title: Factors independently related to a negative birth experience in first-time mothers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of personality, socio-demographic and obstetric factors on birth experience in a cohort of healthy first-time mothers. A second aim was to compare a visual analogue scale and Wijma Delivery Experience Questionnaire B as instruments evaluating birth experience.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 541 women were prospectively followed from the end of pregnancy until 9 months postpartum. Socio-demographic, psychological and somatic data as well as personality characteristics were collected. Experience of delivery was measured with a visual analogue scale and with Wijma Delivery Experience Questionnaire B. Sixty-three variables were considered to be associated with the experience of delivery. Nineteen of these, found to be significantly associated with birth experience, were entered in a logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The logistic regression analysis showed that a memory of pain during birth, high usage of analgesics postpartum, long hospital stay, worry in late pregnancy and high self-rated irritation were related to a more negative birth experience, while high confidence in the midwife was related to a more positive experience. The correlation between experiences of delivery rated by Wijma Delivery Experience Questionnaire B and the visual analogue scale was 0.52 (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To help women to cope with pain during and after birth could be an important factor to improve birth experience. Even though the correlation between the visual analogue scale and Wijma Delivery Experience Questionnaire B was moderate, the visual analogue scale could be used as a simple method for screening of birth experience.
authors: Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Institutet, Danderyd Hospital, SE-182 88 Stockholm, Sweden. christina.larsson@ds.se
authors: Christina
authors: C
authors: Larsson
authors: Sissel
authors: S
authors: Saltvedt
authors: Gunnar
authors: G
authors: Edman
authors: Ingela
authors: I
authors: Wiklund
authors: Ellika
authors: E
authors: Andolf
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007508:Irritable Mood; D007902:Length of Stay; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008568:Memory; D008880:Midwifery; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D010298:Parity; D036801:Parturition / Q000523:psychology*; D010551:Personality; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035502:Trust
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics