The Impact of Delivery Type on Women’s Postpartum Quality of Life: Using a Specific Questionnaire

Background: Type of delivery has impact on women postpartum quality of life) QL(. No study has investigated QL of after cesarean section (CS), natural vaginal delivery (NVD) and NVD with water birth as a novel method. Objectives: The aim of the study was to compare women postpartum QL after three delivery modes in Shiraz hospitals. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted on the women after NVD, CS, and NVD with water birth at 2 months postpartum using a standard specific questionnaire of quality of life after child birth. Then, the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) in SPSS, version 18. Results: NVD with water birth had highest mean score for mothers’ feeling toward themselves, physical health, satisfaction with delivery, choice of the delivery method for future pregnancies and global health status compared to the CS and NVD group; however there was no significant association. There was significant association between NVD and CS with less economic burden (P<0.001) and feeling toward sexual intercourse (P=0.012), respectively. Conclusion: The type of delivery had association with women postpartum QL in two dimension of economic burden and sexual intercourse. It is suggested that pregnant women and obstetricians’ knowledge toward NVD with water birth should be improved through appropriate education in delivery preparing courses.