Let’s talk to women, not about them: pregnant women’s perspectives on integrated maternity care in the southwestern region of the Netherlands

BACKGROUND: With the introduction of integrated maternity care in the Netherlands, efforts have focused on enhancing interprofessional collaboration, exemplified by integrated care pathways. Incorporating women's perspectives is essential for the ongoing development of integrated care pathways. Therefore, this study explores pregnant women's experiences with integrated maternity care. METHODS: Data collection included twelve in-depth interviews with pregnant women receiving care within an integrated maternity care organisation (IMCO) in the Netherlands, guided by the World Health Organisation domains of responsiveness topics. A reflexive approach to thematic analysis was performed. RESULTS: We found that pregnant women's experiences were influenced by (1) care consistency with different views regarding substantive agreement among healthcare providers and care provider consistency; (2) information provision during pregnancy concerning the need for timely and accessible information to make them feel well-prepared for childbirth, and (3) care provider engagement, defined by their approach and the degree of patient-tailored care. CONCLUSION: This study offers valuable insights into women's experiences with integrated maternity care. Women emphasized the importance of both substantive agreement among healthcare providers and continuity of caregiver as essential components of responsive, woman-centred care. Timely and reliable information was also crucial in helping women feel informed, involved, and well-prepared for childbirth. Particularly important for primiparous women, an engaged, personalised approach to care fostered a sense of involvement and control. Strengthening these elements within interprofessional collaboration may enhance the development of integrated care models that are more closely aligned with the lived experiences and needs of pregnant women.