Expectations And Experiences Of Childbirth Among Spouses Of Primiparas

Background:Spouse’s participation in the childbirth has got more attention from the society. Numerous studies have proved the benefits of accompany childbirth by expectant fathers. But fathers may feel remorse and loss if the inappropriate expectations did not achieve. Negative accompany childbirth experiences can also affect expectant mothers and cause negative effects to childbirth. Studies on fathers’childbirth expectations and experiences are rarely conducted in China. Thus, it’s necessary to understand situation of expectant fathers expectations and experiences to provide reference for improving the accompany childbirth service quality and meeting expectant mothers and fathers’ requirements.Objectives:(1) To describe the expectations and experiences of childbirth among Chinese fathers. (2) To explore expectant fathers’sociodemographic characteristics and paternal information that may have potential influence on their childbirth expectations and experiences.Methods:Both questionnaire and semi-structured interview were utilized in this study. 135 expectant fathers were recruited from one obstetrics and gynecology hospital in Beijing. Childbirth Expectations Questionnaire (CEQ) developed by Gupton and Fathers’ Experiences of Childbirth developed by Katri were used to collect data. Eighteen fathers were invited to participate into the interview.Results:(1) About fathers’ childbirth expectations, the mean scores of the five dimensions of CEQ ranking from agree to disagree were spousal support (4.83±0.30), caregiving environment (4.81±0.30), medical support (4.76±0.41), control and participation (4.47±0.48), labor pain expectations (2.75±0.99). (2) The mean scores of childbirth experiences were feelings about the staff and the environment (4.36±0.32), feelings about the birth of his child (4.32±0.37), feelings concerning his wife (3.74±0.43), father’s own feelings (3.58±0.58). Four themes were extracted from the interview data, including concern about wife and child, information and support, feelings about the care and the environment, self consciousness. (3) Univariate analysis indicated that educational level (Z=-2.215, P=0.027), preference of delivery mode (Z=-2.101, P=0.036), preference of newborn’s gender (x2=7.708, P=0.029), the understanding of accompany childbirth (F=2.661, P=0.025) were the influential factors for fathers’childbirth expectations. Preference of newborn’s gender (x2=6.421, P=0.040), the understanding of accompany childbirth (x2=15.942, P=0.007) had significantly relationships with fathers’ childbirth experiences.Conclusion:Fathers have the high overall childbirth expectations in this study. But they hold the negative expectations for labor pain. Fathers’ feelings about the staff and the environment are the best dimension in childbirth experiences. The helpless feelings caused by labor pain should be responded by the medical stuff. In addition, few sociodemographic characteristics and paternal information referred in this study influences fathers’expectations and experiences significantly, which suggested more modified factors should be involved in further study.