Abstract / Summary
Abstract Inadequate explanations during emergency obstetric interventions increase the risk of maternal trauma and postpartum depression; however, acute clinical deterioration often impairs communication. This web-based cross-sectional survey investigated how explanation timing, personnel, and methods influence maternal subjective understanding and childbirth satisfaction in Japan. We analyzed 818 women who underwent a single emergency intrapartum intervention (labor augmentation, vacuum extraction, or emergency cesarean section) within the past 5 years using ordinal logistic regression and predicted-probability simulations. Only ~ 30% received explanations before labor onset. Combining written and verbal explanations during antenatal visits significantly increased the odds of adequate explanation (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10–1.52) and subjective understanding (aOR = 1.21; 95% CI: 1.00–1.46). Predicted probabilities showed that multimodal antenatal communication increased adequate explanation rates from 66.80% to 83.61%. Physician–midwife collaboration yielded the highest understanding (91.08%; aOR = 4.11; 95% CI: 2.25–7.50), whereas physician-led explanations maximized childbirth satisfaction (84.85%; aOR = 2.53; 95% CI: 1.65–3.86). Improving communication requires a multi-stage approach rather than relying solely on acute intrapartum explanations. Proactive antenatal information combined with postpartum debriefing builds baseline understanding and fosters birth satisfaction through interprofessional collaboration and strong physician involvement.