A further strength is that the qualitative methods
used have enabled a detailed in-depth understanding
of the subject area. Examination of shared decision
making in childbirth is an emerging field of research
and it is important to access and explore the views of
women themselves. However, the women interviewed
tended to focus on pharmacological methods of pain
relief. The issue of natural methods of pain management
was explored in the interviews, but the design
of the study was such that the interviews focused
primarily on issues raised by the women themselves.