title: The effects of counseling on fear of childbirth.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate women's experiences of attending existing counseling programs for childbirth-related fear and the effect of this counseling over time.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hospitals in the central north of Sweden.
  
  
  METHODS
  A selected sample of 936 women. Of these, 70 received counseling due to fear of childbirth (study-group).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected with questionnaires 2 months and 1 year after giving birth with background data collected during midpregnancy. Comparisons were made between women with or without counseling. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) were calculated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-reported childbirth fear, experience of counseling, birth experience and preferred mode of birth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women in the counseling group reported higher childbirth fear 1 year after giving birth (OR 5.0, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.6-9.3), they had a more negative birth experience that did not change over time (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.2-3.9) and they preferred cesarean section to a greater extent (OR 12.0, 95% CI 5.1-28.1) in the case of another birth. Also, they were more often delivered by planned cesarean section (OR 4.7, 95% CI 2.4-9.1). However, 80% were satisfied with the given support.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although women were satisfied with the treatment, this study shows that counseling had a minor effect on fear of childbirth, birth experiences or cesarean section rates. To help women with their fear of childbirth, more effective methods of treatment are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.|Research and Development Centre, Sundsvall Hospital, Sundsvall, Sweden.
authors.forename: Birgitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Sciences, Mid-Sweden University, Sundsvall, Sweden.
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karlström
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rubertsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.|Department of Nursing Sciences, Mid-Sweden University, Sundsvall, Sweden.|Women's and Children's Health, Department of Reproductive Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ingegerd
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hildingsson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003376:Counseling; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D036801:Parturition / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Birth experience; cesarean section; childbirth fear; counseling; support