What is the Listening to Mothers IV Survey?
The Listening to Mothers IV Survey aims to gather information from people who have recently given birth about their maternity views and experiences. The National Partnership for Women & Families does this survey because leaders need to understand what it is like to be pregnant, give birth, and parent a baby, and what people having babies need and want. Survey results will be used by the National Partnership and many others working to improve the health of mothers and babies, including advocates and decision makers. Information from earlier Listening to Mothers surveys has helped shape efforts to improve the quality of maternal health care.
I have been contacted to take part in this survey. What should I expect?
The survey will take about 40 minutes to finish. You can complete the survey on any device or with a trained interviewer. If you would like to take this survey over the phone, please call 1-800-293-1538 extension 1650 to schedule a time that is convenient for you. Please be honest with your answers. If you are not comfortable with a question, you do not have to answer it. You can also come back to finish your survey later if you are unable to complete it in one session.
At the end of the survey, respondents are asked if they are willing to complete a second questionnaire that will be available mid-year. This is totally voluntary, and we will only reach out if you are interested.
The first questionnaire asks about your recent maternity experiences and views, from before you became pregnant until the first months after birth. The second questionnaire seeks to understand more about that journey, as well as your views and experiences since that time.
Who in my household should take the survey?
Anyone within your household who gave birth in a U.S. hospital in 2023 is encouraged to complete this survey. Participating is completely voluntary.
No one in my household recently gave birth, what should I do?
If no one in your household recently gave birth, please ignore this letter. If you do know someone who gave birth in 2023, please share the information with them in case they are interested in taking part.
How was my household selected?
We are working through several channels to reach people who may be eligible for the survey. If you received a mailing, your household was randomly selected from U.S. households likely to have young children. You may have also seen social media advertisements or community members post about this survey. If you have an interest in taking the survey, please contact the project manager, Elisa Ungaro via email at eungaro@marketdecisions.com or phone at 1-800-293-1538 extension 1620.
How will my information be protected?
Protecting your privacy is very important. All answers to the survey will be collected anonymously and then combined with the answers from other people. Your information and answers will be held in the strictest confidence and used only to conduct this survey. Your name and personal identifiable information will never be connected to your answers and will never be revealed in survey results or distributed to another party for any reason.
Is there any risk in taking this survey?
There is minimal risk to taking part in the survey. If you feel uncomfortable answering a question, you are free to select “I’d prefer not to answer.” This website includes selected resources that participants may want to use to get support.
Who sponsors this survey?
This survey is being conducted by the National Partnership for Women & Families, a national non-profit organization that works to improve the lives of women and families, with the support of their partner Market Decisions Research. You can learn more about them at nationalpartnership.org and marketdecisions.com.
Can I see the results of the survey?
Yes! The final reports and other materials will be available at nationalpartnership.org/LTM4, beginning early in 2025.
Who is Market Decisions Research and why are they involved?
Market Decisions Research, also known as MDR, is an independent public health research company in Portland, Maine. The National Partnership for Women & Families works with independent contractors to help with survey administration because they have expertise that can improve survey and data collection efforts.
Whom do I contact if I have additional questions?
If you have any questions, concerns, or comments you can contact the project manager, Elisa Ungaro, at eungaro@marketdecisions.com or (800) 293-1538 ext. 1620.
