Abstract
Pregnancy and childbirth are signifi cant experiences for most women. Expectant mother’s expectations can infl uence her experiences related to birth and motherhood. This study aimed to investigate fi rst-time expectant mothers’ expectations for birth and their perceptions of preparation for birth. To this end, a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study was conducted. Eighteen fi rst-time expectant mothers in their third trimester of pregnancy were interviewed. The methodology to analyze the women reports consisted of content analysis. The main results were: preference for vaginal birth among most women; expectations for childbirth, in general very negative, containing ideas of fear, pain and suffering, seeing childbirth as a life-threatening moment to women and their babies; feelings reported by expectant mothers of not being suffi ciently prepared and confi dent for experiencing birth. We were able to ascertain the need for more information during the prenatal care services about pregnancy, namely childbirth, as well as the need for greater psycho-emotional support for expectant mothers.
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