Maternal experiences and preference of maternity services in Singapore: A descriptive qualitative study

Problem: Little is known about mothers' experiences and preferences for maternity services in Singapore. A more nuanced understanding would identify areas for improvement in perinatal care, reducing the burden on healthcare providers in supporting maternity services.

Background: Expecting mothers are typically referred to hospital-based antenatal and postnatal services in Singapore. In recent years, Singapore has made maternity services available in primary care community settings called polyclinics, to improve accessibility of such services.

Aim: To explore the experiences and preferences of Singaporean mothers in receiving maternity services in acute hospitals and polyclinics.

Methods: A descriptive qualitative study design was adopted, and data were collected from September to October 2023. In total, 13 mothers were recruited from a maternity care hospital in Singapore. Individual semi-structured audio-recorded interviews were conducted, and data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings: Three themes were identified: (1) Considerations when seeking maternity care, (2) Differing preferences and satisfaction levels, (3) Hopes for better perinatal care for mothers and babies.

Discussion: Most mothers preferred seeking hospital-based antenatal care and were more inclined to do postnatal follow-ups in polyclinics. Factors like accessibility, cost and perceived expertise of healthcare providers influenced the decision-making. Maternal satisfaction with care services also fluctuated based on interpersonal factors and whether their informational needs were met.

Conclusion: Overall, mothers' perceptions of maternity services were positive. Findings suggest the possibility of further expanding maternity services in community settings to increase professional support for mothers. Future research is needed to ascertain these findings in non-English speaking and non-subsidized settings.