Abstract

RIVM has conducted research on how pregnant women and women who recently gave birth experience the information they receive during pregnancy and childbirth. These women receive a lot of information from various healthcare professionals and other sources and use this information to make decisions for themselves and their (unborn) child. Results show that when women experience the information provided by different healthcare professionals as consistent, this is associated with greater trust in maternity care and higher perceived quality of care. RIVM therefore recommends better alignment of information and advice between healthcare professionals, explaining why advice may differ, and supporting pregnant women in finding reliable information.