Maternity Survey – Interesting Facts

• 6% gave birth less than 37 weeks through their pregnancy and 94% gave birth when more than 37 weeks pregnant
• 6% of babies weighed less than 2500 grams or less and 94% weighed more than 2500
• 52% of women were less than 6 weeks pregnant or less when they first saw a healthcare professional about their pregnancy, 43% were 7-12 weeks pregnant and 6% were over thirteen weeks pregnant.

• 50% had a labour that lasted less than eight hours, 16% had a labour of between eight hours and twelve hours or more, 16% had a labour of between 12 and 18 hours or more and 18% had a labour of 18 hours or more.
• Labour started naturally for 74% of women and it was induced for 26% of women
• Pain relief:
•           o 48% used natural methods (eg breathing, massage)
•           o 11% used water or a birthing pool
•           o 20% used a TENS machine (with pads on your back)
•           o 81% used gas and air (breathing through a mask)
•           o 34% used an injection of pethidine or a similar painkiller
•           o 29% used and epidural or similar (injection in your back, given by and anaesthetist)
• 64% of women said they definitely got the pain relief they wanted, 28% said to some extent and 8% said no they didn’t receive the pain relief they wanted.
• 95% of women gave birth in a hospital, 3% in a birth centre or maternity unit and 3% at home.
• 64% of women had a normal (vaginal) birth, 5% had a delivery using forceps, 8% delivered using a vacuum cap and 24% delivered via a caesarean.
• If the baby was born by caesarean, 38% were planned and carried out before they went inoto labour, 7% were planned but carried out after they had gone into labour and 56% of caesareans were the result of unforeseen problems before or during after they went into labour.
• 91% of women gave birth on a bed, 24% gave birth on the floor and 3% gave birth in water or in a birthing pool
• 53% of women had a tear while their baby was being born
• For 17% of women this was a serious tear, and for 83% of women this wasn’t a serious tear.
• If a woman did have a tear which required stitches,  59% were stitched within 20 minutes of their baby being born, 29% were stitched between 20 minutes to an hour and 12% were stitched more than one hour after their baby was born.
• 78% of women hadn’t met the staff who looked after them during labour and birth.
• 83% had a husband, partner or companion with them during labour and birth, 8% during birth only and 5% during labour only.
  

• 43% of women stayed in hospital for one day or less after their baby was born, 39% stayed for 2-3 days, 13% stayed for 4-5 days and 6% stayed in hospital for more than 6 days.

• 28% were over 35, 32% were 30-34, 23% were 25-29, 15% were 1925-249 and 1% were aged between 16 and 18 years old.
  

• 57% had previously had a pregnancy, 43% had not. Of those that had previously been pregnant, 10% had given birth to 3 or more babies before this one, 80% had given birth to 1 or 2 babies, and 10% had been pregnant before though this had not resulted in a birth.
  

• 87% of respondents were White, 7% were Asian / Asian British, 4% were Black / Black British, 2% were Mixed, and 1% were Chinese or ‘Other’.
  

• The survey asked respondents which language was spoken most often at home. 92% reported English, 3% said another European language, 4% an Asian language, 1% an African language, and 1% reported another (including British Sign Language).

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