Migrant women’s experiences of maternity care in European countries : a critical literature review

Abstract

This critical literature review explores migrant women’s experiences of maternity care in European countries, identifying factors shaping positive or negative care experiences across the perinatal period. With increasing numbers of migrant women of childbearing age, maternity services face complex challenges in addressing diverse women’s needs. Understanding such factors is essential to improving maternity care. This review is therefore significant in guiding improvements in the quality of maternity services and in highlighting the ongoing health disparities affecting migrant women in European countries. A systematic search was conducted across CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, PubMed, and APA PsycInfo to identify peer reviewed primary studies published in the English language between 2020 and 2025. Inclusion criteria focused on qualitative primary studies exploring maternity care experiences of migrant women, who were pregnant or within the first postnatal year and were in European host countries. Nine studies met the inclusion criteria and were critically appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme, with data analysis guided by Braun and Clarke (2021). Four main themes were derived from the literature: (1) Navigating and accessing the maternity care system; (2) Communication, language and information exchange; (3) Relationships, trust and quality of care; (4) Cultural expectations, safety and control in childbirth. In summary, this review highlighted the diverse structural, communicative, interpersonal and cultural determinants of maternity care experiences. Strengths of this review include the recent, peer-reviewed studies across diverse European contexts. Limitations include the under-representation of undocumented women and the exclusion of relevant literature published in other languages besides English. In conclusion, improving care requires culturally responsive, women-centred practices, clear communication, and access to interpretation services, alongside policy-level improvements. It highlights the need for cultural competence training, better guidance on legal entitlements and further research, especially on undocumented women, and on the facilitators of care to inform inclusive high-quality maternity care.