Childbirth Experience in labor–delivery–recovery–postpartum unit: A Qualitative Study

Background: Women’s experiences of birth environment influence their mental health and that of their families. Identifying women’s childbirth experiences in the labor–delivery–recovery–postpartum unit (LDRP) unit, can help design a peaceful environment. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate women’s childbirth experiences in the LDRP unit. Methods This qualitative study was conducted on 20 women with a childbirth experience in LDRP unit. A purposive sampling was performed and continued until data saturation. The data were collected through unstructured interviews and analyzed using inductive content analysis. Results Data analysis led to the extraction of three categories: physical security, meaning-oriented environment, and physical comfort. The physical security category was obtained from the sub-categories: privacy, bed ergonomics, and the possibility of medical interventions. The meaning-oriented environment category was extracted from the sub-categories: promising symbols of becoming a mother, peaceful environment, and spiritual environment, and the physical comfort category was extracted from the sub-categories: minimizing noise pollution, ambient lighting, and LDRP internal design. Conclusions The results of the study indicate that the experience of childbirth in LDRP unit is influenced by physical and emotional environmental factors. Therefore, in order to design a peaceful environment, it is necessary to take into account these factors.