Overall, the results are positive throughout the entire care pathway.
Indicator scores are consistently in the upper, positive range of the scale from 0 to 100, where 100 is best.
- Antenatal checkup with a midwife received the highest score.
- Information provided about the woman's health in the maternity ward scores the lowest.
- Indicators relating to information across the different phases of the pathway stand out with slightly lower values than the others, although the overall level remains good.
- As in previous surveys, the indicators reflecting women’s experiences during their stay in the maternity ward show the greatest variation.
- There are variations in scores between hospitals and municipalities, but at an overall level, geographic differences are small.
Results for antenatal care
When asked whether the services were satisfactory overall, 83 per cent said, “To a very large extent” or “To a large extent”, which are the two most positive categories. The main results for antenatal care are summarised using the following indicators and scores on a scale from 0–100, where 100 is the best:
- Antenatal check-ups with a midwife: 91
- Antenatal check-ups with the GP: 80
- Information during pregnancy: 70
- Early ultrasound: 84
- Regular ultrasound: 85
Results for care during childbirth
When asked whether they were generally satisfied with the services provided at the maternity ward, 85 per cent of women responded using one of the two most positive response options. The main results for care during childbirth are summarised using the following indicators and scores on a scale from 0–100, where 100 is the best:
- Relationship with the staff at the maternity ward: 85
- Frameworks and organisation at the maternity ward: 80
- Looking after a partner at the maternity ward: 88
Results for maternity wards
72 per cent of women responded using one of the two most positive response options when asked whether their maternity stay at the hospital was satisfactory, while 18 per cent responded “To some extent” and 8 per cent responded using one of the two most negative response categories. The main results for maternity wards are summarised using the following indicators and scores on a scale from 0–100, where 100 is the best:
- Relationship with the staff at the maternity ward: 80
- Frameworks and organisation at the maternity ward: 68
- Information about the woman’s health at the maternity ward: 60
- Information about the child at the maternity ward: 64
- Looking after a partner at the maternity ward: 81
Results for postnatal care in the community
In general, women have positive experiences of postnatal care after returning home from hospital. When asked whether the service they received was generally satisfactory, 88 per cent responded using one of the two most positive response options and a further 10 per cent stated that it was satisfactory “To some extent”. The two most negative response categories were used by only 1 and 2 per cent respectively. The main results for postnatal care in the community are summarised using the following indicators and scores on a scale from 0–100, where 100 is the best:
- Relationship with staff at the health clinic: 90
- Frameworks and organisation at the health clinic: 87
- Information about the woman at the health clinic: 62
- Information about the child at the health clinic: 77
Other variations
There is a tendency for:
- Women to report slightly poorer experiences at large hospitals and in large municipalities compared to smaller units
- Women with pregnancies of 28 weeks or less to have poorer experiences than others
- Women with hospital stays longer than 14 days to report poorer experiences than others
- Women who report poor physical and/or mental health to have poorer experiences than others
- Women who report being on sick leave, receiving disability benefits, or work assessment allowance to report poorer experiences than other women
- Women born in Africa or Asia to be less satisfied than women born in Norway on 9 out of 17 indicators
Feedback given in the comments field in the questionnaire
The survey contained four open comments fields in which women could write about their experiences in the various areas in their own words. About half the women who responded to the survey (total of 6,491) entered one or more comments in the open comments fields.
Topics raised as challenges included:
- Conflicting information in antenatal care
- Poor information and communication during childbirth at the maternity ward
- Lack of information, especially relating to the woman’s health, at the maternity ward
- Lack of information and guidance on care and nutrition for infants at the maternity ward
- Unclear information about breastfeeding and nutrition for infants at the health clinic