Exploring Post-Natal Mothers' Perspectives on Respectful Maternity Care: A Study in a Selected Hospital in Odisha, India

Women should receive dignified and respectful care, which is why respectful maternal care (RMC) is becoming increasingly recognized as essential to raising the standard of maternity care. In many low- and middle-income nations, women often experience disrespectful and neglectful maternal care during labor and delivery, deterring them from seeking institutional care. This study aims to evaluate the perception of respectful maternity care among post-natal mothers. In this descriptive study, a total of 100 post-natal mothers were recruited using a convenient sampling technique and assessed through self-structured and Women’s Perspection-Respectful Maternity Care (WP-RMC) questionnaires collected via interviews. The results indicated significant associations between various demographic and societal variables and the perception of RMC. Specifically, the mother's age showed an association value of 0.00, occupation had an association value of 0.04, and the number of children had an association value of 0.01. Based on the study's findings, there is a pressing need to enhance institutional policies, resources, training, and supervision of healthcare providers to safeguard women's rights during childbirth and improve the standard of care. Addressing these factors can contribute to better maternal experiences and outcomes, encouraging more women to seek institutional care for childbirth, thus reducing maternal and neonatal mortality rates. Consequently, substantial efforts must be made to ensure that all women receive the dignified and respectful care they deserve during one of the most critical times of their lives.