Abstract:

Objective: In order to provide a positive birth experience to every pregnant woman, it is important to reveal women’s concerns and fears about the birth process and to provide care in this direction. The purpose of this study is to reveal the birth experiences of women who have high birth anxiety. Methods: This study is a qualitative study conducted with a phenomenological approach. Data were collected in the obstetrics clinic of a training and research hospital in Izmir by individual in-depth interview method using the Individual Description Form, Oxford Worries About Labour Scale, and Semi-Structured In-depth Interview Form. Mothers who were 18 years of age and older could speak and understand Turkish, were primiparous, had a live vaginal delivery between 37 and 42 weeks of gestation, and scored less than 30 (24.00 ± 3.10) on the Oxford Worries About Labour Scale were included in the study. Interviews continued until data saturation was reached, and the study was completed with 13 mothers. Traditional content analysis method was used for data analysis. Results: The mean age of the women participating in the study was 23.54 ± 4.03 years. It was determined that none of the women attended the childbirth preparation class, the mean delivery time was 7.46 ± 3.84 hours, and induction was applied to 61.5% and episiotomy was applied to all of them. In this study, as a result of the content analysis of the qualitative data obtained from the study, 4 main themes were determined as “Influencing Factors,” “Ambivalent Emotions,” “Memorables,” and “Preferences/Demands” and 8 sub-themes were determined. It was found that many factors such as physical environment, level of knowledge, expectation, and sensations about birth affect the birth experience of the participants, and ambivalent emotions dominate during the birth process. Most of the women stated that moment of reunion with their baby and the pain of childbirth are on their minds, they wanted their husbands with them, and they wanted to have a vaginal birth again in the future despite all the difficulties. Conclusion: Considering the factors affecting the birth experience as a result of the study, women should be encouraged to attend antenatal preparation classes for a positive birth experience.

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