Constructing the uncertainty of due dates.

Area of Science:

• Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Sociology of Health and Illness
• Qualitative Research Methods

Background:

• Due dates are inherently uncertain, influencing birth timing and potentially leading to adverse infant outcomes.
• Elective interventions before 39 weeks impact infant health.
• Understanding women's decision-making regarding birth timing is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how women perceive and manage the uncertainty of their estimated due dates.
• To understand the decision-making processes influencing the timing of childbirth.
• To identify factors that may persuade women to prolong pregnancy.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study using a grounded theory approach.
• Key informant and small-group interviews with 33 women.
• Analysis of problematic integration theory, including epistemological and ontological uncertainty.

Main Results:

• Women interpret due date uncertainty as a reason to both wait for and initiate birth.
• Information on fetal brain development may encourage women to carry pregnancies longer.
• A third type of uncertainty, axiological uncertainty, rooted in values and ethics, was identified.

Conclusions:

• Women's construction of due date uncertainty influences birth timing decisions.
• Axiological uncertainty, concerning the values and ethics of birth outcomes, plays a significant role.
• Further research into axiological uncertainty can inform clinical practice and patient counseling regarding birth timing.