There is converging evidence that 1%-2% of women develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of childbirth. The current study aimed to explore the long-term effects of childbirth-related PTSD on women, their relationship with their partner and their relationship with their child. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with six women who reported clinically significant PTSD af...

Objective: To examine effect of an educational program on pregnant women's fear of normal vaginal delivery. Fear of natural childbirth during pregnancy may increase the risk of caesarean section. Educational programs may be effective in reducing women fear of natural childbirth. Materials and methods: This randomized controlled trial conducted from September 2012 to January 2013 in Hamadan, Ira...

Sophrology, based on a combination of Western relaxation therapy and Eastern yoga and meditation might decrease maternal stress during labor. This study aimed to evaluate whether prenatal sophrologic childbirth preparation may decrease maternal and neonatal adverse response associated with delivery. In a nested case-control study, 69 nulliparous, singleton pregnant women who underwent an educat...

BACKGROUND Globally, over 500,000 females die of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth each year, and of these, over 99% of deaths occur in developing countries such as Uganda. Utilisation of modern and professional care during delivery is important in lowering maternal mortality. This paper sets out to investigate the factors associated with the utilisation of modern and profession...

BACKGROUND Although the impact of emergency procedures on the childbirth experience has been studied extensively, a possible association of childbirth experience with indications for emergency interventions has not been reported. OBJECTIVES To compare the impacts on childbirth experience of 'planned' delivery (elective cesarean section and vaginal delivery) versus 'unplanned' delivery (vacuum...

OBJECTIVE As pain during childbirth is very intense, several educational programs exist to help women prepare for the event. This study evaluates the efficacy of a specific pain management program, the Bonapace Method (BM), to reduce the perception of pain during childbirth. The BM involves the father, or a significant partner, in the use of several pain control techniques based on three neurop...

BACKGROUND More than a dozen studies have reported a reduced rate of childbearing after caesarean delivery (CD). It has been hypothesised that this is because women who deliver by CD are less likely to intend to have subsequent children than women who deliver vaginally - either before childbirth or as a consequence of CD. Little research has addressed either of these hypotheses. METHODS As pa...

UNLABELLED In our institution we have used antenatal training in self-hypnosis for over three years as a tool to provide relaxation, anxiolysis and analgesia for women in labour. To assess the effects of hypnotherapy, we prospectively collected data related to the use of hypnosis in preparation for childbirth, and compared the birth outcomes of women experiencing antenatal hypnosis with parity ...

BACKGROUND In Zahedan City in Southeast Iran, some women prefer to give birth at home despite the availability of the equipped hospitals and expert advice that hospital births are safer. OBJECTIVES This study explains how Baloch women make decisions regarding the risks associated with childbirth at home versus a hospital. This study identifies and defines the factors that influence the choice...