an opinion that a midwife should be constantly present during a family labour, as many as 93.08% of the couples admitted that family labour has a positive effect on the emotional bonds with the newly born baby, 85.3% - mentioned that childbearing ‘by twos’ will allow them feel safe in the new situation and new environment, and 83.8% of respondents reported that it will exert a favourable effect on their marital relationships. During a family labour the respondents significantly more often (p=0.02) expected emotional support from a midwife than from a doctor. In the opinions of married couples a midwife should be constantly present during family labour, whereas the constant presence of a physician is not necessary. The spouses expect that the participation in family labour will have a beneficial effect on their marital relationships and emotional bonds with the newly born baby. According to the opinions of married couples, childbearing ‘by twos’ would decrease the level of anxiety and enable avoidance of an instrumental approach of the medical staff towards the mother.