'Such a waste' - conflicting communicative roles of Dutch midwifery students in childbirth decision making.

Objective: In the Netherlands, the place of birth, birthing position, and pain relief are subject to preference-sensitive decisions of women, after counseling by their midwife. Dutch midwives are responsible for providing information and advice to guide pregnant women in such decisions. In this study we investigate how midwifery students, who are simultaneously committed to midwifery values and influenced by media culture, approach such preference-oriented communication in midwifery care.