Childbirth Fear and Birth-Related Mindset of First-Time Mothers Who Registered for Antenatal Care in Public Hospitals in Nigeria

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:Globally, studies have reported that many pregnant women often dread the childbirth experience. Its prevalence is higher in developing countries than in the developed countries. It is a problem more common among primigravid women, with consequences for their health and implications for their labor, birth, and postpartum period. Hence, there is a need to assess the level of childbirth fear and birth-related mindset among primigravida attending antenatal clinics in selected hospitals in Ibadan.METHODOLOGY:This study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design. Two hundred and four primigravid women were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected with the aid of a questionnaire, and the result was analyzed using SPSS version 25.0.RESULTS:Findings of the study revealed that slightly above half (55.9%) of the respondents had a high level of childbirth fear. Also, majority (52%) of the respondents had a natural birth-related mindset. It further revealed that there is a significant association between age and childbirth fear with apvalue of <.001. Also, there is a significant association between childbirth fear and birth-related mindset with ap-value of <.001.CONCLUSION:The study concluded that there is a high level of childbirth fear among primigravida. It is recommended that there should be an increased focus on the fears of women of all ages toward childbirth. This should include providing tailored sensitive interpersonal care to them at all levels of care.