QUALITY OF PRENATAL CARE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON LABOR

Pregnancy and childbirth are phases full of insecurity and fear, making preparation for childbirth essential during prenatal care.The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of prenatal care and preparation for childbirth.This is a cross-sectional study carried out in the rooming-in unit of the Hospital Maternidade So Jos (HMSJ).The participants were puerperae of normal childbirth of all age groups who met the inclusion criteria.Data was collected between August and November 2022.The SPSS -Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 21.0 program was used for statistical analysis, and the data was subjected to univariate analysis using the chi-square test.The study was submitted to the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University Center of Esprito Santo.Of the 169 puerperal women invited, 158 were interviewed.There was no statistical association between the quality of prenatal care and preparation for childbirth.The associated variables were: education level, gestational risk, prenatal care provider, guidance on labor, time of guidance, gestational age at delivery, information on the location of delivery, clarification of doubts about the route of delivery, choice of route of delivery, encouragement of normal delivery, receiving guidance on the signs of labor onset, information on non-pharmacological methods of pain relief.The research shows a low prevalence of preparation of pregnant women through prenatal care and no statistical association between quality of care and preparation for normal childbirth.