The three major themes of women's birthing experiences: A qualitative study in Saudi National Guard hospitals

Childbirth is the most significant interaction between pregnant women and the health system. Women's satisfaction during the birthing process is an essential indicator of care quality because satisfaction reflects the gaps between expected and actual care and services. In-depth studies of women's birthing experiences and maternity services provided in public and private sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are needed to improve the health system. Such studies are particularly critical because ongoing privatization policies continue to change Saudi Arabia's approach to childbirth. This qualitative study drew on 78 semistructured interviews to better understand the key themes that arose regarding women's satisfaction with their birthing experiences. The study compared women's birthing experiences in public and private sections of two selected National Guard hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The findings yielded three major themes as follows: Hospitals, Doctors, and Nurses. Overall, women in the public sections of hospitals were less satisfied with their quality care due to a lack of privacy, and the respondents reported receiving mediocre attention from nurses when compared with that received by women in private sections. The study's findings stand to inform policymakers about the current situation of the Saudi Arabian health-care system and the services rendered. Thus, leaders implementing strategic plans should pay careful attention to the three revealed themes to create better care quality and increase women's satisfaction during privatization.