What characterizes women who want to give birth as naturally as possible without painkillers or intervention?
OBJECTIVE
To describe the characteristics of pregnant women who wish to have as natural a birth as possible without analgesics and without intervention.


METHODS
National cohort study.


METHODS
Norwegian Institute of Public Health.


METHODS
55,859 pregnant women booked for antenatal care in Norway 1999-2007.


METHODS
Data on women's interest in natural birth and a set of possible predictors were retrieved from a questionnaire completed at the 30th week of pregnancy and linked to the Medical Birth Registry of Norway.


METHODS
Natural birth and the characteristics of pregnant women with such preferences.


RESULTS
Interest in natural childbirth was consistently expressed by 72%. Positive experience from previous pregnancies, first birth or third or later birth, no fear of giving birth, and reporting positive intra-psychic phenomena are significantly associated with the wish for natural birth.


CONCLUSIONS
Positive experiences from previous childbirths and no fear of giving birth are the strongest factors associated with a wish for as natural birth as possible and should be taken into consideration in public health.
Stord/Haugesund University College, Haugesund, Norway; The Nordic School of Public Health, Gothenburg, Sweden. tone.kringeland@hsh.no
Tone
T
Kringeland
Anne Kjersti
AK
Daltveit
Anders
A
Møller
D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009321:Natural Childbirth / Q000523:psychology*; D009664:Norway; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires