Women's Experiences in the Early Phase of Labour in Iran

In recent decades, Iran has increasingly shifted toward hospital-based, medicalised birth. There is a cultural norm to seek hospital care early, often during the early phase of labour, as soon as labour pains begin. Women are typically accompanied by close female relatives, such as mothers, mothers-in-law, or sisters, or by their husbands. Upon arrival, they are first assessed in a dedicated maternity triage area before being admitted to the labour ward. Admission is not usually granted during the early phase of labour; however, it is often permitted with minimal cervical effacement or dilation if the woman lives far from the hospital. Women in the early phase of labour who live nearby are asked to return for reassessment within a few hours.