Defining Women's Preferences for Support During Labor: A Review of the Literature

Determining women's preferences for their care in labor is a reasonable basis for care giving activities. A review of the literature was undertaken to determine what has been written about implementing preferences in support during labor. Seven research studies dealing with the topic were analyzed. The results indicated that although the studies are limited in number, the resulting information is worthwhile. Most actual care as currently administered was not found to be based on women's preferences. The implications for future research are delineated.