Navigating Unconventional Childbirth in Lithuania: Choice, Risk, and Medical Perspectives on Home Birth and Elective C-Sections

This mixed-methods study aims to explore the motivations behind women's decisions to choose planned home birth or cesarean delivery on maternal request in Lithuania and to investigate the perspectives of perinatal healthcare professionals regarding these childbirth practices. The project combines quantitative analysis of existing survey data from the Lithuanian Association for Improving Maternity Services (MGIS), anonymous surveys of healthcare professionals, and semi-structured interviews with women, midwives, and obstetricians. The findings are expected to contribute to evidence-based recommendations for individualized and woman-centered maternity care in Lithuania.