Appraisals of Childbirth Experience in Hungary

Ágnes Engler,Valéria Markos,Ágnes Réka Dusa,Marianna Várfalvi,Petra Aczél

doi:10.3390/socsci10080302

Abstract

The main focus of our research is to identify the factors that impact childbirth experience positively and negatively, with special attention to the case of caesarean sections. Drawing on a telephone survey conducted over four years between 2021 and 2018, we use data on 2000 Hungarian mothers and assessed a total of 4266 births. According to the regression analysis, there is a significant association between childbirth experience and settlement type, marital status, financial situation and factors measuring social support, as well as between high-risk pregnancy and informal patient payments. Significant results relating to caesarean sections indicate that the proportion of this mode of birth is higher among women who are older, completed a higher level of education and who live in settlements of a larger type. Based on regression analysis, we can conclude that the likelihood of opting for a caesarean section increases with the mother having a degree or diploma, giving birth with support from an obstetrician of her own choice, experiencing high-risk pregnancy or being older.

Highlights

The conditions of childbirth and their immediate implications for families constitute an important theme that should be examined in its own right
The second perspective is that of the young within the family who witness the arrival of the new family member or have first-hand knowledge of the childbirth narrative
Relationships between the childbirth experience index and these background variables had been explored through analysis of variance

Summary

Introduction

The conditions of childbirth and their immediate (or short-term) implications for families constitute an important theme that should be examined in its own right. Childbirth is a life-changing event, a life-long experience for the family as a whole. The long-term impact of childbirth experience is crucial from three perspectives. The second perspective is that of the young (children, siblings and young indirect relatives) within the family who witness the arrival of the new family member or have first-hand knowledge of the childbirth narrative. Considering the propensity of these young people to have their own children, the kind of emotional content and specific experiences that imbue family stories are by no means insignificant (Issokson 1990; Jouhki et al 2016). The third perspective transcends the boundaries of the nuclear family and is projected to society as a whole: demographic trends are not independent of individual experiences. The mother and the father who, on the whole, had a positive experience of their child’s birth may find it easier to decide about having their child (Nilsson et al.2010; Shorey et al 2018)

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