Purpose: To clarify sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors associated with mothers’ experiences of psychosocial care and communication by midwives during childbirth in Nairobi, Kenya.

Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in a government national referral hospital. Respondents were 109 systematically sampled mothers who delivered in the study hospital. Mothers’ experiences of intrapartum care were assessed using three subscales from the Experience of Psychosocial Care and Communication during Childbirth Questionnaire (effective communication; emotional support; and respect, care and dignity). Simple and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to assess associations between sociodemographic factors, socioeconomic factors and mothers’ experiences of intrapartum care.

Findings: The majority of respondents were aged 20–24 years (45.9%), married (71.6%), had primary school education (48.6%) and were self-employed (45%). The majority reported positive experiences of communication, respect, dignity and emotional support from their midwives. Being an older mother was significantly associated with a positive experience of intrapartum care (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 7.32; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.17–45.9). The odds of having a positive intrapartum care experience was significantly lower among women with parity of four or more (AOR 0.09; 95% CI: 0.01–0.56) and tertiary education (AOR 0.11; 95% CI: 0.01–0.91).

Conclusion: Attention to the use of respectful language and adherence to clear communication must be an integral part of quality improvement for midwifery care in Kenya.