Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication in Maternity Care
With Emma and Ethan, Academic Skills Specialist
Key Takeaways
- Poor communication is a leading factor in maternity adverse events.
- The way a midwife communicates can build trust, enable informed consent, and support a woman through one of the most vulnerable experiences of her life.
- Clarity — using language the woman understands rather than clinical jargon.
- Tone — being calm and reassuring in stressful situations.
- Consent is only meaningful if the woman has genuinely understood the information.
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Full Transcript
Emma: Welcome to Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication in Maternity Care. I'm Emma, and with me is Ethan, our Academic Skills Specialist. Ethan, communication is sometimes seen as a soft skill — but in midwifery, it's anything but, is it?
Ethan: It's a clinical skill. Poor communication is a leading factor in maternity adverse events. The way a midwife communicates can build trust, enable informed consent, and support a woman through one of the most vulnerable experiences of her life.
Emma: Let's start with verbal communication. What are the key elements that make verbal communication effective in a maternity context?
Ethan: Clarity — using language the woman understands rather than clinical jargon. Tone — being calm and reassuring in stressful situations. And timing — knowing when to speak and when to wait and listen.
Emma: Informed consent is a big part of maternity care. How does communication underpin that?
Why is verbal and non-verbal communication in maternity care important in midwifery practice?
Ethan: Consent is only meaningful if the woman has genuinely understood the information. Midwives need to check understanding, not just deliver information. That means asking 'what questions do you have?' rather than 'do you understand?'
Emma: Now, non-verbal communication — what are the key elements and why do they matter?
Ethan: Body language, facial expression, eye contact, touch, and physical proximity. Women in labour read the room acutely. A midwife who appears rushed, avoids eye contact, or seems tense communicates that even without a word.
Emma: Touch is particularly significant in midwifery care — it's a therapeutic tool as well as a clinical one.
Ethan: Exactly. Reassuring touch during labour, skin-to-skin facilitation postnatally — these are communicative acts. But touch must always be consented to, culturally sensitive, and appropriate to context.
How does verbal and non-verbal communication in maternity care work in a healthcare context?
Emma: How does cultural background affect communication in maternity care?
Ethan: Enormously. Eye contact, physical space, the role of partners or family members, preferences around modesty, and communication styles all vary across cultures. Midwives need cultural humility — an awareness that their default isn't universal.
Emma: Language barriers are a real challenge in many maternity settings. What are the professional responsibilities there?
Ethan: Midwives have a duty to ensure women understand their care. That means using professional interpreters — not asking family members, especially not children — and accessing translation services. Understanding consent without language access isn't possible.
Emma: In emergency situations, communication changes significantly. How do midwives adapt?
Why is verbal and non-verbal communication in maternity care important in midwifery practice?
Ethan: Clear, direct, and calm. Tools like SBAR — Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation — structure handover and escalation communication so critical information isn't lost under pressure.
Emma: Ethan, for students who feel naturally quiet or introverted — is strong communication a learnable skill?
Ethan: Completely. Communication skills are practised and refined over a career. Introverted midwives can be exceptional communicators — listening deeply, responding thoughtfully. It's about presence and attention, not volume or extroversion.