Childbirth and Postpartum Period Fear and the Related Factors in Pregnancy

Objective: This study was carried out to determine the factors affecting pregnant women's anxiety levels during delivery and the postpartum period. Study Design: A descriptive and analytical study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Polyclinic; and Antenetal Education Class, Sakarya University Education and Research Hospital, Sakarya,Turkey, from October 2018 to January 2019. Methodology: Five hundred pregnant women constituted the sample. The data were obtained by using the questionnaire form consisting 25 questions containing the introductory information of pregnant women, prepared by the researchers, and the fear of childbirth and postpartum period scale (FCPPS). Pregnant women's demographic and obstetrical factors and FCPS score were analysed. Results: A statistically significant difference was determined between pregnant women's employment status (p = 0.003), smoking status (p <0.001), trimester of pregnancy (p <0.001), number of living children (p = 0.015), chronic disease (p <0.001), status of receiving education during pregnancy (p <0.001), status of receiving support during/after delivery (p <0.001), and the FCPPS averages. Conclusion: It was determined that pregnant women's anxieties about delivery and babycare increased, especially in the last trimester.