Personality traits, childbirth expectations, and childbirth experiences: a prospective study

ABSTRACT

Objectives

The current study investigated the role of multiple psychological factors in predicting women’s subjective birthing experiences.

Methods

An online prospective survey methodology was conducted with women in the US who had never before given birth. Participants (N = 101) completed surveys regarding their personality traits, childbirth fear, and childbirth self-efficacy in their third trimester of pregnancy (range 28–40 weeks gestation). After giving birth (range 5–50 days post birth), participants (N = 58) completed a measure of subjective childbirth experience.

Results

Significant correlations were found between personality traits, childbirth fear, childbirth self-efficacy, and subjective childbirth experience. Neuroticism, fear, and self-efficacy were all correlated with childbirth experiences. However, regression analysis indicated that only childbirth fear significantly predicted subjective childbirth experiences.

Conclusions

While previous research has looked at the relationships between personality and expectations or personality and experiences separately, the current findings underscore the importance of including all variables in order to get the most effective picture of the relationships among these variables. The results from the current study can inform methods of identifying women at-risk for negative birth expectations and inform interventions aimed at reducing negative childbirth experiences.

KEYWORDS:

• Pregnancy
• self-efficacy
• personality
• fear
• childbirth

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author [MC] upon reasonable request.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by funds from a Summer Stipend from the Research Center for the Humanities and Social Sciences at William Paterson University; William Paterson University of New Jersey [NA].