Asking women to complete health and maternal histories for maternity records: a qualitative study

Midwives usually document women’s health and maternal histories
during booking appointments. This qualitative study of use of the Scottish
Woman Held Maternity Record (SWHMR) found some midwifery teams
were asking women to document their own histories before these
appointments. Pregnant women and midwives from these teams thought
this could save midwives’ time, improve the accuracy of records and lead
to more individually-appropriate discussions. However, some women were
disappointed that midwives had not fully discussed what they had written.
Some midwives from teams that had not asked women to document their
own histories were sceptical about the likely accuracy and usefulness of
women’s entries. If the potential advantages of asking women to document
their own histories are to be safely realised, support must be available for
women with limited English or reading and writing skills, and midwives
must have time to review and discuss what women write.