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Background Childbirth is a transcendent life experience but may also be a moment of great vulnerability, especially when it occurs outside the mother's country of origin. Objective To explore the perceptions and experiences of Spanish-speaking immigrant women regarding the healthcare they received during labour and childbirth in Santiago, Chile. Methods This qualitative, transcendental phenomenological research was performed at two maternity hospitals using purposive criterion sampling. Eighteen individual and two group interviews were conducted. The resulting information was transcribed and then coded and categorised using phenomenological analysis. Results Six categories were extracted from the narratives which reflect a pragmatic relationship with the healthcare team that included a perception of ‘justified’ lack of care. The mothers’ exercise of autonomy was subjugated by power-knowledge relations between the women and caregiver that compelled them to refrain from expressing their needs and preferences out of fear of abuse. The women valued emotional support, pain relief and satisfaction of needs in association with medical procedures and companionship. The women rated their experiences as positive if they avoided mistreatment and, as ‘the essence of the experience’, perceived the care as a favour rather than a right. Conclusion Most immigrant women felt that they had received treatment similar to that of native-born mothers. However, low expectations of autonomy shaped their evaluations of the experiences. Also, a high value on companionship and pain relief, characterised the women's experiences of childbirth. These findings of the interviews reflect a need for a stronger focus on empowerment with an emphasis on gender and rights.