Lesbian mothers' experiences of maternity care in the UK.

OBJECTIVE

to explore the maternity care experiences of a sample of lesbians in the UK in order to evaluate service delivery to this group.

DESIGN

a descriptive study, using both qualitative and quantitative survey methods to elicit 'rich' accounts of women's experiences.

PARTICIPANTS

a convenience sample of 50 women, reporting on a total of 65 pregnancies.

FINDINGS: while participants were generally appreciative of the care they received, they also reported high levels of anxiety about the implications of disclosure, together with acute awareness of midwives' personal attitudes and prejudices. Their comments demonstrate the extent to which these issues may negatively impact on quality of care, and the study reveals examples of discomfort, inappropriate service delivery and even hostility.

KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: 'booking in' and antenatal education are identified as the two areas where service delivery is least effective in meeting the needs of this client group. Findings were used in drawing up the Royal College of Midwives' position paper on the care of lesbian mothers.