Rating of overall childbirth experience: A qualitative study of a quantitative measurement

The considerable variations in how women approach the rating scale, and what they include in the assessment of overall childbirth experience, suggest that not only the childbirth experience itself but also the reasoning when evaluating it, is multifaceted. A standardized phrasing of the question and a clear purpose for the evaluation is warranted to strengthen the validity of the measurement. When used clinically for identifying women in need of support after childbirth, the rating should be followed by a conversation about the experience of giving birth, independent of the value chosen.