In this qualitative descriptive study the purpose was to clarify conceptual factors of positive childbirth experience at abirthing home.175 women who gave birth from 1986 to 1999 were eligible. This data were collected by women's self reports that mainly contain description about their birth experiences. From among them, 171 women expressed their birth experiences positively. The results of content analysis, positive childbirth experience consist of four categories and twenty-three sub-categ Ories. From these conceptual factors, it was observed that women took cognitiin of herself, her supporter and delivery process itself through knowledge by acquaintance of her childbirth. This study suggested that women need not only medical intervention but also humanized care and environment to have positive birth experience.

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A national survey was performed to investigate the actual state of medical personnel's care and attendance to women giving birth during their first and second stages of labor in Japan. An anonymised self-writing questionnaire developed by the authors was distributed to 10, 268 postpartum inpatients and one-month postpartum outpatients, who delivered during the period from June to September of 1999 in 232 various obstetric units, including university hospitals, general hospitals, obstetrics, clinics, and midwife-run birth centers, selected by a stratified random sampling from all 47 prefectures in Japan.
Fifty nine percent of the 7, 215 women who vaginally delivered mentioned that a midwife stayed most with them during labor, with this percentage increasing to 91% when limited to women in birth centers. Of all 8, 224 births including cesarean sections, midwives attended 52.4%, while obstetricians attended 43.1%. Midwives also attended 63.2% of normal births.
The result of this study is almost consistent with another national survey conducted in 1999 on birth attendants which used medical personnel as subjects. However, according to Japanese vital statistics based on birth certificate data for the same year, 97.2% and 2.8% births were delivered by obstetricians and midwives respectively, and are found not to be reflective of the present state.

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The object of this study was to clarify what women were aware of their posture during labor. Twenty-six women who comprised the study group adopted their postures by themselves during labor. Data were collected by observing on their labor and delivery, and by interviewing them after their childbirth. Thereafter the data were analyzed inductively.
The content analysis yielded six elements of their kinesthetic sense as follows; 1) relieving pain/making pain stronger, 2) relaxation/increasing tension, 3) coming down of fetus, 4) taking a momentary rest, 5) getting stability, and 6) release from restriction. The women were aware that their kinesthetic senses changed in accordance with their postural changes during labor.
Changing woman's posture based on her kinesthetic sense during labor, she could control her progress of labor by herself, confirm her fetus was coming out, and change the attitude toward her labor. It is assumed that choosing her posture by herself during labor would encourege her to act more on her own initiative and she gets satisfaction from her childbearing.

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