Psychosomatic medicine
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Psychosomatic medicine · Jan 2006
Psychosocial influences on women's experience of planned elective cesarean section.
The successful management of pain from normal or interventional delivery is an important part of women's experience of childbirth. Our objective was to examine psychosocial factors (expectations, control beliefs, anxiety sensitivity) as measured in mothers and birth partners before an elective cesarean section. We focused on the impact that these variables have on maternal fear and pain during and after delivery. ⋯ Maternal fear during cesarean section not only fluctuates, but may be influenced by psychosocial factors, including their birth partner. Psychosocial factors were also important predictors of postoperative experiences. Interventions that appropriately manage psychological and social factors during cesarean delivery may facilitate a more positive experience for mothers.