The master's thesis focuses on childbirth as a significant life experience for women and examines the impact of medicalization and prenatal education on mothers’ satisfaction with their birth experience. Medicalization of childbirth refers to the increasing use of medical interventions such as induced labor, epidural analgesia, or cesarean sections, which can influence a woman's sense of control and participation during birth. The theoretical part of the thesis explores social and institutional factors that shape childbirth experiences and summarizes key findings from previous research in this field. The empirical part is based on an online questionnaire completed by 300 women. The analysis focuses on the relationships between childbirth experience, the extent of medical interventions, the ability to participate in decision-making, and prior access to information. The findings show that women who took part in prenatal education and had more opportunities to be involved in decisions were, on average, more satisfied with their birth experience - regardless of whether the birth was medically supported or not. The results confirm that, in addition to medical factors, feelings of control and involvement play an important role. The thesis highlights the need for further research that could contribute to a more holistic and woman-centered approach to maternity care.
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