Making sense of the stories we are told about our own conception and birth: a qualitative analysis

Abstract

We are all born and we all have a conception and birth story. Whilst quantitative research highlights the impact of conception and birth on health outcomes, little is known about how people make sense of their own conception and birth stories. 10 participants took part in a qualitative interview to explore their conception and birth stories and how they have made sense of them. Thematic analysis described three major themes relating to; i) “shaping their sense of self” including feelings of “luck”, an appreciation for being alive and changes to their self-identity; ii) “changing family relationships”, and how their stories had influenced their views of parents and siblings; iii) “feelings about becoming a parent in the future” including their expectations of their own future births and conception experiences. Transcending these themes was the notion of “valence of the story” which illustrated that how a story was told and whether this was with humour or fear could change the impact of this story. Conception and birth stories may become ingrained into family narratives but they are also ingrained into who we become and even negative events can be ingrained in a more positive way if told with humour rather than fear.