Exploring the significance of multisensory birthing rooms for the parental couples birth experience: a qualitative study

Abstract

Background: Multisensory birthing rooms are purposefully designed environments that incorporate sensory elements including sound, lighting, and visual stimuli with the aim of creating a supportive atmosphere for childbirth.

Aim: To understand the significance of multisensory birthing rooms to the couples' birth experience, and how the environment influences their affective, emotional, and relational engagement during birth.

Methods: The data comprised 22 h of field observation and nine semi-structured interviews conducted with women who had recently given birth, and their partners (n = 18). The participants gave birth in multisensory birthing rooms at a labour ward unit at a regional hospital in Denmark. A qualitative design was employed to explore the perceptions of the parents regarding their birth experiences in this setting. The data were analysed using Braun and Clarkes' Reflexive Thematic Analysis.

Findings: The analysis resulted in four themes. 1) "Softening the clinical" covers how the multisensory birthing rooms, by concealing the clinical environment, creates a sense of calm in an often vulnerable situation, 2) "Composing the atmosphere" facilitates the interaction between the couple, the midwife, and the birthing room," 3) "Emotional landscape" describes feeling safe through local and familiar cues and calming soundscapes, allowing for a rich palette of emotions in the liminal phase of giving birth, and 4) "Shared space" fosters a sense of teamwork and family bonding.

Conclusions: The participants described their birth experience in the sensory birthing room as profoundly positive and supportive, emphasizing that the midwife played a crucial role in shaping their overall experience of childbirth.

Keywords: Birth; Birth experience; Emotional landscape; Multisensory birthing room; Qualitative interview.