title: Ambivalence towards childbirth in a medicalized context: a qualitative inquiry among Iranian mothers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Today, pregnant women are treated as individuals requiring medical care. Every day, more and more technologies, surgical procedures and medications are used even for low-risk childbirths. These interventions can save mothers' lives in threatening situations, although they might be risky for mothers and neonates in low-risk deliveries. Despite the increasing interest in medical care for childbirth, our knowledge about underlying factors for development of medicalized childbirth is limited in Iran.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to provide a broad description of medicalized childbirth in Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, a qualitative approach was applied and data was gathered via in-depth interviews. The subjects were selected via purposive sampling. Overall, 27 pregnant and postpartum women were enrolled in this study. Participants were selected from public health centers, hospitals and offices. Data analysis was performed using conventional qualitative content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As the results indicated, mothers preferred medicalized childbirth under the supervision of obstetricians. The subjects mostly opted for elective cesarean section; this choice led to an increase in physicians' authority and restricted midwives' role in childbirth. Consequently, mothers' preference for cesarean section led to the expansion of medicalization and challenged the realization of natural childbirth. Mothers also had a strong tendency toward natural childbirth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Generally, many Iranian mothers choose the medicalized approach, despite their inclination to comply with the natural mode of delivery. It seems that mothers have an ambivalent attitude toward childbirth. Health authorities can prevent the adverse effects of medicalized birth and encourage natural childbirth among women using the obtained findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing and Midwifery School, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Sedigheh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sedigh Mobarakabadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing and Midwifery School, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Khadijeh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mirzaei Najmabadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Demography and Population Studies, University of Tehran, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghazi Tabatabaie
keywords: Childbirth; Iran; Medicalization; Qualitative Research