Abstract:

Aim: This study aimed to determine the effect of childbirth expectations of primiparous women who had vaginal delivery or cesarean section in a private hospital on their perceptions of childbirth experience. Material and Method:This retrospective and descriptive study was conducted in a private hospital of Medipol Healthcare Group. The study sample consisted of 450 primiparous women who applied to the hospital between February and July 2014 and agreed to participate in the study. Data were collected using a semi-structured “Question Form for Evaluating Expectation” and analyzed using the chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and Yates’ continuity. Results: The mean age of the participants was 29.77 ± 4.54. Of them, 38.4% were between 30 and 34 years old and 60% had cesarean section. Most of the women were university graduates (69%) and working (69%). The rate of having a higher midwife support perception than expected was 73.3% for the women having vaginal delivery 58.5% for the women having cesarean section. The rate of having a higher anxiety perception than expected was 39.3% for those having cesarean section and 26.7% for those having vaginal delivery. The rate of having a higher childbirth pain perception than expected was 83.9% for those having vaginal delivery and 22.2% for those having cesarean section. Finally, the rate of having a higher postpartum pain perception than expected was 38.1% for those having cesarean section and 19.4% for those having vaginal delivery. No difference was found between the women having cesarean section and vaginal delivery in terms of fear perception and privacy perception. Conclusion:Midwife support was higher than expected during vaginal delivery. The level of anxiety perception was higher than expected during cesarean section, whereas the childbirth pain perception was higher than expected during vaginal delivery. The postpartum pain perception was higher in cesarean section than in vaginal delivery.

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