Module 04:
Promoting Respectful Maternity and Newborn Care
Welcome to the fourth module in the ERMC course. This module has been developed to further your knowledge of the consequences of disrespectful care for women during labor and birth and ways to promote ERMC. A list of resource requirements to promote ERMC is also provided, as well as an example of a case scenario of providing ERMC. Finally, this module will end with a post-course completion survey that includes reflection on equity and respect in maternity care.
Module 04:
Promoting Respectful Maternity and Newborn Care
Welcome to the fourth module in the ERMC course. This module has been developed to further your knowledge of the consequences of disrespectful care for women during labor and birth and ways to promote ERMC. A list of resource requirements to promote ERMC is also provided, as well as an example of a case scenario of providing ERMC. Finally, this module will end with a post-course completion survey that includes reflection on equity and respect in maternity care.
Disrespectful and abusive care during labor and childbirth is associated with
Human rights violation
Poor quality of intrapartum care
Low satisfaction with childbirth
Psychological distance between women and healthcare providers
Reduce the use of healthcare facilities for future childbirth
Complications during childbirth and in the postpartum period
Persistent memory of pain
Fear of childbirth
Postpartum depression
Affects sexuality and the desire to have children
Lifelong feelings of guilt and grief/ emotional trauma may persist for a lifetime.
Negative economic implications: unnecessary use of technologies may cost facilities both money and time.
Over-medicalization of childbirth, including excessive or inappropriate use of interventions, can lead to morbidity and mortality. For example, induction, augmentation, continuous electronic fetal monitoring, episiotomies, cesarean section