Predictors of Women’s Childbirth Experience: A Prospective Longitudinal Study on Italian New Mothers

BACKGROUND: Women's memories of their childbirth experience tend to remain unchanged over time. This experience can be influenced by obstetric factors as well as by sociodemographic and psychological variables.OBJECTIVE: To examine whether women's perceived childbirth experience changes over time; to identify the predictors (obstetric, sociodemographic, and psychological variables) of this experience immediately after delivery and after 3 months.METHODS: This prospective longitudinal study comprised two hundred and twenty-one Italian women who completed a self-report questionnaire at two assessment points: immediately (1-3 days) after birth (Time 1) and 3 months postpartum (Time 2). At Time 1, the questionnaire included some questions on sociodemographic, psychological, and obstetric information, and the Wijma Delivery Experience Questionnaire (WDEQ(B); at Time 2 women compiled again the WDEQ(B).RESULTS: Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that the childbirth experience did not change from Time 1 to Time 2. However, predictors of this experience were different between Time 1 and Time 2: at Time 1, the childbirth experience (WDEQ(B)_t1) was significantly predicted nly by type of cesarean section; at Time 2, the childbirth experience (WDEQ(B)_t2) was significantly predicted by WDEQ(B)_ t1, history of psychological disorders, and type of conception.DISCUSSIONS: Our findings enhance the understanding of the main predictors of a woman's childbirth experience. Identifying areas of vulnerability is important for clinical practice, as well as for developing maternal health policies to improve women's birth experiences, postpartum well-being, and the baby's development