Can Women’s Cognitive Appraisals Be Registered throughout Childbirth?

The aims of the present study were: (a) to examine whether it was possible to measure women's cognitive appraisals hourly during the whole process of labor and delivery, and (b) to explore how the appraisals varied during labor. Measurements from 12 nulliparous women are presented. The findings indicate that it is possible to study psychological appraisals directly, in detail and continuously during the process of labor and delivery. The women's cognitive appraisals varied throughout labor both per individual woman and between the participating women.