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Personality traits, childbirth expectations, and childbirth experiences: a prospective study
Megan S Conrad1, Emily Trachtenberg1
1Department of Psychology, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ, USA.
Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology
|December 8, 2021
Summary
Childbirth fear, not personality or self-efficacy, significantly predicts women's subjective birth experiences. Understanding these psychological factors is key for identifying at-risk mothers and improving interventions for better birth outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Obstetrics
- Women's Health
Background:
- Previous research has examined personality and childbirth expectations or experiences separately.
- A comprehensive understanding of psychological factors influencing birth is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the predictive role of personality traits, childbirth fear, and childbirth self-efficacy in women's subjective birthing experiences.
- To identify key psychological predictors of childbirth experiences.
Main Methods:
- Prospective online survey of nulliparous women in the US.
- Data collected in the third trimester (personality, fear, self-efficacy) and postpartum (birth experience).
- 101 participants for initial surveys, 58 completed postpartum measures.
Main Results:
- Significant correlations were found between personality traits, childbirth fear, self-efficacy, and subjective birth experience.
- Neuroticism, fear, and self-efficacy all showed correlations with birth experiences.
- Regression analysis revealed childbirth fear as the sole significant predictor of subjective childbirth experiences.
Conclusions:
- Childbirth fear is a critical factor influencing women's subjective birthing experiences.
- Findings highlight the importance of considering multiple psychological variables together.
- Results can inform identification of women at risk for negative birth expectations and guide interventions to improve birth experiences.
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