‘They just told me to go to theatre’: women’s experiences and support needs following emergency caesarean section in Kawempe National referral hospital, Uganda

Following EmCS, women have both positive and negative experiences at individual, relationship and health care levels. Positive experiences include successful surgery, presence of a companion and being managed in a national referral hospital. Negative experiences, however, included fear of death for mother and baby, poor pain control, poor communication and informal hospital charges. Financial support, companionship after CS and information on indications for surgery and other interventions were the support needs expressed by the women.