Having a baby in Victoria 1989–2000: women's views of public and private models of care

To assess and contrast women's views of antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care based on data collected in three state‐wide surveys of recent mothers conducted in 1989, 1994 and 2000. Postal surveys were mailed to all women who gave birth in Victoria in one week in 1989, and in two weeks in 1993 and 1999, excluding those who had a stillbirth or neonatal death. Questionnaires were sent to women by hospitals and home birth practitioners 5–8 months after the birth. 58.6% of women participating in the 1989 survey rated their antenatal care as 'very good’ compared with 62.4% in 1994 and 66.5% in 2000 (χ2 for trend=15.01, p