The impact of midwives’ emotional support on women’s experiences of labour

Abstract

This critical literature review examines the impact of emotional support provided by midwives on women’s experiences during labour and childbirth. Emotional support is recognised as a fundamental component of woman-centred care and plays a significant role in shaping women’s perceptions of safety, coping, and overall satisfaction with their birth experience. This review aims to explore how emotional support is experienced by women during labour, identify key elements that contribute to positive childbirth experiences, and examine the role of midwives in providing emotionally supportive care. A pilot search was conducted to refine search terms followed by a systematic search across five databases: Scopus, Public Health Database (ProQuest), Cochrane Clinical Answers (EBSCO), PubMed, and Nursing and Allied Health (ProQuest). The search was limited to peer-reviewed, English language studies published between 2015 and 2025. Key search terms included emotional support, midwifery, labour/childbirth, midwives, and women’s experiences. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were guided by the SPIDER framework to identify qualitative studies exploring women’s lived experiences and the emotional support during labour. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria and were critically appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool The thematic synthesis of the included studies generated four key themes: (1) emotional and spiritual support as a foundation of care, (2) supportive companionship and inclusion during labour and birth, (3) shaping emotional safety through midwives’ attitudes, behaviours, and communication, and (4) defining a positive birth experience within personal contexts. The findings demonstrate that emotional support from midwives is a central determinant of women’s childbirth experiences. When emotional support is consistently provided women report increased feelings of safety, confidence, and satisfaction with their birth experience. Conversely, inadequate emotional support is associated with negative experiences including feelings of vulnerability, loss of control and reduced emotional wellbeing. The review highlights the need to strengthen midwifery education and practice in relation to emotional support ensuring that relational care is prioritised alongside clinical care. It also identifies the need for future research to explore the long-term impact of emotional support on maternal mental health and to examine organisational factors that may limit midwives the consistent provision of emotionally supportive care.