Investigate the relationship between expectation of childbirth and lived experience of childbirth

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between expectation of childbirth and lived experience of childbirth in women. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted as a correlational descriptive study. 312 pregnant women with a sample of 38 weeks or more were included in the study. Participant Presentation Form, Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire A/B (W-DEQ-A/B) were used in the data collection. In the evaluation of the data, percentage distribution, arithmetic mean, ANOVA, independent t-test, chi-square test, Post Hoc Tukey test and Pearson Correlation Analysis were used. Results: In the study, it was determined that the average of prenatal W-DEQ-A score of women was 60.95 ± 23.05 and that of postpartum W-DEQ-B was 87.74 ± 28.92. It was found that women had moderate degree of fear of delivery before birth, and after delivery most had fear of delivery at clinical level. The study found that women who were under 24 years of age, who were not working and had poor income had more fear of delivery during pregnancy (p<0.05). In the study, it was found that women who had poor income had more fear of delivery after giving birth (p <0.05). In addition, it was found that women who were applied episiotomy and oxytocin during labor, women whose expectations are not compatible with the attitudes of health personnel and those who were in need of social support during pregnancy had more fear of delivery (p <0.05). Conclusion: It was found that the fear of childbirth experienced by women is higher than the expected fear of childbirth. Also, it was shown that episiotomy and oxytocin implementation at birth, health staff attitude and need for social support at birth affect the fear of childbirth. Keywords: Women, Birth Expectancy, Birth Experience, Wijma Delivery Expectancy /Experience Questionnaire A, Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire B