Birth Options Feasibility trial

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  A three-arm randomised feasibility trial of Birth Options Interventions to predict, inform and offer choices to reduce emergency caesarean birth in first pregnancies.

• IRAS ID

  345836

• Contact name

  Abi Merriel

• Contact email

  abi.merriel@liverpool.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Liverpool

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 10 months, 30 days

• Research summary

  Why:
  Caesarean birth improves outcomes for mothers and babies. 42% of births in England are by caesarean, 56% are emergency operations.

  However, having an emergency caesarean results in birth trauma for some women. Engagement members have told us that they want more information to enable them to choose their birth options.

  What:
  Alongside women we have made information about vaginal and caesarean birth and induction of labour. With staff we have developed a guided conversation to discuss these birth options. We have developed a tool to predict chance of emergency caesarean birth.

  In this study, we are seeing if a large study to compare usual care, having a clinical conversation about birth options, or having a clinical conversation about birth options alongside using a tool to predict chance of caesarean birth is possible.

  Our long-term aim is to understand the effect of usual care/discussion/ discussion+prediction on how happy women are with their choice, and whether emergency caesareans are less common.

  WHO:
  Women between 28 and 37 weeks in their first ongoing pregnancy will be invited to take part.

  Where:
  The study will take place in 3 maternity units which will be spread out around the country and serve different populations.

  How:
  Women can join the study and fill in a questionnaire between 28 and 36+6 weeks. They will be put into three groups by chance. The two groups receiving the intervention will have it at 36 weeks, and can then choose vaginal birth, induction or planned caesarean. We will ask for feedback from women and their midwives/doctors after the intervention and we will collect pregnancy outcome data. We will also ask women to compete short questionnaires about their mental health and birth expectations after the intervention; and experience and mental health 6 weeks and 6 months after their baby is born.
  

• REC name

  South East Scotland REC 01

• REC reference

  25/SS/0100

• Date of REC Opinion

  27 Nov 2025

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion