Women's Decision-Making And Factors Affecting Their Choice Of ...

Like its predecessor, the Winterton Committee, the Cumberlege committee
was not just influenced by views of consultants about the most appropriate care
for women. On the contrary, it gives more weight to the preferences of women, as
they believe that "no-one cares more about achieving a safe and happy outcome
to a pregnancy than the pregnant woman and her partner. Women want healthy
babies and also to be healthy themselves after they have given birth. But this
incorporates their desire to experience pregnancy, childbirth and the early days
of parenthood as positive and fulfilling" (Page 9 para 2.1.2).
The Cumberlege report recommends that maternity care must be woman-
centred, concentrating on meeting the needs of the women for whom the service is
intended. It also endorses the importance of continuity of carer. Chapter 1 of the
report starts by laying out important components of a woman centred service,
which include the following:
Components of a woman centred service
• Every woman has unique needs. In addition to those arising from her
medical history these will derive from her particular ethnic, cultural, social and
family background The services provided should recognise the special
characteristics of the population they are designed to serve. They should also be
attractive and accessible to all women, particularly those who may be least
inclined to use them.
• Information about the local maternity services should be readily available
within the community. The woman should be able to choose whether her first
contact is with a midwife or her general practitioner, and should feel confident
that she will receive accurate and unbiased information from the professional that
she chooses.
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