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Background: Earlier studies highlight that a positive birth experience enhances both short-term recovery and long-term maternal well-being. However, the factors influencing this experience are complex and not yet fully understood. We aimed to investigate the influence of labour commencement method on late-term pregnant women’s satisfaction with care and the birth experience, and to determine whether women’s perception of their birth experience changes over time.

Methods: In this register-based retrospective cohort study, we included pregnant women in late term (≥ 41 + 0 to < 42 + 0) who gave birth in Sweden during 2020–2021. Eligible women were classified into two groups: spontaneous onset of labour (SOL) and induced onset of labour (IOL). Women’s satisfaction with care at birth and the childbirth experience at 8 weeks and 1 year postpartum were measured with a visual analogue scale, where 0 indicates “very unsatisfied” and 10 “very satisfied”.

Results: Satisfaction with care at the time of discharge from the hospital was significantly different between the IOL and SOL groups, with mean scores of 6.53 ± 3.34 and 6.97 ± 3.34, respectively (P = 0.007). Furthermore, the IOL group reported a less positive birth experience at 8 weeks (7.15 ± 2.37 and 7.74 ± 2.17, respectively, P = 0.004) and 1 year postpartum (6.87 ± 2.40 and 7.53 ± 2.15, respectively, P = 0.002) compared to the SOL group. Both groups experienced a decline in birth experience positivity from 8 weeks to 1 year postpartum (P < 0.001 in both groups). Common factors influencing satisfaction with care and birth experience included parity, heavy bleeding during labour, and the mode of delivery.

Conclusion: Satisfaction with care during labour and women’s childbirth experiences differed between the SOL and IOL groups, indicating a relationship between labour commencement method and satisfaction scores. Women in the SOL group were more satisfied with care at birth and reported a more positive birth experience at both 8 weeks and 1 year postpartum compared to the IOL group. Over time, women’s childbirth experience scores in both groups may change, becoming less positive 1 year after birth compared to 8 weeks postpartum.

Trial registration: Retrospectively registered.