Does a Pregnant Woman's Intended Place of Birth Influence Her Attitudes Toward and Occurrence of Obstetric Interventions?

Abstract

A large proportion of women desire a home birth. The impact of that choice demonstrated a smoother course of the birth process, compared with women who desired to deliver in the hospital, as measured by fewer obstetric interventions. We suggest that psychological factors (expectation and perceptions) influence both a woman's decision of birthplace and the actual birth process.