BackgroundWomen’s fear from childbirth has been associated with increased medical interventions and traumatized birth experience. Although antenatal education is a crucial factor to empower and prepare women for their birth journey, it is not clear how Iranian childbirth classes can influence women’s fear and prepare them positively towards childbirth. This research is designed to evaluate childbirth preparation classes and their impact on women’s perception on their childbirth experiences.Methods/designThis mixed method study with the parallel convergent design has two phases. The first phase will be a quantitative cohort study with 204 primiparous pregnant women at the gestational age of 35–37 weeks. The participants will be divided into three groups based on the number of their attendance into the childbirth preparation classes: a) regular participation (4 to 8 sessions), b) irregular participation (1 to 3 sessions), and c) no-participation. Participant will be followed-up to 1 month after birth. Antenatal data will be collected by using a demographic survey questionnaire, the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire (W-DEQ, version A), the Van den Bergh Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire, the Satisfaction with Childbirth Preparation Classes Questionnaire, the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) and Knowledge regarding pregnancy and childbirth Questionnaire. Postnatal data will be collected by using an Obstetric and Labor Characteristics Questionnaire, EPDS, and Childbirth experience questionnaire (CEQ). The quantitative data will be analyzed using one-way ANOVA and the multivariate linear regression. The second phase of the study will be a qualitative study that will explore the women’s perceptions on the impact of participation in childbirth preparation classes on their childbirth experience. The sampling in this phase will be purposeful and the participants will be studied individually by using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The qualitative data will be analyzed through content analysis with conventional approach.DiscussionAssessing the impact of childbirth preparation classes on women’s childbirth experience in Iran will lead to developing recommendations about the content and quality of the childbirth classes that can improve women’s’ preparation towards positive childbirth.
Background: Lack of knowledge and fear of the unknown during pregnancy and childbirth make mothers fearful, worried, and anxious. Maternal fear and anxiety can lead to problems such as preterm childbirth and low birth weight. Increasing women's knowledge through prenatal education can prepare them for childbirth and improve their health. The present study was conducted to compare fear of childbirth, anxiety and depression during pregnancy in three groups of primiparous pregnant women who were either not attending, irregularly attending, or regularly attending childbirth preparation classes. Methods: A total of 204 primiparous pregnant women attending health centers in Tabriz, Iran, were selected by cluster sampling and assigned to the following three groups: Not attending, irregularly attending (attending one to three sessions of classes) and regularly attending (attending four to eight sessions of classes). Childbirth fear, pregnancy anxiety and depression questionnaires were completed for them through interviews. The general linear model was used to compare their fear of childbirth and prenatal anxiety and depression. Results: According to the general linear model, the scores of fear of childbirth (p < 0.001), anxiety (p < 0.001) and depression (p = 0.006) were significantly lower in the group of pregnant women regularly attending the classes compared to the non-attending group of women. No significant differences were observed between the regularlyattending and irregularly-attending groups in terms of fear of childbirth (p = 0.066), anxiety (p = 0.078), and depression (p = 0.128). Conclusion: Prenatal training can reduce fear, anxiety and depression in primiparous women. Incorporating such training into prenatal care helps improve maternal health.
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