Childbirth is a significant life event where quality of care greatly impacts maternal well-being. However, disrespectful and abusive treatment during childbirth remains problematic in many healthcare settings, affecting women's experiences and satisfaction.

Objective:

To assess the perceptions of mothers on respectful maternity care during labor.

Methods:

This qualitative study used a descriptive phenomenological approach to examine mothers' experiences with respectful maternity care during childbirth at a secondary-level hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. Individual, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 12 purposively sampled mothers receiving antenatal and postnatal services, using a semi-structured interview guide in English. Data was analyzed through inductive thematic analysis using NVivo 20.0

Results:

Women viewed respectful maternity care as the absence of verbal abuse, consideration of their choices, concern for their well-being, and access to knowledgeable providers. The study revealed both positive experiences (friendly care, attention to needs) and negative ones (mistreatment, lack of informed consent, delayed care), which significantly influenced maternal satisfaction.

Conclusion:

The study emphasizes the importance of respectful maternity care in enhancing childbirth experiences and satisfaction. Healthcare providers need training in respectful communication and informed consent. Hospital management should increase maternity staffing and establish feedback mechanisms to ensure women's voices are heard.