Obstetric Coevolution: Coevolving obstetric practices to improve the childbirth experience
Published on:
June 30, 2026
Abstract
Perinatal mental health disorders affect approximately one in five women and have significant consequences for mothers, infants, families and work environments. While biomedical approaches dominate research, the role of obstetric practices in shaping maternal mental health remains underexplored. The citizen science project Obstetric Coevolution investigates this relationship through participatory and co-creation methodologies that involve mothers, partners, perinatal professionals and other stakeholders. Building on previous results, this paper presents updated findings from workshops and a survey with more than 400 participants, confirming the association between childbirth medicalisation and negative mental health outcomes. It further introduces newly developed interventions, including a Birth Diary for longitudinal data collection, educational resources, and science communication initiatives. Ongoing work includes testing the Birth Diary. These results underscore the importance of transdisciplinary and participatory approaches in addressing gender biases in health research and enhancing childbirth experiences.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22323/1.524.0006
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