Mothers’ perceptions of respectful maternity care and their parental self-confidence levels: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the relationship between mothers' perceptions of respectful maternity care and their parental self-confidence levels. METHOD: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted online using the snowball sampling method with 425 mothers who had a baby aged 0-1 year and experienced a normal birth. RESULTS: The mean age of the mothers was 28.32 ± 5.46 years. Mothers reported high levels of respectful maternity care perception. Variables such as place of birth, birth experience, medical interventions during birth, and receiving support during childbirth significantly influenced respectful maternity care perception. Additionally, a weak but positive correlation was found between respectful maternity care perception and parental self-confidence levels. CONCLUSION: These findings emphasize that respectful maternity care plays a key role in strengthening mothers' confidence in their parenting abilities. Enhancing supportive, non-interventionist, and positive birth environments may therefore contribute to improved maternal outcomes and a more empowering childbirth experience.