Women's worries about childbirth: making safe choices

The aim of this research was to provide a qualitative account of a number of women's everyday worries about childbirth. This was facilitated by asking women about their worries and identifying their social and personal contexts. The central findings of this Australian study were that women worry about their own health and their baby's; normality and the effects of their pregnant and potential birthing behaviours. In addition the study showed that pain is linked with vulnerability and that women feel they are not valued for their individual selves. This study has implications for professionals offering health services for pregnant women. It challenges health providers to reconsider assumptions about what it is women worry about and what measures should be taken. Understanding the complex ways that women worry about childbirth within social and personal contexts can improve knowledge and practice, and the experience of pregnancy and childbirth for women.